In early 2006, the Government set out plans for wide-ranging reforms to welfare policy, with the aim of supporting more people back into work.

A fundamental intention set out in the Government’s proposals is to “extend opportunity and prosperity to those who have been, in effect, excluded”. The Green Paper and the subsequent Welfare Reform Bill describes how the Government intends to support people excluded from the labour market to get (back) into work, and to ensure that people unable to work receive the support they need.

The consultation on the reforms, have presented a clear opportunity for us to tell Government how their proposals can work to meet the needs of homeless people who want to and are able to work, while providing the necessary support to those who are unable or unready to work.

We consulted Homeless Link’s members and our own network, held a focus group at the OSW Consultation in November 2005 and commissioned research, to investigate how the reforms could most enable homeless people to move (back) into work. And we submitted a joint sectoral consultation response (132 Kb), as well as an OSW consultation response (164 Kb), to the Department for Work and Pensions.

Whilst the Welfare Reform Bill (July 2006) addresses some issues that will extend opportunity to certain excluded individuals – for example, the extension of the Pathways to Work pilots, and the local housing allowance pilots – it still doesn’t specifically tackle the multiple and complex needs that many homeless individuals face.