§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to improve awareness of the Access to Work scheme; and how much was spent on its promotion in the last year for which figures are available. [110738]
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownJobcentre Plus invests around £300,000 per year on marketing and publicising its specialised services and programmes for disabled people. Promotional material is available in a wide range of media such as leaflets, audiotapes and videos. Information and advice on Access to Work forms an integral part of many of these campaigns and it is not therefore possible to give a separate figure for this scheme only.
Information on all our disability services is available from Jobcentre Plus offices. Detailed information is also available on the Jobcentre Plus web site. The web address is included on Jobcentre Plus publicity material and can be accessed through most internet search engines.
Disability Employment Advisers regularly meet local employers to promote the full range of disability services, including Access to Work. In addition, many disability organisations actively promote Access to Work to their members and some have information about the programme on their web site.
Research shows that applications come from a range of sources, suggesting that knowledge of the programme is widespread1.
1Source:
"Users' Views of Access to Work" Employment Service study, March 2001.