Salvation Army: millions want to work but can’t without specialist help

On Employability Day (20 June) The Salvation Army is calling on Government for more clarity about long-term funding for the specialist employment services that are essential to help people who are long-term unemployed find and maintain work. 

The Salvation Army’s Employment Plus service operates from 418 locations in the UK - including The Salvation Army’s homelessness hostels and churches, Job Centre plus or other local partners and at 11 prisons. The church and charity specialises in helping people who want to work but are struggling due to barriers beyond their control, such as living with disability or long-term health issues, caring responsibilities, and homelessness.  

In the Spending Review, the Government confirmed that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), which has supported vital specialist employment services like Employment Plus, will be phased out and replaced with new local growth funds – however they are not a like-for-like replacement. Unlike UKSPF, there is no allocation in local growth funds for ‘people and skills’, only for infrastructure, building projects, and physical assets to boost local economies in the long term. 

The Government has shifted the responsibility for reaching and supporting those previously served by specialist services onto DWP, through the new combined Jobcentre and National Careers Services. This is great for those who are job ready but won’t help the millions who want to work but need that extra help into employment. 

Services like Employment Plus have a proven track record helping people who are long term unemployed into jobs and independent living, saving the Government money in the long term. Without clarity of funding many of these services might no longer be able to run. 

Ahead of the parliamentary vote on the Government’s welfare cuts and reforms, The Salvation Army also draws a link between welfare and employability and is concerned that by taking away vital financial support, Government risks some of the most vulnerable people being pushed further away from the jobs market, and deeper into poverty. 

Rebecca Keating, Director of Employability Services at The Salvation Army said “Everyday people come to us who want to work but are held back by things that are beyond their control. We agree with the Government, those who can work should - but if you are homeless, living with disability or have been caring for someone long-term you are likely to need a bit more help to get back into the workplace. The Government needs to move away from a one-size-fits-all, 'work-first' model in the benefits system and instead invest in tailored, person-centred support. 

“Funding needs to be in place to help people overcome barriers to the job market. We also want to ensure that other support systems are not eroded. For example, many people with disabilities and carers who can and want to work are reliant on the financial support PIP and the health element of Universal Credit, which offers vital stability while they try to find and maintain a suitable job.

“Many of our Employment Plus clients are so far away from being able or ready to get a job, as they need help with issues such as poverty, debt, insecure housing, or poor mental or physical health before they can even contemplate entering the workplace. 

“We want to work with the Government to help them to develop a system that ensures that the right, holistic support is in place for the people who can and want to work but who face the biggest barriers. Securing long-term funding is essential to achieving this.”

The Salvation Army’s analysis of the ONS Labour Force Survey and administrative data, people aged 16-64, 2025 Q1, found: 

• 3.6 million people want to work - 2 million were economically inactive but want a job, yet only 1.6 million were officially unemployed

• Only half (1.82 million) of the 3.6 million real unemployed were receiving intensive jobseeking support through the benefits system, meaning Job Centres need to work with the specialist employability sector to reach the people with the most complex needs 

• 370,000 economically inactive people with caring responsibilities want to work and 680,000 economically inactive people who are long-term sick or disabled want to work 

• Vacancies were falling and were below pre-pandemic levels, meaning there was more competition for jobs. There were 4.5 real unemployed people per job vacancy. There were 2.2 people receiving intensive support through the benefits system per job vacancy. 

In the past 12 months, The Salvation Army’s Employment Plus has fully supported 4905 people across the UK and Ireland on their employability journey. This cohort has completed 14,452 milestones – such as building a new CV, completing a training course or a work experience placement -  with 930 of them gaining employment. A further 3421 people were helped with a single intervention, which could include one training session, or signposting for appropriate support such as a foodbank, or housing and social services.