Adrian Bailey MP has backed new help for people who lose their jobs including up to £2,500 ‘golden hellos’ to encourage businesses to recruit and train local jobless people. And Mr Bailey is urging local employers to take advantage of the new help to give job opportunities to those at risk of falling into long term unemployment: 

“There are still 2,305 vacancies in  Sandwell but we cannot afford to be complacent about unemployment. In the 80’s and 90’s short term unemployment became long term unemployment because people weren’t given the help they needed.” 

“The longer local people are out of work the more help they will get. I urge local businesses to get in touch with Jobcentre Plus and to take advantage of the money we are putting in.” 

As part of a half a billion pound package those unemployed for 6 months will get a guarantee of extra support. In Sandwell at any time 2,305 people would benefit from this new help with a range of new options available:

·     ‘Golden Hellos’ - cash for employers to recruit and train unemployed people.

·     Money and support for the unemployed to set up their own business.

·     Training to improve skills to get a job.

·     More chances to volunteer while looking for a job.

Work and Pension Secretary James Purnell pledged he would work with Adrian Bailey MP to do all he could to support people who lose their jobs: 

"We will help people pay the mortgage if the worse happens but I know people don't want benefits, they want a job so they can support their families. Even in these tough times most people get work quickly. But we need to do more so we are guaranteeing anyone who is still unemployed after 6 months new help to get a job." 

"We can't always stop people losing their jobs but we will offer real help to get people jobs. In the 1990s recession too many people who should have found work quickly spent years on the dole or other benefits. We are determined that should not happen today. 

"We have a choice. We can invest millions in people's future now or pay billions in a future where people are stuck on benefits.” 

Notes to Editors 

Labour is offering more help at every stage of unemployment:

Before redundancies happen:

·     We give help to people at risk of redundancy to find a new job, even before they become unemployed through our Rapid Response Service (RRS). Full briefing on the RRS and local contact details for dealing with redundancies in your area is available.

·     We have doubled the funding for RRS, and will double it again.

From Day One of Unemployment:

·     We announced in the Pre Budget Report that we are investing an extra £1.3bn. This money will help to guarantee that everyone looking for work will, from day one:

o  Help and advice on finding a new job;

o  Help to write a new CV and fill in job applications;

o  Help on retraining and skills advice;

o  Help with their rent and with their mortgage from 13 weeks;

o  Help to access to the average of 10,000 new vacancies recorded by Jobcentre Plus every working day.

·     The Tories oppose this help because they oppose spending any more money to help people through the downturn.

From 3 Months Unemployed:

·     People will get extra help with mortgage payments (SMI) to help them keep their homes when they lose their job.

·     In addition, we step up the help we give with wider job search and more intensive support from advisers.

New guarantee of support from 6 months unemployed:

·     We know that the majority of people move off Jobseekers Allowance within 6 months, but we are guaranteeing more help for those that don’t.

·     Today we are promising every jobseeker more support if they have not managed to find a new job within six months.  As well as extra funds for Jobcentre Plus to allow them to provide more intensive and personalised support, the two year package will include access to:

o  “Employers’ Golden Hellos”: incentives of up to £2500 paid to employers to recruit and train unemployed people

o  New training places: extra funding for training places to help unemployed people get new skills to maximise their chances of getting jobs from the 500,000 vacancies in the economy.

o  Work-focused volunteering options: opportunities to volunteer to help people back into work habits

o  Help to set up a business – advice on creating a business plan, plus funding for the first months of trading.