New Deal.
The government brought in the New Deal in 1997.  This is aimed at unemployed people.  It is a complicated scheme, but it offers unemployed people four choices to help them get back into work. Those are:
  1. Subsidised employment (which means the government giving money to employers to take you on),
  2. Voluntary work,
  3. Environmental work, and
  4. Full-time education or training.


The government said that they would bring in special New Deals for disabled people and single parents.

These have not yet been brought in.  This means that people with learning disabilities are disadvantaged by the slow progress.  Only people with learning disabilities who are on Job Seekers’ Allowance can get onto New Deal.

Many people with disabilities are on Income Support or Incapacity Benefit.  To get from Incapacity Benefit to Job Seekers’ Allowance, you have to say that you are fit to work.  This can cause problems later, if you need to go back to Incapacity Benefit.

There are pilot programmes in some areas for other people, but apart from these, no alternative has been developed for people who are not on Job Seekers’ Allowance.

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