Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to secure sustainable replacement funding for disabled support services following the loss of the European Social fund.
Answer
The UK Government is committed to helping people with disabilities and health conditions get into and progress in work, with ambitious plans set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper. Pathways to Work is a key element of these plans backed by £3.5 billion of investment, with consequential funding flowing to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland where policy responsibility is devolved. The Local Growth Fund can also be used to provide complementary support to people with disabilities in Northern Ireland, Wales and parts of Scotland.17% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (30/100)
The reply only partly answers the question. It describes funding for disability employment support, such as Pathways to Work (£3.5bn) and the Local Growth Fund, but it never mentions the lost European Social Fund money. It also does not say whether these programmes replace that funding or can be relied on over time. Because the answer is vague on the central point, the person who asked would probably need to ask again for specifics.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is the department doing to secure sustainable replacement funding for disabled support services following the loss of European Social Fund money. | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply never mentions European Social Fund money or its loss, and it does not say whether the £3.5bn Pathways to Work investment or the Local Growth Fund replaces that lost money or is sustainable. It does describe funding for disability employment support and names concrete mechanisms (Pathways to Work, £3.5bn, Local Growth Fund for devolved nations), so it partly answers the broader question of what is being done to fund disabled support services. |