The Government has confirmed that the Work Choice initiative aimed at getting disabled people into work and supporting them to remain there, is to go ahead. It ends much speculation as to whether or not Work Choice would sit apart from, or be incorporated into, the new Work Programme.

In a Parliamentary statement this week, Maria Miller, the Minister for Disabled People, said:

“…. the Government are reaffirming their clear commitment to disabled people by launching a new programme to provide support for severely disabled people. The new programme, currently called Work Choice, will be introduced from 25 October 2010. It will sit alongside the Work Programme and will help into work disabled people who face the most complex and long-term barriers to employment and who may require high intensity support in the workplace.”

The 28 Work Choice contracts have been allocated between eight different providers : Leonard Cheshire Disability, Shaw Trust, Working Links, The Pluss Organisation, Advance Housing & Support, Ingeus, Seetec, and CDG WISE Ability.