Work coaches are to move away from ‘box-ticking’ as DWP responds to a scathing report
The Department for Work and Pensions has revealed changes being tested at Jobcentre Plus offices and work coach environments. It comes after a report found people leave these environments feeling ‘hopeless’ due to the stigma and demoralising treatment they experienced.
The first Pathfinder centre, based in Wakefield, is currently testing a customer-work coach relationship new to the Jobcentre environment. It is meant to shift the focus from compliance exercises to be more personalised and career-focused discussions. Additionally, the department is looking at different ways Jobcentre services can be delivered.
This could see Jobcentre vans, pop-up stores and collaborative services arising in the near future to further the reach of services in communities.
Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson had questioned the DWP secretary around his “plans to implement the recommendations in Turn2us’s report entitled From stigma to support, published in October 2025.”
In response, Labour MP Dame Diana Johnson shared: “We are testing changes to the Jobcentre Plus environment to make it more welcoming for customers. We are exploring how services can be delivered in community settings, including via vans, pop-ups and collaboration with partner services.
“We are introducing trauma-informed approaches across the DWP, and all frontline DWP colleagues are trained to identify and support vulnerable customers.
“As part of the new Jobs and Careers Service, we are shifting the focus of the customer-work coach relationship away from compliance and box-ticking to more personalised, and career-focused discussions. We are testing this in our first Pathfinder, based in Wakefield.
“We are building towards a guaranteed Pathways to Work offer of personalised employment, health and skills support for all disabled people and those with health conditions on out of work benefits.
“We have also launched the Timms Review to ensure PIP is fair and fit for the future. We are co-producing the Review with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, and other experts. Once in place, the Review’s steering group will agree the approach to considering evidence and gathering input.”
The Turn2Us report published in October found that 64% of claimants felt the system was ‘trying to catch them out’ due to the constant surveillance and threat of sanctions they experiencing while engaging in Jobcentre services.
It also found that people left Jobcentres feeling ‘hopeless’ after being spoken ‘down to’. PIP assessments were found to be in particular ‘soul destroying’, worsening the mental health of applicants throughout the process.
Manyfeel the stigma and concern doesn’t stop once the benefit is awarded though as 80% of PIP claimants said they regularly fear their critical support will be taken away.
