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Publication Devolution Local Government Welfare 23 September, 2026

No Job for the Centre: the case for devolving employment support

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Britain’s employment support system is failing the people who need it most. Its backbone – Jobcentre Plus – remains a highly centralised, one-size-fits-all institution, despite the importance of local labour markets and the need to join up employment support with health, skills, housing and other public services. The barriers people face in moving into work are often local and interconnected, yet the system remains largely designed and delivered from the centre. 

The employment support system has failed to adapt to today’s challenges, while outcomes continue to deteriorate:  

  • It is estimated that over 1 million 16- 24-year-olds are not in employment, education or training. A significant portion of these individuals are not claiming benefits and are therefore largely “hidden” from the system. 
  • The number of people claiming Universal Credit (UC) Health or Employment and Support Allowance rose from just over 2 million pre-pandemic to 3.7 million by mid-2025. 
  • The proportion of people who have been in the out of work UC “Searching for work” conditionality group for a year or more has almost doubled compared to pre-pandemic (from just over 20 per cent to just under 40 per cent). 
  • A work coach carries around 100 claimants and may see each for as little as ten minutes despite the complexity of the rising caseload. 

No Job for the Centre argues that the answer is not to reform Jobcentre Plus, but to replace it with a fundamentally different model, one that puts people and places at its centre. Central government should provide a universal, AI-enabled digital offer for those who are likely to find work quickly. Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs) should take over primary responsibility and the budget for in-person, joined-up support for everyone else. This should include those on income-related benefits such as Universal Credit, who are currently the responsibility of JCP. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) should retain benefits administration and sanctions, and the centre should focus on evidence, standards and transparency. Jobcentre Plus should be scrapped entirely. 

To read an executive summary click here.