Greater Manchester is set to pioneer a 'radical new approach' to reforming benefits . The plan aims to support the government's 'Get Britain Working' mission by helping 150,000 residents back into employment over the next five years. The initiative, 'Live Well', seeks to overhaul employment support by routing funding through local community and voluntary groups, the NHS, skills training providers, Jobcentre Plus, and social prescribing services.
This approach aims to help individuals live healthier lives while guiding them back into the workforce. Each neighbourhood will have a local Live Well service, offering support to boost confidence and set people on the path to employment . The Live Well centres will bring together health services, social prescribers, skills and employment support, and housing advice under one roof.
Services such as GP surgeries, Jobcentre Plus, and community hubs will have the ability to refer individuals to their local centre. The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has expressed his willingness to assist the government in its mission to 'Get Britain Working' by introducing this new way of supporting residents into employment. He has requested new devolved control over employment support funding, allowing Greater Manchester to become the test bed for this 'radical new approach'.
Mr Burnham said: "The current welfare system is based on distrust and too often leaves people feeling worse about themselves and further away from work. "Live Well wil.
