Calderdale Council leader wants regional powers over benefits
The leader of Calderdale Council has called for regional powers over welfare as a way to “deal with” his claim that millions of workers would be “better off” on benefits.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) heard work is underway to transfer delivery of employment support from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to WYCA in early 2028.
Employment support includes job coaching, skills training, help with CVs and interviews, support for people with health conditions, and programmes for people not in education, employment, or training (NEETs).
The devolution plans are not to be confused with Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) – a benefit payment for those with a disability or health condition – though there is an overlap with those receiving ESA and employment support.
Addressing WYCA, Coun Daniel Sutherland (Reform, Illingworth and Mixenden) indicated the ability of local government to set policy around unemployment benefits would be a way to “deal with the crux of the issue”.
He claimed: “There are millions of people in this country, and many in this region, who do the commendable thing of getting up every day and going to work, when they would be better off on benefits, financially.
“And as much as we do on employment support in our role we’re always going to struggle to address that issue that underlies and undermines any efforts we take.
“I noticed in the paper it talked about the approach in this instance is to devolve associated funding rather than associated policy.
“Can I take from that sentence there is the potential to work with the DWP to see a devolution of the policy around employment support and unemployment benefits because that would seem to me to be the way we actually deal with the crux of the issue?”
Director of inclusive economy, skills, and culture Felix Kumi-Ampofo said WYCA was hoping to get more control than is currently being offered.
Mr Kumi-Ampofo said: “This is their starting position for how they expect this to work. We are saying back to them: ‘This is not devolution. That is decentralisation’ and ‘You are simply commissioning us to do what you want us to do’.
“I’m not able to commit to you what we are asking for is what we will get in the end. But we are asking for moves, that is quite different to what we have here.
“Hopefully when we sign on the dotted line late next year, we will have more of a grip on the policy, of the operations, how it works, et cetera.
“Our desired end state is to have one system, that has one consistent, coherent, integrated offer for everybody in the region.
“That does not feed into what you talked about earlier, that it might pay more for somebody to be on benefits than to work or not, but incentivises people to work and support them to work because we all understand and appreciate what the benefits are to everybody.”
Earlier, Mr Kumi-Ampofo told Combined Authority Board the current arrangement with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will stop taking referrals in mid-2027.
Mr Kumi-Ampofo said WYCA is working with the DWP to remove duplication, ensure consistency, and provide for every resident irrespective of where they live in the region.
“We know that 90 per cent of people in this region live and work here, and it makes sense to lean into that and link people to opportunity wherever they are,” he added.