HEALTH

Reducing worklessness

Wirral is moving forward with a new model for delivering integrated solutions to health-related worklessness that costs the Birkenhead area £70m annually, explains Kevin Adderley.

Whenever the public sector seeks to improve services, it can be helpful to begin with raw data. In Birkenhead, Wirral's largest conurbation, the data was very raw indeed.

Department of Work and Pensions baseline data from 2013 suggested that 23.6% of the working age population of Birkenhead were workless. 41% of Wirral's total claimants for Employment Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefit lived in the town. In some areas, more than a third of the working age population claimed health-related benefits.

Popular articles by Kevin Adderley

SUBSCRIBE TO CONTINUE READING

Get unlimited access to The MJ with a subscription, plus a weekly copy of The MJ magazine sent directly to you door and inbox.

Subscribe

Full website content includes additional, exclusive commentary and analysis on the issues affecting local government.

Login

Already a subscriber?