Number of work coaches increased by 11,095 over the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic

Work and Pensions Minister provides update on plan to 'ramp up' jobcentre capability that was meant to lead to double the number of coaches by March 2021

The number of work coaches increased by 11,095 over the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government has confirmed.

In July 2020, Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey had said that, as part of the government's plan for recovery and revival' -

'I can reveal a central pillar ... ramping up our jobcentre Work Coach capability. We are doubling their number to 27,000 by March ...'

However, responding to a Parliamentary written question yesterday, Work and Pensions Minister Mims Davies indicated that the number of work coaches in post increased by less than 70 per cent, from 16,191 in March 2020 to 27,286 in March 2021 -

In addition, the Minister confirmed that the number of work coaches includes a count of the number of Disability Employment Advisers, that fell from 657 to 585 between March 2020 and March 2021 -

The Minister's Parliamentary written answer is available from Hansard.