A JOB centre in Yate welcomed a visit from the Minister for Pensions Steve Webb who found out about a new scheme helping carers into work.


Yate Jobcentre Plus was visited by MP Steve Webb on Friday, March 20, to learn more about The Income Support Carer Initiative, which is exploring ways to help carers balance work with their caring responsibilities, with tailored CV advice, email jobs alerts and interview skills training, as well as support from a dedicated work coach.


The initiative, run by the Bristol and South Gloucestershire Jobcentre Plus offices has been in place since August 2014.


Mr Webb said: “This project is giving people with caring responsibilities an extra helping hand if they want to hone their skills, keep in touch with the workplace or move into employment.
“The help that initiatives like this bring can be life-changing.”


Since August 2014 Gloucestershire and the West of England district has enhanced the support offered to carers to prevent them becoming further excluded from the labour market.


Support has resulted in carers being helped into college training, finding work or increasing their number of working hours and of those who participated in the local scheme, over a third had found work by January 2015.


Nick Browning, Jobcentre Plus district manager, Gloucestershire and West of England, said: “Supporting carers is really important as many people find it difficult to juggle their caring duties with work. As a result, they can feel forced to leave their jobs or that they will never be able to get back into work.


“We want to make sure that those who want to stay or move into employment have the necessary support to do so. Our experienced professionals provide tailored advice to help carers achieve the balance they are hoping for.”


Local figures show that there are 6,200 people of working age claiming Carers Allowance in Bristol and South Gloucestershire.