Turn2us responds to Get Britain Working White Paper

The government has today published its white paper on reforming support to help people move into employment.

Claire Atchia McMaster, director of income and external affairs at Turn2us, says: 

“Today’s announcements signal an important step in the right direction. By focusing on personalised support and linking health and employment services, the White Paper shows ambition to address the complex barriers people face in finding meaningful and secure jobs. We look forward to seeing more detail about how these reforms will work in practice.

“However, significant questions remain on the role of conditionality and sanctions. Evidence shows sanctions don’t work - they push people further into crisis, impact mental health, and make financial security harder to achieve. At Turn2us we hear from people who are unable to afford essentials like food because of these punitive policies.

“If the Government is serious about rebuilding trust in social security, it must lead with fairness and compassion when reforming other areas of the system. This includes moving away from outdated, stigmatising language about people who rely on support. Instead, we need a system that reflects the reality of people’s lives and recognises social security as a safety net we can all be proud of – just like the NHS.”