Jobcentre on Wheels to arrive in six areas as part of employment support

The Department for Work and Pensions will add nine Jobcentre on Wheels vans across six areas after pilot trials, and DWP data showed more than half of visitors were not receiving benefits.

Nine Jobcentre vans will be added to a mobile employment service, the Work and Pensions Secretary announced. The expansion follows a pilot of the Jobcentre on Wheels scheme and is presented as part of the government's plan to reform employment support. The service is described as meeting people where they are, with visits outside leisure centres and in municipal parks. The announcement comes as official figures show the unemployment rate has risen. Key facts: - The Department for Work and Pensions said nine Jobcentre on Wheels vans will be deployed. - The DWP said vehicles will join the fleet across six areas, including Barrow-in-Furness, Blackpool, Wakefield, North Nottinghamshire, Bridgend and Rhondda Cynon Taf, and North Somerset. - The scheme was trialled in the Scottish Highlands, North and Mid Wales, and Greater Manchester. - DWP data indicated that more than half of visitors to the Jobcentre on Wheels service were not in receipt of benefits. - The Office for National Statistics estimated the unemployment rate for people aged 16 and over at 5.1% between September and November last year, up from 4.4% in the same period in 2024. Summary: The DWP says the expansion aims to bring employment support into community settings and reduce barriers that can stop people finding work. The immediate next step is deploying the additional vans in the named areas. Further details about evaluation or wider rollout were not provided in the announcement.