Latest news with #WorkWell
Daily Record
15-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
New DWP plans to help people with long Covid find and stay in a job
The Labour Government aims to help more people with long-term health conditions into work to achieve its 80% employment target. Reasons your Universal Credit may be cut by DWP Minister for Employment Alison McGovern has shared details on new plans to help long-term health conditions including long Covid back into work. The UK Government's 'Get Britain Working White Paper', published in November last year, sets out the biggest reforms by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to employment support for a generation and achieve an 80 per cent employment rate. In a written response to Labour MP Jonathan Davies, the Employment Minister explained how DWP's 'ambitions are to reverse the trend of inactivity, and to raise both productivity and living standards whilst improving the quality of work'. She added that the UK Government is 'committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including people with long covid' and have a 'range of support available so individuals can stay in work and get back into work' The DWP Minister's comments came after the mid-Derbyshire MP asked what steps are being taken to help people with long covid into work. Ms McGovern said: 'Appropriate work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. 'Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. 'The Government is committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including people with long covid, and have a range of support available so individuals can stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.' Measures include joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care and WorkWell, as well as support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants. The DWP Minister added: 'The Government also announced in the recent Pathways to Work Green Paper that we would establish a new guarantee of support for all disabled people and people with health conditions claiming out of work benefits who want help to get into or return to work, backed up by £1billion of new funding.' However, she added that employers play an important role in addressing health and disability. She explained: 'The Disability Confident Scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. 'To build on this, the Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate is facilitating 'Keep Britain Working', an independent review of the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces. The lead reviewer, Sir Charlie Mayfield, is expected to bring forward recommendations in Autumn 2025.' Online consultation The DWP has published the 'Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working' consultation online at The consultation is seeking views on the approaches the UK Government should consider around reform of the health and disability benefits system and employment support. The consultation on states: 'This Green Paper is an important staging post on a journey of reform, building on the vision and approach set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper in November 2024. It sets out our vision, strategy and proposals for change.' It continues: 'We want to improve and refine our plans by consulting on certain measures as described within this paper. We are committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people and people with health conditions at the heart of everything we do.' Who can complete the consultation? The DWP is encouraging a 'wide group' of people to share their views 'in particular disabled people and people with health conditions and disability organisations'. This consultation applies to England, Wales and Scotland. All the proposals apply in England, but it's important to be aware that the proposals will only apply to the UK Government's areas of responsibility in England, Wales and Scotland. DWP will also be running a number of 'accessible virtual and face to face events' on the consultation. More information on the details of these events and on how to register can be found on here. To complete the consultation, scroll to the bottom of the page here where it says 'Ways to respond'. The consultation will close on June 30, 2025. Summary of proposed benefits changes Universal Credit The latest statistics show there were 7.57 million people on Universal Credit, a means-tested incapacity benefit, in Great Britain as of February. It is aimed at helping people on a low income or those who are out of work. The UKGovernment said it will introduce an above-inflation rise to the standard Universal Credit allowance by 2029/30 - adding £775 in cash terms annually. But the health element allowance will be almost halved for new claimants from April next year while those already claiming will have their amount frozen until 2029/2030. The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) is to be scrapped in 2028, having been described by Liz Kendall as 'complex, time consuming and often stressful for claimants'. The UK Government said it will legislate for a so-called 'right to try', which will allow people to try work without the fear their benefits will automatically be put at risk. The Government said it will consult on delaying access to the Universal Credit health element until someone is aged 22. The latest figures showed there were 109,436 people aged 16 to 21 on Universal Credit health in December 2024. PIP Nearly 3.7 million claimants in England and Wales were entitled to PIP as of the end of January, the latest figures showed - up 71 per cent on the equivalent figure five years earlier when it stood at 2.14 million. The payment is aimed at helping with some of the extra costs caused by long-term disability and ill health and is not dependent on whether someone is working or not. Some people will lose their PIP entitlement, the UK Government said, as the process to qualify is tightened in an effort to focus the disability benefit on 'those with higher needs'. The UK Government said it will bring in a new eligibility requirement for a minimum score of at least four points regarding how much help the person needs with everyday tasks on the daily living element of the benefit. No change is being proposed for the mobility element, which looks at how much help someone needs in getting around. The UK Government confirmed the change 'means that people who only score the lowest points on each of the PIP daily living activities will lose their entitlement in future'. The UK Government also committed to not putting Universal Credit claimants who have the most severe disabilities and health conditions that will never improve through the ordeal of being reassessed for benefits 'to give them the confidence and dignity they deserve'. However the UK Government said it plans to increase the number of face-to-face assessments in PIP and under the current Work Capability Assessment in a bid to 'give confidence to claimants and taxpayers that they're being done properly'. The UK Government said it will also consult on raising the age at which people can claim PIP from 16 to 18.
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Business Standard
24-04-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
After 7-yr delay, Max Estates takes over and revives Delhi One in Noida
After seven long years of uncertainty, homebuyers can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Max Estates Limited has officially taken over Boulevard Projects Private Limited (BPPL)—the entity behind the stalled Delhi One project in Noida. This move marks a major turning point in NCR's real estate recovery, especially for those who invested in what was once seen as a dream address. What is Delhi One? The Delhi One project was originally launched in January 2014 by Boulevard Projects Private Limited (BPPL), a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) owned by the promoters of the 3C Group. Situated in Sector 16B, Noida, adjacent to the Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND) Flyway, the project was envisioned as a premium mixed-use development. However, the project encountered significant delays due to financial challenges faced by the developers, leading to its stalling and subsequent insolvency proceedings. In February 2023, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved Max Estates' resolution plan to acquire the Delhi One project through insolvency proceedings. This decision came after a Committee of Creditors (CoC) had approved Max's plan in 2019. The resolution plan was aimed at reviving the stalled project and addressing the concerns of approximately 288 allottees who had invested in the project . Upon acquiring the project, Max Estates engaged with the Noida Authority to settle outstanding dues associated with the land. Initially, the Authority had claimed dues amounting to Rs 932 crore. Through negotiations, Max Estates proposed a settlement of Rs 542 crore, which the Authority accepted. Including interest, the total amount to be paid over three years was Rs 613 crore, with a 25% upfront payment . Project Scope and Development Potential The Delhi One project spans approximately 12.5 acres and offers Max Estates the opportunity to develop 2.5–3 million square feet of new space. Once completed, the project will feature: Ultra-luxury serviced residences Premium office spaces High-street retail An exclusive members-only club It's not just a residential complex—Delhi One aims to be a mini urban city where people can live, work, shop, and socialize in one connected ecosystem. The Numbers Behind the Project Development potential: 2.5 million square feet (includes previously sold inventory) Total sales potential: Over Rs 2,000 crore Estimated annual rental income (annuity): Rs 120+ crore Regulatory Green Lights Max Estates received: Final approval from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in February 2023 Clearance from the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) in October 2024 These approvals allowed Max Estates to legally and officially take control of the project and proceed with the revival plan. 'This is more than just a real estate project. It's about creating a downtown lifestyle where people can live, work, play, and thrive,' said Sahil Vachani, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Max Estates. 'We are excited to bring our LiveWell, WorkWell, PlayWell, and EatWell philosophy to life through this integrated development.' The new vision for Delhi One centers around wellbeing and sustainability. With green building techniques, energy-efficient systems, and biophilic design, the project will foster a deeper connection between people and their environment. Every space, from residential to commercial, will be designed to offer natural light, customizable layouts, and high-performance infrastructure. What's Coming at Delhi One Ultra-Luxury Residences: Spacious, light-filled, and customizable homes designed for modern living. Premium Office Spaces: Flexible layouts with cutting-edge tech and collaborative work zones. Curated Retail Street: Handpicked boutique experiences and dining options.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Office developer targets York in major national expansion drive
A provider of flexible office spaces is targeting York as part of a major expansion. Leeds-based Workwell already operates two centres in the city, and recently opened a flagship venue at Copthall House in Harrogate, says it has ambitions to open ten sites over the next decade. Expansion will be focussed on major professional services hubs such as Manchester, York and Edinburgh, alongside further growth in Leeds and Birmingham. Though Workwell has not identified a site in York yet, already, such offerings are increasingly available in York. RECOMMENDED READING: Patch celebrates arrival in York at the Bonding Warehouse Wizu Workspace to open office centre at East Coast House Helmsley Group reports boom in office space demand in York Carter Towler chartered surveyors reports on first York year Earlier this year, Patch opened a centre at the Bonding Warehouse in Skeldergate. Wizu Workspace is to open a similar facility at the nearby East Coast House, also on Skeldergate. The moves come as the Helmsley Group reports a boom in office space demand in York. The Workwell expansion will consist of both owned and leased sites, although the business aims for the majority to be owned to maintain long-term control over its workspace environments. WorkWell's model is based on delivering high-quality flexible office spaces designed to promote wellbeing, productivity and hybrid working practices. Promising a strong focus on service and workplace experience, the business has grown steadily since its early days at Carwood Park, East Leeds, in 2007. It now supports 800 office users per month across its sites. Oliver Corrigan, managing director of WorkWell, said: 'This next chapter is a natural progression for us. We've seen the positive impact of creating spaces where people genuinely enjoy working, and we're excited to bring that to more businesses across the North.' While most of WorkWell's portfolio caters to professional services firms, its recent acquisition of Aire Street Workshops in Leeds stands apart. The historic building, previously owned by Leeds City Council, houses around 30 creative businesses and will retain its unique character under WorkWell's stewardship. WorkWell says it prioritises premium service delivery and fostering a happy, productive staff culture. The company's ethos revolves around creating an environment where employee well-being and satisfaction directly impact business success. The company added its focus on customer experience and a hands-on, self-funded approach has allowed WorkWell to grow steadily using only bank debt. For details on Workwell, go to:
BBC News
19-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Leeds factory bought by workspace company
A former council-owned factory whose small-business tenants feared they might be facing eviction has been sold to a workplace specialist. Yorkshire-based WorkWell, which has bought the 23,000 sq ft building known as Aire Street Workshops, said it wants to "allay any fears" the current occupiers may have had about the building being turned into flats. The four-storey premises, originally built in 1875 as a cloth warehouse, is home to 50 small businesses, who likened the sale to "a slap in the face" when it was first announced by the council. A WorkWell spokesperson said all the current occupiers "will be offered space in the much-improved workspace". In 1981 the building was given to the city as a platform for small, independent enterprises, partly funded by the Department of Environment. However, Leeds City Council put the workshops up for sale in early 2024 as part of council efforts to save money. Joe Singleton, owner of Take It Easy Labs, a family-run film business which has been based at Aire Street since 2021, described the new landlord's stated intentions as "reassuring". "It's exciting that someone is willing to take on the building and to retain it for the purpose which it was intended for," he told the BBC. Mr Singleton said his company has expanded and will be moving to bigger premises, but the "beauty" of Aire Street is that it is a place for "little seeds to grow". Mr Singleton, 37, said he hopes WorkWell remains true to its word and does not "vastly" increase tenants' rent. "Because the important thing about Aire Street is that it's affordable."Oliver Corrigan, managing director of WorkWell, said the landlord planned "to improve the working environment of the building over the coming months". Asked about any possible rise in rent, a spokesperson for the company said: "WorkWell want it to be business as usual for everyone involved. "They will sit down with tenants over the coming weeks to discuss the renovation plans, timelines and costs."Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Welcome to the frontline of Labour's battle to get sick Britain back to work
Stacey can hardly remember a time free from worrying about her health. 'Sometimes it's tough, sometimes I feel ill, sleepy or I'll be having a bad reaction to medication, but I want to be able to go to work and go home with the satisfaction that I've done that,' the 38-year-old pharmacy dispenser from Sheffield says. Since she was a teenager, Stacey has suffered from epilepsy and other hidden disabilities. Recently, she has also discovered she likely has Crohn's disease, prompting her to ask her employer for a stool to avoid standing for long stretches of time at work. The response she received left her stunned. 'I got an email from HR out of nowhere wanting me to work at a different shop far away,' she says. 'They know that because of my epilepsy, I can't drive. There are at least three or four different branches closer than the one that they wanted to put me in. 'It felt like they were trying to get rid of me. I was finding it really stressful trying to fight it and it was making my health problems even worse.' The situation could easily have made Stacey another statistic, landing her among the 75,000 people in South Yorkshire out of work because of ill health and who overwhelmingly rely on benefits. Across Britain, the number of people on incapacity benefits with no requirement to look for work has jumped by nearly a million since the pandemic. It now stands at a post-financial crisis high of 7pc of working-age adults. The surge is putting the Government on course to spend £1 in every £4 of income tax on health and disability benefits by 2030 – equivalent to £1,500 per person. The vast scale of the expenditure has prompted Liz Kendall, the Work and Pensions Secretary, to draft a radical shake-up aimed at bringing the spiralling welfare bill under control. One place Kendall could look to for inspiration is Sheffield, Stacey's home town where economic inactivity caused by ill health is higher than the national average. Had she lived elsewhere, Stacey may well have been left to fend for herself. But in South Yorkshire, people like her can now get help through a new scheme called Work Well. It is one of 15 pilots across the UK, which if successful, could provide a blueprint for tackling worklessness. 'We know the longer you're unemployed, the harder it is to get back into work,' says Helen Phoenix from the South Yorkshire Housing Association, which helps to deliver the Work Well programme. 'So we work with people who are in work or have just recently dropped out of work in the last three months.' This focus on prevention and early intervention is what makes Work Well unique and effective. The scheme seeks to make it as easy as possible for people like Stacey to quickly access whatever help they need to stay in work or get back into employment. The imperative is clear. Only 1pc of people who drop out of the workforce from ill health are in work after six months, which is far lower than among typical jobseekers, at 33pc. Previous research has found that 'once you've been on incapacity benefits for two years, you are more likely to retire or die than to get a job', says Stephen Evans at the Learning and Work Institute. 'This is partly because some people just are too ill to work, but it's also because once you're on those benefits you get very little contact, let alone help or support,' he says. The focus in Sheffield is therefore on acting quickly and decisively to provide that support. 'We can really rapidly help people with practical things that they need to get back into work that are quite small but significant,' Phoenix says. The key is that participants who may need help with the likes of training, housing or physiotherapy aren't simply shipped from one service to the next. This means offering a range of services, whether it be getting someone counselling or encouraging them to join a course. Other times it can simply be helping to pay for equipment needed to work, such as boots. The average spend per participant is £178. Stacey credits her employment specialist Thomas Ingle with keeping her at work. He helped persuade Stacey's employer to let her stay in her pharmacy while she looked for another job. It means she is still employed – and things are looking up. Without Ingle's help, Stacey says she would struggled to land another role. 'I don't know what I would have done,' she says. 'I was finding it really stressful. I hadn't been to a job interview in seven years, little things like that. We worked together on my interview prep. The first interview that I got, I ended up getting a job. I start this month.' The success rate for helping people like Stacey stay in work is 100pc. While Work Well's clients are often burdened by serious problems, the solutions to their employment challenges are often surprisingly small and cheap, its employment specialists say. 'It's so stressful that you get stuck in a tunnel,' says Alice Fitzpatrick, an employment specialist. 'What we like to do is try and get people to see the bigger picture.' When someone sits across her desk asking for help, they immediately get to work setting out a clear plan spanning eight weeks. Michael, 53, who works as a part-time cleaner, says working with Alice gave him hope for the first time in years. He was made redundant at the age of 45 from a well-paid sales job, sparking a downward spiral of depression and leaving him on the brink of homelessness. 'I was close to hanging myself, to be honest. I just had enough. I applied for something like 900 jobs,' he says. 'These guys give you direction – whereas everybody else just keeps throwing things at you. Like why don't you redo your English or your maths? You're not getting very good guidance from people that should be giving you guidance, like the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions),' Michael says. Alice helped Michael to use his annual leave for a forklift driver course, while Work Well also paid £300 for him to obtain a certificate that enables him to do electrical testing on commercial and industrial sites. As a result, he can apply for a far wider range of jobs and is excited about the future. 'This is a two-pronged approach because my long-term goal is to become self-employed. At the moment, I'm just trying to get my life back together,' Michael says. There are still challenges, however. The employment specialists typically only help people for two months, although they try to offer extra sessions where needed. Funding for the government scheme is also limited to 18 months. So far, the Work Well pilot in South Yorkshire has helped one in three unemployed participants back into work since October. And Phoenix believes the figures will continue to improve over time, which is no small feat given the hiring slump recently triggered by Rachel Reeves's tax-raising Budget. Therefore, while welfare cuts may be essential to help save the taxpayer billions of pounds, Liz Kendall must be careful not to kill off local success stories such as Work Well. This is the predicament now facing the Government, says Evans at the Learning and Work Institute. 'If you invested an extra £250m a year in employment programs based on the evidence that should pay off ultimately in saving the taxpayer about £4bn pounds a year in a decade's time. 'But that's going to take time. It doesn't always fit with the time horizon for the debt rules and needs a more holistic plan and a bit of upfront investment. This is the challenge.' 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