Reed in Partnership was awarded a contract yesterday for the government’s flagship Pathways to Work programme to help people off incapacity benefits and into work.

Other contractors include Working Links, Carter & Carter, Instant Muscle Enterprise, Reed in Partnership, Remploy, Royal British Legion Industries, Shaw Trust and TNG.

Pathways to Work provides support from highly skilled personal advisers from the public, private and voluntary sectors who will ensure that the long-term unemployed receive the specialist help they need to get back to work, including extra one-to-one work-focused interviews, roundbreaking rehabilitation support, a Return to Work Credit of £40 a week, and in-work assistance.

They will deliver Pathways in the remaining 16 Jobcentre Plus districts from April, completing the national roll-out across Great Britain. 

Commenting on the valuable role of the third sector Phil Hope, minister for the Third Sector, said: "Pathways to Work has proven to be successful in helping those on Incapacity Benefit back into work because the support and encouragement that it provides is built around the particular needs of the individual. Today's announcement of awarded contracts is an important endorsement of the role that third sector organisations can play in delivering innovative public services such as this."