Abena Welcomes £47.1m Funding Boost to Help Residents in Greenwich and Bexley Overcome Barriers to Work
Thousands of residents across Greenwich and Bexley — including many in Erith and Thamesmead — will benefit from new Government funding to help disabled people and those with long-term health conditions into work.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced a £338 million investment into the new Connect to Work programme, which will provide tailored employment support for more than 85,000 people in 15 areas across England.
As part of this, up to £47.1 million has been allocated to the Local London Sub-Regional partnership, supporting 12,350 people locally, including in Greenwich and Bexley. The scheme will offer personalised coaching, job-matching services, and ongoing support to help people overcome barriers and secure sustainable jobs.
Abena Oppong-Asare, MP for Erith and Thamesmead said:
“This investment will make a real difference to people here in Erith and Thamesmead.
“Everyone deserves the chance to fulfil their potential, and this scheme will provide personalised support for those who may have faced long-term barriers to work.
“I’m delighted to see new opportunities being opened up across both Greenwich and Bexley, helping more people into secure and fulfilling work.”
Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall, said:
“For too long, millions of people have been denied the support they need to get back to health and back to work.
“It’s bad for their living standards, it’s bad for their families, and it’s bad for the economy.
“That’s why we’re taking decisive action by investing millions of pounds so sick or disabled people can overcome the barriers they face and move out of poverty and into good, secure jobs as part of our Plan for Change.
With 2.8 million people out of work due to ill-health, this investment is a key step in the Government’s wider Plan for Change – helping sick and disabled people overcome barriers, move out of poverty, and secure good, stable jobs.
For more information, read the DWP Government announcement here.
