Warwick and Leamington MP, James Plaskitt, today welcomed the announcement that Warwick and Leamington has been included as one of the twelve areas to pilot the new Single Work Focused Gateway to the benefit system.

Announced on 28 October by Andrew Smith MP, the minister for Employment, Welfare to Work and Equal Opportunities, the Single Gateway marks a step change in the welfare system. Currently the system puts clients into boxes, depending on whether they are employed, lone parents, carers or face illness or disability. Under the Gateway, after an initial "registration and orientation" phase, all clients will be allocated a personal advisor. The advisor will be responsible for working with individual clients to establish their individual needs and provide them with the help they need to become independent and move towards work. The Gateway will be the cornerstone of the Government’s philosophy for welfare reform – work for those who can, support for those who cannot.

The Single Gateway will integrate the activities currently carried out by the Employment Service, the Benefits Agency and local authorities. The aim is that benefit clients should receive a seamless service, accessing expert advice and drawing on the expertise of public, private and voluntary agencies rather than being faced with duplication and overlap.

Mr Plaskitt said,

"This is an important and welcome reform, which will help hundreds of people locally. I am very pleased that we have been chosen as a pilot area."