Mayor Dr Nik Johnson statement on Get Britain Working announced by Prime Minister

Mayor Dr Nik Johnson statement on Get Britain Working announced by Prime Minister

Mayor Dr Nik Johnson said:

“The Prime Minister announced this morning plans to release £240 million of funding to help get more people into work. 

The Get Britain Working package looks to be a real game-changer in supporting disabled people and those with long term health challenges to get back into the workplace.  

As an NHS doctor, what pleases me so much about this funding is that it brings both employment and health support together. With poor health a key driver of people being out of work, this is the joined-up thinking and compassionate approach we need to deliver a proper change.  

And the scale of the challenge is large. We now have more people out of work due to long-term sickness than before the pandemic. But this funding aims to get to the root of the problem and break down the specific barriers stopping people from finding employment. 

And that is where Combined Authorities, like ours, can come in. The Prime Minister said working in partnership with Mayors will be crucial to getting this right. 

We’re in a unique position to help address needs specific to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough – working, as we already do, with partners in health services, at local councils, and in employment and skills services. 

Coupled with our own responsibilities in bringing better skills and good jobs to our area, it means we’re ideally placed to help target that funding support where it is needed most.  

Getting more people into work brings benefits far beyond just a payslip. It’s about independence, wellbeing, and personal accomplishment, while also strengthening our local economy and our communities. 

I look forward to working with Government as more details emerge, and doing our bit to help Get Britain Working.”

Read more about the Government’s Get Britain Working announcement.