Pioneer London - Help for unemployed people to find work

Please ensure you meet the eligibility criteria before referring. The referral form is here.

Work and Health Programme Pioneer is a specialist employment support service for people in Wales, London and Southern England who are not in work.

Our support can help you to:

• Create a CV, apply for jobs, and prepare for interviews and work placements
• Be more confident and improve your health and wellbeing
• Learn new skills, train in a new sector and gain qualifications
• Find a new job or self-employment and settle into your role

Work and Health Programme Pioneer is the latest phase of Universal Support. It is delivered on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Eligibility criteria:

To be eligible for Pioneer, a participant must meet the following criteria:  

1. Right to live and work in the UK
2. Access to public funds
3. Not currently in employment of any kind
4. Not currently in Work and Health Programme
5. 18-65 years old  

Additionally, they must meet EITHER

1. Have a long-term physical or mental health (including anxiety, depression, dyslexia, ADHD, etc.) condition lasting 12+ months (does not require a formal diagnosis)
2. OR  Fall under our early access groups (only need one):

• a.    Offender or ex-offender
• b.    Carer or ex-carer
• c.    Homeless
• d.    Former member of HM Armed Forces or current member of the HM Armed Forces reserves
• e.    Partner of current or former HM Armed Forces personnel 
• f.    Person with a drug/alcohol dependency, or a history of, which presents barrier to employment
• g.    Carer leaver
• h.    Refugee i.    Young person identified as being at risk of gangs or serious violence
• j.    Victim of domestic abuse
• k.    Afghan resettler
• l.    Ukrainian Evacuees

If you are on benefits, we can accept people on the following benefits. The only benefit we cannot accept are those that mandate a participant find work to receive it (i.e. intensive work search):

• ✓ Universal Credit - Work Preparation 
• ✓ Universal Credit – Work Focused Interview Only 
• ✓ Universal Credit – No Work-Related Requirements 
• ✓ Universal Credit – Light Touch Out of Work 
• ✓ Universal Credit – Conditionality Unknown 
• ✓ Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) 
• ✓ Employment and Support Allowance Contributory (ESAC) 
• ✓ Incapacity Benefit (IB) 
• ✓ Income Support (IS) 
• ✓ No match to a benefit spell that surrounds the referral date (No Claim) 
• ✓ Passport Incapacity Benefit (PIB) 
• ✓ Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA) 
• ✓ Training Allowance (TA) 
• ✓ Not in receipt of a benefit