Jobcentre on Wheels to arrive in six areas as part of employment support drive

Nine Jobcentre vans will help “break down the barriers that stop people finding good work”, the Work and Pensions Secretary has said.

Unveiling plans to expand the service after a pilot, Pat McFadden said the Jobcentre on Wheels was designed around “meeting people where they are”, including outside leisure centres and in municipal parks.

The Jobcentre on Wheels service is part of the UK Government’s drive to reform employment support, to meet a manifesto pledge, as it grapples with a rising unemployment rate.

“We want to break down the barriers that stop people from finding good work, and that means meeting people where they are,” Mr McFadden said.

“Jobcentres on Wheels are doing exactly that – bringing employment support into the heart of communities.

“That’s why we’re building on the success we’ve already seen, expanding the service so we can unlock opportunities for even more people across the country.”

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has trialled Jobcentre on Wheels vans in the Scottish Highlands, North and Mid Wales and Greater Manchester.

More vehicles will join the fleet across six areas – in Barrow-in-Furness, Blackpool, Wakefield, North Nottinghamshire, Bridgend and Rhondda Cynon Taf, and North Somerset.

According to DWP data, more than half of the visitors to the Jobcentre on Wheels service were not in receipt of benefits.

The Office for National Statistics estimated the unemployment rate for people aged 16 and over was at 5.1% between September and November last year, up from 4.4% during the same period in 2024.