£2bn job scheme for young ‘is not being monitored properly’

MINISTERS have been accused of taking a ‘light-touch approach’ to tracking the performance of a £2billion scheme to create jobs for young adults.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has ‘limited assurance’ that the Kickstart programme is having a positive impact, a report by the public spending watchdog said.

The scheme, launched last year, pays employers £1,500 for every 16-24-yearold on Universal Credit taken on. It is the most expensive employment support offered by the department. But the National Audit Office found the DWP conducts ‘relatively little monitoring’ of whether the jobs created are not replacing pre-existing roles and include the right level of training.

Meg Hillier, Commons public accounts committee chairman, said given the scheme’s funds, ‘DWP has taken a worryingly light-touch approach to setting targets or tracking performance’.