The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is under scrutiny amid accusations that some taxpayer-funded employment support schemes favor ethnic minorities while excluding white jobseekers. Reports have highlighted initiatives like the “Economic Inactivity Trailblazer,” which is operated by the DWP and available only to certain ethnic groups.
William Yarwood, campaigns director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, condemned these programs as creating a “two-tier” system. Speaking to The Telegraph, Yarwood argued that public funds should not support schemes that discriminate based on race.
“Taxpayers should not be funding schemes that exclude people because of their race,” he said. “Race-based eligibility smacks of identity politics and a two-tier system, which undermines public confidence in the system. Ministers should end these discriminatory programmes and ensure taxpayer-funded support is open to all jobseekers who need it.”
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Alka Sehgal Cuthbert, director of Don’t Divide Us, described these initiatives as “segregationist” and called attention to other factors like age, education, and language skills which she believes should be considered before implementing race-based programs.
“Have they looked at age, locality, educational background, language proficiency and other relevant variables before proceeding with yet another divisive, race-based, segregationist plan for social incohesion?” Cuthbert asked. She warned that such policies risk provoking civil disobedience due to their “patronising stupidity.”
The DWP has a history of targeted schemes for ethnic minority jobseekers, including “mentoring circles” and London’s “Moving on Up initiative,” which was exclusive to black men. The department maintains that these efforts are part of “bespoke programmes” designed to address longstanding employment disparities affecting ethnic minorities.
A DWP spokesperson defended the approach, stating: “Every penny of taxpayer money we spend on employment support is focused on one thing – getting people back to work and growing the economy. Local authorities know their communities and sometimes decide to offer local programmes targeted at groups with above average levels of unemployment, alongside their wider support which must be available to all.”
The department also highlighted its ongoing transformation of Jobcentre Plus into a nationwide service accessible to all, regardless of ethnicity, alongside substantial investments in support for sick, disabled, and young jobseekers.