European Social Fund

Summary:

The United Kingdom: House of Commons: Works and Pensions Committee published a report European Social Fund on the 4 April 2018.

In the report the Committee said that post-Brexiy any gap in payments between the existing European Social Fund and a new fund would be disastrous. It also said the UK had a rare opportunity to 'create a truly world-leading successor' to the European Social Fund 'that was the envy of Europe' — but it must act fast.

Further information

+ Gap in provision would be disastrous

The consequences of a gap in provision—for providers, for local areas, and for individuals—would be 'disastrous'. The ESF provided £500 million a year dedicated employment and skills support funding for people and communities poorly served or neglected by 'mainstream' support into, and in, work.

As good as some of the present provision was, it was delivered in siloes and was not designed to meet individuals', families', and communities' total needs. The successor fund must act as a transition to a proper Mark II system which allowed communities', families', and individuals' total needs to be catered for and not restricted by arbitrary definitions of help.

+ Recommendations

The Committee called on Government to:

- Ensure funds were available so there was no gap between existing and new provision
- Establish a new arm's length body, to dovetail grants to existing funding streams so programmes could meet effectively all of their participants' needs
- Retain a separate fund within the UKSPF for employment support for disadvantaged groups and communities
- Ensure flexibility of local funding mechanisms for both longer-term and short-term programmes
- Cut bureaucracy for providers, in getting money to projects that worked or to new projects that showed entrepreneurial skills

Official

UK: Parliament: House of Commons: Committees: News, 04.04.18: Post-Brexit failure to replace European Social Fund would be disastrous https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/work-and-pensions-committee/news-parliament-2017/fca-pension-freedom-17-19/

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News

The Guardian, 07.12.17: UK charities will lose £258m of EU money after Brexit. Where's the plan? https://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2017/dec/07/charities-lose-at-least-258m-after-brexit-no-government-strategy

Learning and Work Institute: News, 09.05.17: Brexit Britain must not lose £2.4 billion investment in people http://www.learningandwork.org.uk/futureesf/

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ESO Records

In Focus: Brexit - The United Kingdom and the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/brexit-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union/

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