• Finding a job and employment advice
• Help to get into Work - Jobcentre Schemes 
  • Flexible Support Fund (UK wide)
  • Contact Your Jobcentre Plus/Jobs and Benefits office
• Apprenticeships
• Tax Issues
• Young people
• Older people
• Armed Forces Serving Personnel and Veterans
• Benefits

Finding a job and employment advice

The following websites contain information, advice and resources on employment, finding a job and improving your skills:

• Gov.UK website: Finding a job

• Gov.UK: Job Help

Help to get into Work - Jobcentre Schemes (UK Wide)

Flexible Support Fund

The Flexible Support Fund is available across the UK through your local Jobcentre Plus adviser or work coach and may be able to help you with extra costs associated with getting into and starting work. It is a discretionary fund and your local Jobcentre Plus adviser decides if you can get it. If you get any financial help under the Flexible Support Fund, you don't have to pay it back. 

Who can get the Flexible Support Fund?

The Flexible Support Fund is discretionary and you do not have an automatic right to it if you qualify. It depends on your local Jobcentre Plus adviser.

It is available to anyone who receives help from the Jobcentre and is claiming a qualifying benefit:

• Universal Credit

• Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

• Income Support

• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

• Carer's Allowance

• Pension Credit

The Flexible Support Fund can also support anyone eligible for Work Preparation Support, such as lone parents, partners and carers.

Advisers may also be able to use the Flexible Support Fund to support other people that are not in employment in certain circumstances. 

In Northern Ireland, it is known as the Adviser Discretionary Fund and has slightly different rules. Speak to your work coach to find out about it.

What costs can it help with?

The Flexible Support Fund aims to help with extra costs associated with  finding a job, such as: 

• Travel expenses to attend an interview

• Tools and clothing/uniforms to start work

There is no set amount of money you can be given. It depends on your situation, circumstances and needs.

The Flexible Support Fund is unlikely to fund anything you have already paid for.

Childcare costs

Universal Credit doesn't cover upfront costs of childcare. You will need to pay for the first month. If you cannot pay that upfront cost, you may be able to get help with the first month of childcare costs from the Flexible Support Fund. You can find more information in our guide Help with Childcare Costs when Starting Work or Looking for Work.

How do I apply for help from the Flexible Support Fund?

Ask your local Jobcentre Plus adviser how you apply.

You will need to tell them what you need the money for and give evidence that you cannot pay for the items yourself.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships combine practical training in a job with study. Almost anyone over the age of 16 can apply for an apprenticeship to build a new career.

For general information, see Gov.UK: Become an Apprentice

Read our guide to Apprenticeships and Benefits

Tax issues

Starting a new job can be daunting, especially in sectors where pay, tax or benefits can be more complicated than usual. 

The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG) is a charity that helps people on low incomes with tax and benefits issues. Its website has general information related to employment and self employment as well as support for people in specific jobs or situations.

Young People

The Prince's Trust

The Prince's Trust is a UK charity that helps young people aged between 11-30 years, whatever their background, to achieve their potential by offering free courses, grants and mentoring opportunities to inspire them to build their confidence, find jobs, start a career or develop a business idea.

Older People

• Gov.UK: Help and Support for Older Workers

Armed Forces Service Leavers and Veterans

Some Armed Forces charities offer employment support. See Help from Charitable Funds for more information.

See also Your Situation: Armed Forces personnel and veterans

Benefits

Check what benefits you may be able to claim while looking for work and when you are in work.

You can use our Benefits Calculator to check your entitlement.

Depending on your situation, you may also find the following Your Situation sections useful:

• Looking for Work

• In Work and on a Low Income

• Studying 16+

• Expecting a Child

• Bringing Up a Child

• Ill, Injured or Disabled

Reviewed:June 2023

See also UK and Multiple Nation Schemes

Finding a job

• Help with moving from benefits to work
• National Careers Service

Jobs schemes

There are a range of government schemes to help people get into or back into work. Talk to your work coach about whether any of these schemes are running in your area.

Sector Based Work Academy Programme (SWAP) - this gives you training, work experience and a guaranteed interview with a local employer. It is available to anyone in England or Scotland who is getting JSA, Universal Credit or ESA.

Training

Plan for Jobs 

Under the government's Plan for Jobs, you can study for a free qualification if you are 19 or over and do not already have a level 3 qualification (equivalent to an advanced technical certificate or diploma, or A levels) or higher, you can access a free qualification.

See free courses for jobs for more information and eligibility criteria.

There are other courses available for free to adults even if you do have qualifications equivalent to A Levels.

Travel Costs

National schemes

See Transport Costs National Schemes

Local schemes

Local transport companies may offer free travel or discounted travel schemes for people looking for work. We have highlighted a few schemes below to give you an idea of what may be available. Check with your Jobcentre Plus advisor/work coach what is available in your area.

London

Transport for London (TfL) offer discounted travel on bus and tube to people with a Jobcentre Plus Discount Rail Card. 

If you are an apprentice in your first year, you can get discounted travel with an Apprentice Oyster Photocard.

There are other discounted travel cards available, for instance if you are over 60 or an Armed Forces veteran.

See the Transport for London website for more information.

Greater Anglia

Under its Job Track Scheme, Greater Anglia offer free tickets to interviews and two months free travel once you start a job.

Essex

C2c have a Jobstart scheme which offers free tickets to interviews and free travel for the first two months working. Access is through your local Jobcentre Plus adviser.

Reviewed: April 2022

For general information on finding a job in Scotland and the help available, see the following websites:

• Careers: My World of Work

There are also the following Scottish schemes:

Fair Start Scotland

Fair Start Scotland is a Scottish Government sponsored flexible employability scheme targeted at people facing barriers to work, including people with disabilities, carers, single parents, people who are long term unemployed and/or from a minoritised community.  

This scheme only operates in some parts of Scotland. 

Individual Training Accounts (ITA)

If you are unemployed or on a low wage, you can get up to £200 per year for training courses to improve your skills through the Individual Training Accounts (ITA) Scheme.

Young people

Job Guarantee Scheme 

The Job Guarantee Scheme in Scotland aims to make sure that everyone aged between 16 and 24 has the opportunity of work, education or training. 

It connects every 16 to 24 year old in Scotland to the opportunity of a job, placement, training or volunteering with employers committed to the Guarantee.

Job Start Payment

Job Start Payment is a new benefit to help young people in Scotland with the costs of starting a new job.

You can apply for Job Start Payment if you're a young person (16-24) or a care leaver (16-25) who's been out of work and is on certain benefits. There is additional eligibility, which depends on whether you are just a young person or a care leaver.

See mygov.scot: Job Start Payment for more details. 

People with disabilities

Inclusion Scotland

Inclusion Scotland 'We Can Work Internship Programme' offers internship opportunities for people with disabilities.

Remploy Scotland

Remploy Scotland offers employment support to people with disabilities in Scotland to help overcome barriers in finding work and staying in work.

Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living

Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living Employment Services provides a range of innovative programmes designed specifically to meet the employability needs of disabled people living in Glasgow

See also Disabled people and work

Self employment

Business Gateway

Business Gateway, funded by local authorities in Scotland, provides information, resources, advice and support to Scottish businesses.

Firstport

Firstport is a charity that supports individuals across Scotland to start, develop and grow their ideas into businesses with social impact at their core (social enterprises).

This might include up to £5,000 of start-up funding through its Social Entrepreneurs Fund for individuals with a business idea that addresses a social, environmental, and/or community issue.

See also Self Employment National Schemes

Transport costs

For what is available on a UK wide basis, see Getting Into Work: Help with Transport Costs

ScotRail

If you’re a Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card holder, ScotRail gives 2 free return fares a month for attending interviews and a free rail pass for the first month in employment.

Access is through your local Jobcentre. Your adviser will give you a form to complete which is then submitted to Scotrail.

See also Transport Costs National Schemes

Reviewed: April 2022

See also UK and Multiple Nation Schemes

Finding a job

Career Wales/Gryfa Cymru

Careers Wales or Gryfa Cymru is the Welsh Government's career service, providing all age, independent and impartial careers information, advice and guidance service for Wales. There is a lot of information on its website to help jobseekers.

It also acts as the gateway for specific Welsh Government jobs programmes including:

The ReAct grant: If you are within 12 months of being made redundant or unemployed, or you are under current notice of redundancy, you could be entitled to ReAct funding to retrain or update your skills. If you’ve got a new employer lined up, they too could get funding towards your wages and further training.

Jobs Growth Wales: This scheme offers work placements for 16-24 year olds

Over 50s

PRIME Cymru provides free support for individuals aged 50+ living in Wales to set up in business, find employment, or develop skills through training and volunteering opportunities.

Self Employment

Business Wales

If you are self employed or thinking of starting a business, help may be available to you through Business Wales. This is a free service that provides impartial, independent support and advice to people starting, running and growing a business in Wales. With regional centres across Wales, it offers a mixture of online and face-to-face support, as well as training workshops and individual advice. 

Big Ideas Wales - Under 25s 

If you’re 25 or under and facing barriers that stop you from starting a business, looking for a new opportunities, or just have a great business idea then Big Ideas Wales (part of Business Wales) may be able to help you. Its aim is to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs in Wales and encourage young people under 25 to develop enterprise skills whatever the career choice.

See also Self Employment National Schemes

Disabled people

If you have a disability or a health condition, you could get support to help you find and keep a job.

See Career Wales: Employment Support for more information.

The charity Scope offers employment services to Disabled people living in England and Wales. See Employment Services on the Scope website for more information.

See also Disabled people and Work

People with Mental health, Alcohol or Addiction Issues

The Out of Work Service programme offers free confidential employment support from peer mentors (who have lived experience that helps them understand the challenges you have in getting into work) to people in Wales:

• Recovering from substance misuse or mental health issues

• Aged 16 to 24 and not in education, employment or training

• Aged 25 and older and have been unemployed for longer than 12 months.

Travel Costs

For what is available on a UK wide basis, see Getting Into Work: Transport Costs National Schemes

Reviewed: April 2022

See also UK and Multiple Nation Schemes

General information

For general information on getting into work in Northern Ireland, see the NI Direct website section: Helping you into work 

Self employment

The NI Direct website has information on Starting your own business and becoming self-employed. This includes details of any schemes that might be available to support you into self employment.

See also Self Employment National Schemes

Transport Costs

For what is available on a UK wide basis, see Getting Into Work: Help with Transport Costs

If you’re unemployed, or under written notice of redundancy and actively seeking work, the Northern Ireland Travel to Interview Scheme can help you with the cost of travelling to job interviews in the UK, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. This scheme is discretionary and has conditions attached to it.

Reviewed: April 2022

If you are looking for work, you may be able to get help from a charitable fund, depending on your background, circumstances and needs.

Each fund will be different in what help they can offer but it might include: 

• Charitable grants to help with the costs of starting work and/or employment services provided by the charity itself or through referral to other organisations.
• Employment services such as CV writing, information, advice, job placements, training or retraining opportunities.

Examples

• ABTA Lifeline, which helps people in the travel industry who work or worked for ABTA members, may help people back into work by helping with grants to help with the costs of interview clothes, training, costs to get to interview, IT and other essential costs.

• Some Armed Forces charities offer employment help to people (grants and practical services) who are serving personnel or veterans, including Royal British Legion and poppyscotland (if you live in Scotland).

Finding charitable funds

You can use our Grants Search to look for charities that might be able to help you.

Reviewed: April 2022

General information and advice

• Gov.UK: Business and Self employed
• Low Income Tax Reform Group guide to self employment

Related information

• Self Employment and Benefits

Reviewed: April 2022

Disability Employment Advisers

If you need advice, your local Jobcentre Plus (England, Scotland and Wales) or local Jobs and Benefits Offices (Northern Ireland) can put you in touch with one of their Disability Employment Advisers. It does not matter if you are working or looking for work.

Depending on your needs, they may be able to offer you:

• Advice on your current working situation, including possible adjustments to make your job easier to manage

• Employment assessments

• Referrals to work programmes to suit your individual needs

• Job-matching and referral services.

Access to Work Grant

Financial help may also be available to you through the Access to Work grant scheme.

The Access to work grant can pay for practical support if you have a disability, health or mental health condition and you start working, need help to stay in work or move into self-employment or start a business. (The grant is not for business start-up costs.)

The grant can help you to meet the costs of travel to work; provide a support worker or pay for special equipment that you need to obtain to remain in employment.

How much grant help you can get will depend on your circumstances. The money you receive does not have to be paid back and does not affect your benefits.

For further information see Gov.UK Access to Work and Gov.UK Access to Work factsheet

Trade unions, staff associations and professional organisations

Trade unions, staff associations and professional organisations attached to your occupation may also be able to provide support and advice.

More information

The Gov.UK website has information on Looking for work if you're disabled, disability employment advisers and disability work schemes

Disability Rights UK has information on Education, Skills and Employment

Northern Ireland

If you live in Northern Ireland, the NI Direct website has information on Employment Support.

Related Information

Your Situation: Ill, Injured or Disabled

Reviewed: April 2022

Jobseeker's Travel Discount Rail Card

Unemployed people who are claiming benefits can get a free Railcard which gives a 50% discount on selected rail tickets.

If you are under 25, you need to have been unemployed for between 3 and 9 months.

If you are over 25, you need to have been unemployed for between 3 and 12 months. 

Contact your nearest Jobcentre for more information

Stagecoach (England, Wales, Scotland)

Stagecoach, (a bus and coach company working in England, Scotland and Wales) offers 50% off tickets with the National Rail Jobseeker's Railcard.  For more information, see Stagecoach: Back on Board  

Reviewed: April 2022