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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Long-term unemployed to get £40m | Long-term unemployed to get £40m |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Local authorities in England's most deprived areas have been given £40m to tackle long-term unemployment. | Local authorities in England's most deprived areas have been given £40m to tackle long-term unemployment. |
| The cash will be shared by 61 authorities, and the government says up to 70,000 families will benefit. | The cash will be shared by 61 authorities, and the government says up to 70,000 families will benefit. |
| Various projects could be funded including outreach programmes and the recruitment of job counsellors. | Various projects could be funded including outreach programmes and the recruitment of job counsellors. |
| Communities Secretary John Denham said the cash would mean the jobless got the "helping hand they need... so they can start to stand on their own two feet". | Communities Secretary John Denham said the cash would mean the jobless got the "helping hand they need... so they can start to stand on their own two feet". |
| He added: "We're determined to do more to help these families; they need to know they have not fallen through the net, or been written off." | He added: "We're determined to do more to help these families; they need to know they have not fallen through the net, or been written off." |
| However, the Conservative Party branded Labour's approach to tackling the unemployment crisis as "confused and incoherent". | |
| The Liberal Democrats said the programme was a "drop in the ocean". | |
| 'Left behind' | 'Left behind' |
| The £40m will be distributed via the Working Neighbourhood Fund, which has already handed out £1.5bn since 2008. | The £40m will be distributed via the Working Neighbourhood Fund, which has already handed out £1.5bn since 2008. |
| We are continuing to help them by putting additional investment into the hands of local leaders and asking them to take immediate action John Denham, Communities Secretary Areas which will share £40m | We are continuing to help them by putting additional investment into the hands of local leaders and asking them to take immediate action John Denham, Communities Secretary Areas which will share £40m |
| Ministers hope that councils will be pro-active in persuading people they would be better off financially if they were in work. | Ministers hope that councils will be pro-active in persuading people they would be better off financially if they were in work. |
| The councils have been chosen because of their ranking on the 2007 Index of Multiple Deprivation and because they were among the areas with the country's highest non-employment rates. | The councils have been chosen because of their ranking on the 2007 Index of Multiple Deprivation and because they were among the areas with the country's highest non-employment rates. |
| Mr Denham also said that social landlords such as housing associations and local authority housing departments could become a "doorway" for reaching out to the long-term unemployed. | Mr Denham also said that social landlords such as housing associations and local authority housing departments could become a "doorway" for reaching out to the long-term unemployed. |
| He added: "Some people grow up not knowing what it means to work, where parents, grandparents and neighbours have never had jobs - these people are not destined never to work. | He added: "Some people grow up not knowing what it means to work, where parents, grandparents and neighbours have never had jobs - these people are not destined never to work. |
| "In past recessions we saw too much talent and potential get left behind - we are determined to make sure that this will never happen again. | "In past recessions we saw too much talent and potential get left behind - we are determined to make sure that this will never happen again. |
| "We are continuing to help them by putting additional investment into the hands of local leaders and asking them to take immediate action." | "We are continuing to help them by putting additional investment into the hands of local leaders and asking them to take immediate action." |
| 'Millions missing out' | 'Millions missing out' |
| But the government's strategy to help the jobless was criticised by opposition parties. | |
| Shadow work and pensions secretary Theresa May said: "Countless bureaucratic initiatives aimed at grabbing the headlines are not going to get us out of the crisis. | |
| "If Labour really cared about getting people back to work they would not have closed 54 job centres - one every week- during 2008 when unemployment was rising." | |
| Liberal Democrat work and pensions spokesman Steve Webb said any support to help the long-term unemployed back into work was welcome but described the programme as "a drop in the ocean compared to the £12bn wasted on a pointless VAT cut which could have helped so many more people." | |
| Mr Webb accused the government of failing to provide the long-term jobless with specialised support from day one. | Mr Webb accused the government of failing to provide the long-term jobless with specialised support from day one. |
| He added: "These proposals do nothing to reduce the complexities of the benefit and tax credit systems which leave millions missing out on the support they are entitled to." | He added: "These proposals do nothing to reduce the complexities of the benefit and tax credit systems which leave millions missing out on the support they are entitled to." |
| The number of people unemployed in the UK rose again in the three months to September to 2.46 million, although the 30,000 increase was the smallest since May 2008. | The number of people unemployed in the UK rose again in the three months to September to 2.46 million, although the 30,000 increase was the smallest since May 2008. |