Pat McFadden visits Denmark's flex job scheme ahead of UK welfare reports
Pat McFadden has visited Denmark's flex job scheme, which subsidises wages for disabled people, as the UK prepares to respond to two welfare reports this month.
How it was covered
- ITV was the only channel found covering it, concentrating on the Denmark flex job scheme as a possible UK model.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC One, BBC Two, Channel 4, GB News and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
ITV reported that Pat McFadden, the Work and Pensions Secretary, travelled to Copenhagen to see Denmark's Flex Job Scheme. ITV said local authorities pay part of the wages of people with mental or physical disabilities at workplaces that can provide adjustments, and that workers keep access to support staff who help them stay employed.
ITV reported that Denmark has one of Europe's lowest unemployment rates and one of the highest employment rates for disabled people. It said the scheme has not necessarily reduced government spending but has shifted it from benefits to employment support.
ITV reported that McFadden said: 'I can't say we can lift and shift exactly the same scheme, but I think there are lessons to be learned from the success of what's happened in Denmark.' It reported that the UK's benefits bill is £333 billion and is forecast to pass £400 billion by 2030. ITV reported that McFadden said that if more people moved into work through investment, the government could spend more on opportunity and less on consequences.
ITV reported that two major government reports will be published this month, one on unemployment among young people and one on disabilities. It said almost a million people aged 18 to 24 are not in employment, education or training. The share of 18 to 24-year-olds classed as disabled rose from 21% in 2014 to 45% in 2026, more than doubling, ITV reported.
ITV also reported that around half of disabled people are unemployed, a rate that has held for years but is worsening among young people. It said Charlotte, a 24-year-old with cerebral palsy who had been job hunting for three years, had just enrolled on a training course and found the flex job scheme appealing but did not want to lose her disability benefits. 'My PIP is quite literally my independence,' she told ITV.
The government insists that people with lifelong disabilities will not lose their benefits, ITV reported, but laws aimed at reducing the amount spent on welfare will be implemented next year.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Denmark's Flex Job scheme subsidises some wages at workplaces that can provide adjustments. | |
| The UK benefits bill is reported at £333 billion and is forecast to exceed £400 billion by 2030. | |
| Two major government reports on unemployment, covering young people and disability, are due to be published this month. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1 sent a correspondent to Copenhagen and built the story around a possible policy transfer, rather than treating the visit as a routine ministerial trip. Its tone was policy-focused and balanced: it noted the scheme has not necessarily cut Danish spending, then gave space to a UK claimant worried about losing PIP. It also set the visit against the government's upcoming reports and the size of the UK benefits bill.
- “I can't say we can lift and shift exactly the same scheme, but I think there are lessons to be learned from the success of what's happened in Denmark.”
- “My PIP is quite literally my independence.”
- “While the Danish Flex Job Scheme hasn't necessarily reduced government spending, it has shifted it from benefits to employment support.”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
- 18:56 GMT
Pat McFadden, Work and Pensions Secretary
ITV Evening News · Fri 6 Nov
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.