The government once again reaffirmed its commitment to making sure that the voluntary sector is involved in the Work Programme at an event hosted by London Funders and CCLA last week.

Speaking at the event, employment minister Chris Grayling allayed fears among the audience that the charity sector would be pushed out of the welfare-to-work landscape by larger, private contractors:

“We have made it clear to prime contractors that we expect them to come with a coalition of organisations, including the voluntary sector. If they don’t they won’t win contracts.

“Your hand is pretty strong to make good deals, as primes must remain on good terms with the voluntary sector.”

He also said he was confident that the list of preferred bidders for the Work Programme included a "first-rate mix of organisations".