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Together the community has come together, supporting one another by sharing good practice, resources, answering questions and problem solving. If you have a question about Kickstart, you may find it here via the Frequently asked questions. If you do not find an answer to your question please raise it with the team at policy@ersa.org.uk.
The jobs must not:
Tell us or your Kickstart gateway:
You will need:
DWP performs due diligence checks on all employers and Kickstart gateways using the Cabinet Office Spotlight tool.
The jobs created with Kickstart Scheme funding must be new jobs. They must not:
The jobs must:
For each job you must help the young person become more employable. This could include:
If you are not eligible for Kickstart Scheme funding, find out about other employment schemes.
The young person may be able to move to another employment scheme when they’ve finished their 6-month Kickstart Scheme job.
Yes. You can add more jobs to your grant agreement after it has been approved. You do not need to apply again.
The additional jobs will be assessed to make sure they meet the Kickstart Scheme criteria.
If you applied directly, get in touch with your local or national Kickstart Scheme contact for information about how to add more jobs to your grant agreement.
If you applied through a Kickstart gateway, tell them you’d like to add more jobs to the grant agreement. They will contact DWP to arrange this.
Yes. Although you will need to use a gateway plus to place your kickstart jobs.
At present, there is only one approved gateway plus, a partnership between the FSB and Adecco Working Ventures. More detail here.
The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to create new job placements for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long term unemployment. Employers of all sizes can apply for funding which covers:
Employers can spread the job start dates up until 31 December 2021. You’ll get funding until 30 June 2022 if a young person starts their job on 31 December 2021.
Further funding is available to provide support so that young people on the scheme can get a job in the future.
More information
HMRC will contact the employer to inform them if they need to to start student loan repayments for the kickstart employee.
Student Loans Interest Rates and Repayment Threshold Announcement
Yes. Employers can interview and offer the position before the closing deadline.
The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to employers to create job placements for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit.
Find out if the scheme is right for you here.
Get in touch with your local or national Kickstart Scheme contact for information about how to add job placements or employers to your grant agreement. If you are a Kickstart gateway who applied for Kickstart Scheme funding before 28 January 2021 but not yet heard from DWP, we will contact you with a decision. You do not need to apply again.
If you are an approved gateway, or an existing or potential employer for the Kickstart scheme you are welcome to join our community of good practice. The forum meets regularly, usually once a month with the wider group and smaller working groups form at other times to take forward things like finance and payment queries.
Please take a moment to check out our Kickstart Community Forum page here.
Kickstart Community Forums – rules for teams chat
The team at ERSA have received feedback and some complaints about negative posts in the Kickstart Forum post meeting chat. Whilst we want to support the wider Kickstart community ERSA members have stated that they do not want to be associated with some of the negative posts that have come from outside the employment support sector. The employment support sector has a productive and collaborative relationship with the DWP and ERSA will protect and preserve this.
Therefore, we are introducing some ground rules:
ERSA’s intention is to build a Kickstart community of collaboration and good practice.
The ERSA team do not want to police the post meeting chat, but if ERSA members express concerns, we will investigate and reserve the right to remove people and content.
A Unique Reference Number that is associated with a Kickstart role and is unique to each job role.
Any job role that is advertised should include this to allow Work Coaches to match the vacancy.
Further clarification on Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is being sought. If you have more information to share, please email us at policy@ersa.org.uk.
The payment is seen as a grant and not a wage subsidy, therefore no repayments for SSP are required.
While the Employer is in receipt of Funding for a Participant in connection with the Kickstart Scheme, the Employer must not claim or receive any other Crown funding for that Participant, including reimbursement of Statutory Sick Pay or payments under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme or Job Support Scheme.
More on Statutory Sick Pay can be found here.
While the Employer is in receipt of Funding for a Participant in connection with the Kickstart Scheme, the Employer must not claim or receive any other Crown funding for that Participant, including reimbursement of Statutory Sick Pay or payments under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme or Job Support Scheme.
See here also
How the Kickstart Scheme works
The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to create new job placements for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long term unemployment. Employers of all sizes can apply for funding which covers:
Employers can spread the start date of the job placements up until the end of December 2021.
Further funding is available for training and support so that young people on the scheme can get a job in the future.
The Kickstart Scheme has changed.
You no longer need a minimum of 30 job placements to apply directly for a grant.
You can now apply for a Kickstart Scheme grant by either:
getting help from a Kickstart gateway who is already working with the Kickstart Scheme
The Kickstart Scheme covers England, Scotland, and Wales. Funding is due to be made available for a similar scheme in Northern Ireland.
The Grant is not consideration for any taxable supply for VAT purposes.
If VAT is held to be chargeable in respect of this Grant Agreement, all payments shall be deemed to be inclusive of VAT and DWP shall not be obliged to pay any additional amount by way of VAT.
Please note, DWP will not provide individual advice on VAT, organisations will need to seek their own advice. See also HMRC for information on VAT.
A list of goods and services showing which rates of VAT apply and which items are exempt or outside the scope of VAT can be found here.
What you’ll get
You’ll get an initial payment of £1,860. This includes:
£360 per job placement for admin costs
Kickstart gateways will get £360 for each job placement to contribute towards admin costs. You may have to pay £60 of VAT depending on your individual circumstances. Find out if your organisation needs to register to pay VAT.
If you do not pay VAT
£60 from the £360 payment must be added to the £1,500 paid to the employer to provide the young person with employability support.
£1,500 per job placement for setup costs and employability support
This will be paid to you and you will need to pay this to the employer (as well as an extra £60 if you do not pay VAT).
This funding should be spent on setup costs and supporting the young person to develop their employability skills. Employers can choose to get someone else to do this for them, such as a Kickstart gateway or a service provider. If they choose to do this they will have to agree how to share the £1,500.
The employer should use this funding for:
training and employability support (provided by the employer, Kickstart gateway or another provider)
IT equipment and software
uniform or Personal Protective Equipment
If as an employer, there are no restrictions on employing the Kickstater on a permanent basis when the scheme ends.
There may be other routes to explore for your young person, such as an Apprenticeship.
See also Traineeships and how they work.
Not all placements will work out, either because the Kickstarter isn’t able to fulfil the six month commitment, or because the placement isn’t working for the employer.
The JCP Work Coach will find you another candidate and the young person matched with another Kickstart opportunity.
See here for DWP contacts regarding spotlight checks and variation templates.
Payments are calculated on the age the young person is after the six month placement ends.
Start payment
DWP pay the start up payment upon notification of a start and the balance of the grant in six equal monthly instalments.
What are the triggers for payments?
The initial start up payment is generated by employers notifying the DWP vacancy team of a job start. Gateways should ensure employers notify them when the Kickstart participant starts their job.
See details below for further information.
From 1 April 2021 the National Living Wage was extended to 23 and 24 year olds.
Who gets the minimum wage
Read the information on who is entitled to the minimum wage.
You can use the minimum wage calculator to check whether the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage is being paid.
Contact Acas if you’re not getting the National Minimum Wage and think you should be.
If you choose to pay the young person more than National Minimum Wage, or National Living Wage (for those aged 23 and over) or offer them more than 25 hours a week, you can, but you will not be reimbursed for these additional costs.
New instructions for Gateway organisations
We have had a number of enquiries from Gateway organisations asking whether they can move vacancies between employers.
We can now confirm that this is allowed, providing the Gateway does not exceed the total number of vacancies permitted by their Grant Agreement.
Where KDAM and KEA colleagues are aware that Gateways have taken this action, it needs to be reported to the Vacancy Team (either by the KDAM/KEA or the Gateway) using the details below. This is an interim measure whilst a process is agreed and details of any changes will be published in this section.
The gateway needs to provide:
their gateway name;
their Kickstart number;
the number of placements that are being moved;
the name of the employer that the placements are being moved to; and
the name of the employer that the placements are being moved from.
The email should be sent to jobplacement.kickstart@dwp.gov.uk
To ensure the email is identified quickly, GATEWAY VACANCY AMENDMENTS should be used in the subject box on the email.
Find a Kickstart gateway to apply for a Kickstart Scheme grant on your behalf
Find a Kickstart gateway in England, Scotland or Wales who is already working with the Kickstart Scheme.
The following are some of the things you may want to consider when choosing a Kickstart gateway.
1. Location
Both national and local organisations have stepped forward to be Kickstart gateways.
You may already have links with an organisation that is interested in being a Kickstart gateway and feel that these ties will help you in the application process, or you may want to work with someone in your local community.
Example: A local authority
Or, you may feel more comfortable working with a national organisation that has operations around the country.
Example: A national trade organisation
2. Sector
You may want to work with an organisation that closely resembles your own or has close ties with your sector.
Example: A trade organisation
3. Support
Consider how much help you may need in your Kickstart Scheme application – e.g. pulling together a clear explanation of how the job you propose to offer is additional. And whether you would benefit from help in supporting your Kickstart worker through their job placement.
If you already have established training and development schemes you may not need as much help throughout the lifetime of the job placement. And bear in mind that if the Kickstart gateway provides employability support to your Kickstart worker they may expect a share of the £1,500 grant made available to cover this and the job placement’s start-up costs. You will want to discuss with any Kickstart gateway you are considering if they expect to share these costs.
Sole traders should apply through a Kickstart gateway that can employ a young person on their behalf, by placing them on their PAYE system.
4. Aims
When applying you should think about what you can offer by participating in the Kickstart scheme. This could be to increase the diversity of your workforce, to help disadvantaged young people in your local community or to create a pipeline or talent to help fill future vacancies.
The Kickstart scheme offers opportunities to both businesses and young people. You should discuss your aims with any potential Kickstart gateways and choose an organisation that aligns with your goals and values.
Kickstart gateways act on behalf of employers by batching together applications and submitting them to the Department for Work and Pensions. They can help you with your initial application and some will support you in the training and development of your Kickstart worker.
You can find a Kickstart gateway that may be able to support you in applying for a Kickstart Scheme grant.
These organisations have been checked by the Department for Work and Pensions. Partnering with one of these organisations does not guarantee that you will get Kickstart Scheme funding – you will also be subject to checks.
When choosing a Kickstart gateway, you should consider the needs of your business. You can contact more than one organisation to find out which one works best for you.
Employers with any number of jobs can apply to the scheme
Employers can apply directly or partner with an approved gateway.
‘employability support’ may include on-the-job training, work search support, skills development, mentoring, careers advice and other related support to help Participants find sustained employment after they have completed the Kickstart Scheme.
Please check gov.uk for the latest information relating to the gateway grant agreement terms and conditions
Guidance
Kickstart Scheme Grant Funding Agreement: terms and conditions for employers
NMW stands for National Minimum Wage and NLW is National Living Wage.
You can find out more about these rates here.
The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to create new job placements for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long term unemployment. Employers of all sizes can apply for funding which covers:
Employers can spread the start date of the job placements up until the end of December 2021.
Further funding is available for training and support so that young people on the scheme can get a job in the future.
If you need help with the Kickstart Scheme process or you want to add more job placements or employers to your grant agreement, you can contact:
For the DWP Job Placement team jobplacement.kickstart@dwp.gov.uk
Please note, there is no publicly available list for the Kickstart District Account Managers (KDAM) due to data protection policy.
Apply for a Kickstart Scheme grant
Help employers with the Kickstart Scheme (Kickstart gateway)
The Kickstart Scheme has changed.
You no longer need a minimum of 30 job placements to apply directly for a grant.
You can now apply for a Kickstart Scheme grant by either:
The Kickstart Scheme is a £2 billion scheme to create thousands of high-quality 6-month job placements for 16 – 24 year olds
The scheme is part of the plan for jobs and supports young people to develop new skills that will help them move into sustained employment after they have completed their Kickstart Scheme job placement.
The scheme provides employers of all sizes, across the private, public and voluntary sectors with the opportunity to access a large pool of young people with potential.
On confirmation of the job start the employer will be paid £1,500 per job placement to support overhead costs and help to improve the participant’s employability i.e. on-boarding, mentoring and supervision etc. Funding available for each job will cover the relevant National Minimum Wage rate for 25 hours a week, plus the associated employer National Insurance contributions, and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions.
The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to create new job placements for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long term unemployment. Employers of all sizes can apply for funding which covers:
Employers can spread the start date of the job placements up until the end of December 2021.
Further funding is available for training and support so that young people on the scheme can get a job in the future.
More information can be found at gov.uk
ESF projects cannot refer ESF participants to apply for a Kickstart Scheme vacancy, as they will not have direct access to them. DWP Work Coaches can identify claimants and invite them to apply for a Kickstart Scheme vacancy.
In response to feedback from stakeholders and delivery partners, the ESF Managing Authority has reconsidered the policy position and has identified an approach where an individual employed through Kickstart can be eligible to receive ESF support.
The ESF Managing Authority recognises that individuals’ needs are wide and varied and some may need more intensive support than others. For these individuals, whose support needs have been identified as being above and beyond the support provided by the employer, ESF funded provision can be used to fund that additional support as part of the overall package of support provided to the individual.
It must be clear what these additional needs are and there must be no duplication of the support provided through the Kickstart grant.
The full guidance can be found here.
Yes. The Scheme is for any young person aged 16-24 on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment. Reasonable adjustments are possible to offer reduced hours for young people such as those with disabilities.
No, but our Work Coaches will consider those who are most at risk of long-term unemployment and make referrals on that basis.
Spotlight does not automatically pass or fail applications but highlights potential risks. Organisations should provide as much evidence as possible when submitting their applications.
We have recently improved the assessment process to allow more flexibility when considering applications, this includes our use of Spotlight. Whilst maintaining a high standard for Kickstart job placements, these changes will mean that more applications are likely to be successful.
No. To successfully receive grant funding for a Kickstart Scheme job placement, an employer must demonstrate that the job placement is additional to its planned resource requirements and is not filling existing vacancies. Kickstart Scheme job placements must not replace existing jobs, or cause existing employees, apprentices or contractors to lose work or reduce their working hours.
