Pay firms to give ex-addicts jobs, review says

Published on Wednesday 17 December 2008 08:54

THE UK Drug Policy Commission called today for the Government to pay employers to take on recovering addicts in the workplace.

A review published by the UKDPC concluded that Government efforts to get drug users into jobs through welfare reform proposals will not work unless more radical steps are taken. The study found two-thirds of employers surveyed would refuse to employ a former heroin or crack cocaine user, even if they were otherwise suitable.

And up to 80 per cent of those in drug treatment are out of work, yet employment can increase the chances of successful treatment, UKDPC research revealed.

The commission concluded that employers needed support and "modest" financial incentives to bridge the gap between recovering drug users and the labour market. The forthcoming Equality Bill could be an opportunity to tackle discrimination against former drug users, it said.

The UKDPC estimated that there are 400,000 heroin and crack users in the UK.

John Varley, UKDPC president and group chief executive of Barclays, said: "

Employment is a key source of rehabilitation and reintegration into society."