Stuart Anderson MP has renewed his campaign to secure employment support vans in South Shropshire. It follows research which shows that there are just thirteen jobcentre plus offices in rural areas in England, limiting access to vital support.
In 2024, Stuart launched an employment support page on his website. He relaunched his campaign in February 2025 and visited Bridgnorth Jobcentre on 19th August 2025.
Following this, the Department for Work and Pensions agreed in September 2025 to deliver a plan with local partners that will tackle the employment disability gap in the region including Shropshire.
However, the claimant count in South Shropshire has since risen to 1,175 people who are claiming unemployment-related benefits. The count also includes 200 claimants aged 16-64, which is up by 30 claimants since the General Election.
Stuart has said it is "unfair" that other rural areas have access to employment support vans while residents in South Shropshire are denied the opportunity to have access to this service.
The vans, which have been piloted in Bolton and parts of Wales such as Wrexham, are staffed by experienced work coaches who offer help with job searches, training opportunities, and access to information on disability support and childcare services.
As one of the largest inland counties in England, Stuart has said that the vans could help with the delivery of employment support services in Shropshire, which faces unique challenges due to factors like population sparsity and other connectivity issues.
The Prime Minister has also announced that responsibility for apprenticeships, adult further education, skills, training and careers, and Skills England has moved from the Department for Education to the Department for Work and Pensions.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
"Official figures have also shown that unemployment is sadly stuck at a four-year high, while vacancies are vanishing, and wages are slowing. In South Shropshire and across the country, youth unemployment has sadly increased since the General Election. One in eight young people are now without an opportunity to earn or learn. This is an unacceptable situation and has a particular impact in South Shropshire, where our rural geography makes it more difficult to deliver employment support services. At the same time, there are just thirteen jobcentre plus offices in rural areas in England. It is unfair that other areas have high-quality access to employment support while residents in South Shropshire are denied the opportunity. That is why I have renewed my campaign to secure employment support vans in South Shropshire. I believe that local residents deserve access to this service, which offers help with job searches and training opportunities as well as access to information on disability support and childcare services.”
