Ms Kendall said under the previous Conservative government, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) had focused “almost entirely on the benefit system”, turning job centres into “a benefit monitoring service”.
“They paid nowhere near enough attention to the wider issues like health, skills, childcare, transport, that play such a huge role in determining whether you can get work, stay in work, and get on in your work,” she said.
She added: “Under my political leadership, the DWP will shift from being a department for welfare to being a department for work.”
Ms Kendall promised a “major overhaul” of job centres, bringing together Jobcentre Plus and the National Career Service to focus on helping people get into work, rather than managing benefit claims.
In government, the Conservatives had proposed tougher sanctions for people able to work who did not take jobs offered to them, alongside extra careers support
However, Ms Kendall argued the previous government’s “divisive rhetoric about strivers versus scroungers” did nothing to get people back into work, adding that the “vast majority” of those out of work face complex barriers to getting a job.
Conservative shadow work and pensions secretary Mel Stride said: “Since 2010 our reforms have successfully focused on getting people into work and off welfare with more than four million people in work.
“Rather than just spouting out aspirational targets Labour needs to set out a clear plan for how they are going to get more people into employment and reform welfare.”
Meanwhile, Ms Kendall said local mayors would be given new powers to tackle economic inactivity and develop local growth plans.
“We will give local places the responsibility and resources to design a joined up, health, work and skills offer that’s right for local people,” she said.
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