Petition Reconsider & reverse the decision to reduce funding for Jersey Employment Trust
The States of Jersey have recently decided to cut the level of funding provided to the JET. This decision places at risk vital services that support some of the Island’s most vulnerable members of the community.
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JET supports people with learning difficulties, disabilities, and long-term health conditions to find and keep meaningful employment. It also provides an essential social lifeline for individuals who may otherwise face isolation.
Cutting funding threatens independence, wellbeing, and inclusion for some of the Island’s most vulnerable people. We call on the States of Jersey to recognise the value of JET and protect this vital service.
5,322 signatures
5,000
The States Assembly will consider this for a debate
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Ministers responded
This response was given on 6 February 2026
Government will maintain its current level of support to JET throughout 2026, and will provide total funding of £2.74M, while discussions continue on a longer-term funding arrangement.
On the 20th January 2026 it was announced that Government will maintain its current level of support to JET throughout 2026, and will provide total funding of £2.74M, while discussions continue on a sustainable, longer-term funding arrangement.
The base grant of £1.95M remained at existing levels for 2026 and had not been reduced. Following a meeting in December, JET had been due to receive £2.14M in taxpayer funding for 2026 to provide employment support services (this included a top-up for the first quarter of 2026).
Sound departmental financial management led to Departmental underspends that the Minister was able to redirect to JET via top-up funding, but it was made clear to the organisation that this was a temporary one-off amount to assist them and not part of the base budget. In December 2025, the Minister committed to do the same for Q1 2026.
The Government and community greatly value the services provided by JET and wants to ensure that, together, we continue to support vulnerable islanders. My team and I have been working with the Trust over the past year to clarify its ongoing role and to make sure the service can continue on a stable and sustainable footing. The old contract with JET expired at the end of 2025 and in many respects, it was out of date so needs to be revisited and updated to reflect current needs.
I hope that the recent reassurances regarding 2026 funding will provide sufficient opportunity for Government to continue to work collaboratively with JET to develop a longer-term, fit for purpose funding arrangement. This will focus on:
• A revised contract for providing employment services to provide the support that best meets the needs of each individual client.
• An agreement on appropriate data sharing that enables us to move forward positively together. Government’s aim here is to work with JET to provide support that best meets the needs of each individual client. By sharing information on who is receiving employment services from JET, other services can be co-ordinated to fully support the overall needs of each person
• A JET Business Plan and subsequent evidence based Departmental Business Case: In January 2026, the commitment to retain JET funding at 2025 levels (£2.74m for 2026) was made. At this juncture, the departmental financial position required a reprioritisation of Departmental funding to make this commitment to JET, in the absence of forecast Departmental underspends providing any flexibility in 2026. Future funding prioritisation, therefore, must be subject to a JET Business Plan and subsequent evidence based Departmental Business Case to establish future sustainable funding for JET, in accordance with the Public Finances Manual. This is essential to ensure fiscally responsible decision-making and to evaluate proposed Government funding in a way that delivers the greatest benefit to Islanders across all services, within the constraints of limited departmental resources.
The focus from hereon needs to be on developing the above, so that JET can continue to do what they do best – providing employment support to Islanders with disabilities.