Jobs at Risk as Jersey Disability Employment Charity Faces Funding Cut

Thirty-eight posts are under threat at a Jersey charity that supports people with disabilities and long-term health conditions, after it was told extra government funding would no longer be available.

The Jersey Employment Trust (JET) said it is reassessing the size and scope of its services following confirmation from the Government of Jersey that future funding would be limited to its agreed annual budget.

Last year, the charity received £785,000 in one-off government grants on top of its core taxpayer-funded allocation of £1.9m. JET said those additional funds had been vital in meeting rising demand and higher operating costs linked to the cost of living.

JET supported 516 islanders in 2025 but said the loss of further grant funding meant it could not continue operating at the same level. The organisation said it had begun a formal consultation process, placing all roles within Employ Jersey (JET) Ltd at risk of redundancy. That company oversees JET’s employment service, Acorn training and development, and its under-25s team.

Staff working for Acorn Enterprises, a separate self-funded business within the JET group, will not be affected.

In a statement, JET said it remained in “constructive engagement” with the government but had to take “responsible steps to realign its operations” after being advised that future funding would be “substantially lower than required to maintain its current level of clients and services”.

To remain within its £1.9m budget for 2026, the charity said it may be forced to refer more than half of its clients back to government services, close its waiting list of more than 50 people, and stop accepting any new referrals — including school leavers this summer.

JET said it had relied on additional government grants between 2022 and 2025 to manage increased demand and rising costs, and warned that the impact of the funding changes would be significant for both staff and service users.

“All options will be explored during the consultation process,” the charity said, adding that no final decisions had yet been made on individual roles. It acknowledged the anxiety the situation would cause and said supporting those affected and communicating “clearly and compassionately” would remain a priority.

The Government of Jersey has been approached for comment.