MINISTERS hit back yesterday at criticism their multi-billion pound “back to work” scheme is a Big Society flop in Merseyside.

They released a list of voluntary groups and public bodies which won contracts to help deliver the flagship Work Programme, replacing all existing job schemes today.

The move followed criticism that giant multi-national firms won the money-spinning contracts, despite claims the scheme was a “massive boost for the Big Society”.

Only one Merseyside group will deliver training courses – Speke Training and Education Centre, which has a 30-year history of boosting skills.

Most are nationwide organisations, including Action for Blind People, BTCV and Citizens Advice Bureau, alongside Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton and Halton Councils and St Helens Chamber of Commerce.

The list also includes a further six private companies which will be sub-contractors to the two prime contractors, A4E and Ingeus, selected in April.

Chris Grayling, the work minister, said: “The best way of describing it is almost like a giant employment dating agency, trying to motivate the long-term unemployed and match them to a job in which they have a good chance of staying.”

Up to two-thirds of Merseyside’s 100,000-plus incapacity benefit claimants are expected to join the Work Programme, after being put through a tough new “work test”.