Councils in the most deprived areas of the country have been awarded an extra £40 million to help the long-term unemployed into work.
Sixty-one local authorities will share in the cash, which is meant to help them provide direct support for up to 70,000 families.
That could include recruiting job counsellors or organising "outreach" projects to get people into jobs or training.
Social landlords are also seen as an important "doorway" for such council-led intervention.
The additional cash will be distributed via the Working Neighbourhood Fund, which has already allocated £1.5 billion since 2008.
Communities Secretary John Denham said: "We're determined to do more to help these families, they need to know they have not fallen through the net, or been written off.
"Their circumstances are often complex and they feel cut off from the job market.
"That's why I'm announcing £40 million of new funding for councils to make sure these families are getting the helping hand they need from local services so they can start to stand on their own two feet."
