Disability employment gap

Work and Pensions Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 3 Nov 2020 Closed: 2 Feb 2022 Parliament page
The Committee investigated the gap between the employment rates of disabled and non-disabled people and how the Department for Work and Pensions can better support disabled people in the labour market. We focussed on: Trends in the disability employment gap The economic impact of low employment rates for disabled people … Read more
23 Recommendations
15 Conclusions
2 Reports
6 Oral sessions
1 Letter
6 Events
Activity timeline 16 events
22 Nov
2021
Report published
30 Jul
2021
Report published
30 Jul
2021
Report published
11 Jun
2021
Correspondence
19 May
2021
Oral evidence
19 May
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
28 Apr
2021
Oral evidence
28 Apr
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
24 Mar
2021
Oral evidence
24 Mar
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Virtual meeting
10 Mar
2021
Oral evidence
10 Mar
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Virtual meeting
Oral evidence sessions 6 sessions
19 May 2021
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Work and Pensions
Angus Gray · Department for Work & Pensions John Paul Marks · Department for Work and Pensions Justin Tomlinson MP · Department for Work and Pensions
28 Apr 2021
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Work and Pensions Committee
Catherine Hale · Chronic Illness Inclusion Project Daniel Jennings · Epilepsy Action Martin Sigsworth · Pocklington Trust Professor Karen Walker-Bone · National Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work, Versus Arthritis Rob Geaney · Royal National Institute for Deaf People Sarah Rawlings · MS Society
24 Mar 2021
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Work and Pensions Committee
Angela Matthews · Business Disability Forum Clare Gray · Shaw Trust Huw Davies · British Association for Supported Employment Matthew Ainsworth · Greater Manchester Combined Authority Matthew Oakley · Social Metrics Commission The Lord Shinkwin · The Centre for Social Justice Disability Commission
10 Mar 2021
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Work and Pensions Committee
Alex Kennedy · Rethink Mental Illness David Stephenson · Mind Dr Jed Boardman · Centre for Mental Health Jane Harris · National Autistic Society Lorenzo Torre · Three Cs Matthew Harrison · The Royal Mencap Society
24 Feb 2021
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Work and Pensions Committee
Ben Baumberg Geiger · University of Kent Dr Mark Bryan · University of Sheffield Fazilet Hadi · Disability Rights UK Gemma Hope · Leonard Cheshire James Taylor · Scope Professor Melanie Jones · Cardiff Business School Tom Pollard · New Economics Foundation
20 Jan 2021
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Work and Pensions Committee
Dame Carol Black Joshua Reddaway · National Audit Office
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Second Report - Disability employment gap HC 189 30 Jul 2021 38 Responded
Easy Read - Disability employment gap: summary HC 189 30 Jul 2021 0 Overdue
Recommendations & Conclusions
38 results
1 Conclusion
Second Report - Disability employm…
It is regrettable that the publication of three key documents—the Green Paper, the National Strategy...
It is regrettable that the publication of three key documents—the Green Paper, the National Strategy and the Government’s response to the “Health is everyone’s business” consultation—has been delayed significantly over the course of our inquiry. The Government’s approach to the … Read more
Government Response
There has been good progress in reducing the disability employment gap – it has closed by around 5 percentage points since 2013 (when the current way of measuring disability began). … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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2 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
There is broad support for the premise that the Government should have a target for...
There is broad support for the premise that the Government should have a target for improving disabled people’s employment rates. Views about what that target should be, however, differ. Both absolute and relative targets have drawbacks. Although the overall number … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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3 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
We recommend that the Government adopt a target with two elements: closing the disability employment...
We recommend that the Government adopt a target with two elements: closing the disability employment gap and increasing the number of disabled people in work. It should re-adopt its previous target of halving the disability employment gap. Alongside this, it … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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4 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
In isolation, however, even the measures underlying this target do not give a full picture...
In isolation, however, even the measures underlying this target do not give a full picture of the Government’s progress on disability employment or disabled people’s experiences of work. Instead of relying on a single measure, the Government should collect data … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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5 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
We welcome the fact that questions about autism have been added to the ONS Labour...
We welcome the fact that questions about autism have been added to the ONS Labour Force Survey, which will enable the Government to collect more detailed data about autistic people’s experiences of work. The Government should commit to publishing this … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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6 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
The ONS’ Labour Force Survey (LFS) is currently unable to capture how people affected by...
The ONS’ Labour Force Survey (LFS) is currently unable to capture how people affected by the same broad symptom groups, such as energy limitation, are in employment. This is because the questions in the survey focus on medical diagnosis rather … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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7 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
Mandatory reporting, which would require employers to publish data about the number of disabled people...
Mandatory reporting, which would require employers to publish data about the number of disabled people they employ, could be a highly effective way of holding employers to account and driving forward progress on closing the disability employment gap. This data … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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8 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
We are not yet persuaded, however, that requiring employers to report data on the “disability...
We are not yet persuaded, however, that requiring employers to report data on the “disability pay gap” is the right way forward. We share the Minister’s concern that this data could risk giving a misleading impression of employers who have … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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9 Conclusion
Second Report - Disability employm…
There is evidence that localised support, which is often delivered by small, specialist providers, helps...
There is evidence that localised support, which is often delivered by small, specialist providers, helps disabled people get into and stay in work. All too often, however, 72 Disability employment gap disabled people are reliant on large, national programmes, or … Read more
Government Response
Employment Advisers in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services (EA in IAPT) support IAPT clients with depression and anxiety disorders. Our EAs work in 40 percent of clinical commissioning groups … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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10 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
DWP should reimagine fundamentally how it provides employment support to disabled people.
DWP should reimagine fundamentally how it provides employment support to disabled people. We recommend that DWP should carry out a significant expansion of the number of Devolved Deal Areas, granting more powers to local authorities to set up their own … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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11 Conclusion
Second Report - Disability employm…
The default position should be that groups of local authorities, perhaps based on the recently-defined...
The default position should be that groups of local authorities, perhaps based on the recently-defined NHS integrated care system boundaries, where they have the will and capacity to do so, are responsible for delivering employment support for disabled people. DWP … Read more
Government Response
It is DWP policy to ensure disabled claimants with complex needs and those who need additional support are supported using different method of communication. We are committed to making our … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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12 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
Locally-commissioned employment support will require close working between local government and a variety of partners,...
Locally-commissioned employment support will require close working between local government and a variety of partners, including the NHS. Integrated care systems (ICSs) have an important role to play in strengthening these partnerships. The Government’s ambition is for every area in … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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13 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
The evidence we heard in favour of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) as a model...
The evidence we heard in favour of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) as a model of employment support is overwhelmingly positive. We welcome the fact that the Department has invested in trials of IPS. We urge the Department to bring … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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14 Conclusion
Second Report - Disability employm…
It is unacceptable that some disabled people still face barriers when trying to access services...
It is unacceptable that some disabled people still face barriers when trying to access services through Jobcentre Plus. It is particularly shocking that services provided by the Department for Work and Pensions, whose ministerial team includes the Minister for Disabled … Read more
Government Response
As planned, in October 2021 Government entered private live testing of an early version of a service to support employers managing health and disability in the workplace. This is designed … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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15 Conclusion
Second Report - Disability employm…
We heard that more needs to be done to improve the way a disabled person’s...
We heard that more needs to be done to improve the way a disabled person’s communication preferences are recorded by Jobcentre Plus. DWP should take inspiration from the Accessible Information Standard model used in the NHS and create an automated … Read more
Government Response
Marketing campaign DWP is committed to improving awareness of Access to Work. We have delivered a paid communication campaign to increase awareness of Access to Work and increase take- up … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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16 Conclusion
Second Report - Disability employm…
We welcome the fact that the Department has increased the number of Disability Employment Advisers...
We welcome the fact that the Department has increased the number of Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) in Jobcentres. DEAs can provide specialist support to disabled people in a way that generalist Work Coaches do not, and the increase in numbers … Read more
Government Response
This year we are spending £5 million on Access to Work to commence delivery of a fully digital customer service that is innovative, visible and provides an improved customer experience. … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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17 Conclusion
Second Report - Disability employm…
We welcome the fact that DWP already encourages providers of some of its disability support...
We welcome the fact that DWP already encourages providers of some of its disability support schemes to adopt job carving as part of their support to participants. The Department, however, should do more to support and encourage employers to adopt … Read more
Government Response
We will be piloting a personalised Adjustment Passport to support: • young disabled people with the transition from education, and • service leavers who are leaving the armed forces and … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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18 Conclusion
Second Report - Disability employm…
We heard from disabled people and disability organisations that some employers simply don’t understand their...
We heard from disabled people and disability organisations that some employers simply don’t understand their legal obligations to provide reasonable adjustments, whilst others continue to flout the law deliberately. The way in which disability is defined in the Equality Act … Read more
Government Response
In response to the predecessor Committee recommendation the Access to Work call handling journey for customers was reviewed and the issues identified addressed. Disability employment gap: Government response 17 Access … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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19 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
The introduction of an online information hub for employers is an initial step in the...
The introduction of an online information hub for employers is an initial step in the right direction. We urge the Government to ensure that its information and advice service goes live as planned no later than August 2021. DWP must … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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20 Conclusion
Second Report - Disability employm…
Some disability organisations have spoken positively about the Access to Work scheme: when it works,...
Some disability organisations have spoken positively about the Access to Work scheme: when it works, it can be a vital source of support for disabled people in work. We have consistently heard, however, several reoccurring criticisms of the scheme from … Read more
Government Response
As part of our review of Disability Confident we will consider how we can measure the impact and success of the scheme. This review will also consider the Cabinet Office … Read more
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21 Conclusion
Second Report - Disability employm…
The Minister also told us that that the application process for Access to Work, which...
The Minister also told us that that the application process for Access to Work, which is currently paper-based, will undergo a “digital transformation” this year. This is long overdue, and we look forward to seeing how this work progresses. The … Read more
Government Response
The Disability Confident scheme was developed by disabled people, disability organisations and employers with the aim being that employers took responsibility and demonstrated their commitment to being Disability Confident. This … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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22 Conclusion
Second Report - Disability employm…
Support from Access to Work is only available for disabled people once they have been...
Support from Access to Work is only available for disabled people once they have been offered a job. This means that disabled people who are looking for work face uncertainty about whether they will receive the support they need, should … Read more
Government Response
At all levels, employers are required to adhere to key commitments within the scheme. At Disability Confident Committed (Level 1), this includes: attracting disabled people and ensuring that their recruitment … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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23 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
The Minister said that the Department intends to pilot “passports” for jobseekers from particular groups,...
The Minister said that the Department intends to pilot “passports” for jobseekers from particular groups, including students and veterans, which we welcome. These passports are intended to give job applicants certainty about what support they can receive through Access to … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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24 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
Our predecessor Committee recommended that the Department should improve the effectiveness of the Access to...
Our predecessor Committee recommended that the Department should improve the effectiveness of the Access to Work central call centre system. In response, the Department said that it recognised the importance of taking action to correct the issues with the system. … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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25 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
To assess whether Disability Confident is meeting its objectives of increasing disability employment and changing...
To assess whether Disability Confident is meeting its objectives of increasing disability employment and changing employers’ attitudes and recruitment practices, our predecessor Committee recommended that DWP should commission an evaluation of Disability Confident by 2020. DWP accepted the recommendation and … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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26 Conclusion
Second Report - Disability employm…
By the Department’s own admission, it is not possible to know whether Disability Confident is...
By the Department’s own admission, it is not possible to know whether Disability Confident is having any meaningful beneficial impact on the employment prospects of disabled people. As part of its evaluation, the Department should explore ways in which it … Read more
Government Response
Analysis has already been undertaken, by the ONS, to estimate the association between self-reported disability and deaths involving COVID-19. The following article concluded that a combination of factors (residence type, … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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27 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
As part of its evaluation, to improve the effectiveness of the scheme, we recommend that...
As part of its evaluation, to improve the effectiveness of the scheme, we recommend that the Department should establish an independent body to carry out objective external assessments of Disability Confident employers at levels 2 and 3 to monitor whether … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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28 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
We heard evidence that the Disability Confident Commitments (the criteria an employer must agree to...
We heard evidence that the Disability Confident Commitments (the criteria an employer must agree to in order to receive Level 1 accreditation) are not challenging 76 Disability employment gap enough for employers and focus too heavily on changing recruitment processes … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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29 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
We welcome the publication of the Government’s response to the Health is everyone’s business consultation,...
We welcome the publication of the Government’s response to the Health is everyone’s business consultation, which closed in 2019. We look forward to scrutinising the Government’s proposals in greater detail, particularly on improving access to occupational health for people in … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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30 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
It is disappointing that the Government has decided not to progress with plans for reforming...
It is disappointing that the Government has decided not to progress with plans for reforming Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). The Government acknowledges that there is clear support for SSP reform. The pandemic has highlighted some of the key weaknesses in … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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31 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
The pandemic has led to a sharp increase in the number of people working remotely.
The pandemic has led to a sharp increase in the number of people working remotely. It is clear from the evidence we heard that while remote working has created new access barriers for some disabled people, for many others it … Read more
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32 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
There is no clear evidence which explains why disabled people have a considerably raised risk...
There is no clear evidence which explains why disabled people have a considerably raised risk of death from coronavirus. There is a need for further research to investigate the extent to which disabled people’s experiences in the workplace may play … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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33 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
DWP must ensure that the Kickstart and Restart schemes are accessible to disabled people.
DWP must ensure that the Kickstart and Restart schemes are accessible to disabled people. Before September 2017, the Work Programme reported quarterly on job outcomes for disabled people: the Department should be able to do as good a job with … Read more
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34 Conclusion
Second Report - Disability employm…
DWP must demonstrate that lessons have been learnt from previous schemes and ensure that the...
DWP must demonstrate that lessons have been learnt from previous schemes and ensure that the payment model used in Restart does not disincentivise providers from supporting those who are furthest away from the labour market, including some disabled people. Although … Read more
Government Response
Recommendation DWP must demonstrate that lessons have been learnt from previous schemes and ensure that the payment model used in Restart does not disincentivise providers from supporting those who are … Read more
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35 Conclusion
Second Report - Disability employm…
The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) is not fit for purpose.
The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) is not fit for purpose. The fact that a majority of appeals against fit for work decisions are successful is evidence that it is not achieving its aim of supporting disabled people who can and … Read more
Government Response
Recommendation The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) is not fit for purpose. DWP should use the Green Paper as a starting point to carry out wholesale reform of the WCA. Response … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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36 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
Sanctions can have a negative impact not only on disabled people’s employment prospects, but on...
Sanctions can have a negative impact not only on disabled people’s employment prospects, but on their overall wellbeing. The Minister told us that the conditionality regime forms part of a “menu of support” and that sanctions are only used as … Read more
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37 Conclusion
Second Report - Disability employm…
It is encouraging to hear that the Department is beginning to take steps to rebuild...
It is encouraging to hear that the Department is beginning to take steps to rebuild its relationship with disabled people. But the Department still has a long way to go. Effective and meaningful engagement with disabled people, when developing policy … Read more
Government Response
Recommendation The evidence we heard suggests that the Department’s engagement with disabled people on developing its National Strategy for Disabled People has been poor. We recommend that the Department immediately … Read more
Department for Work and Pensions
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38 Recommendation
Second Report - Disability employm…
The evidence we heard suggests that the Department’s engagement with disabled people on developing its...
The evidence we heard suggests that the Department’s engagement with disabled people on developing its National Strategy for Disabled People has been poor. We recommend that the Department immediately accept SSAC’s proposal for a protocol for engaging with disabled people. … Read more
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Correspondence 1 letter
11 Jun 2021 From committee A letter to the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work following up on the Disability employment gap session
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