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
33 Recommendations
5 Conclusions
1 Report
6 Oral sessions
1 Letter
6 Events
Activity timeline 9 events
22 Nov
2021
Report published
30 Jul
2021
Report published
11 Jun
2021
Correspondence
19 May
2021
Oral evidence
28 Apr
2021
Oral evidence
24 Mar
2021
Oral evidence
10 Mar
2021
Oral evidence
24 Feb
2021
Oral evidence
20 Jan
2021
Oral evidence
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
Recommendations & Conclusions
4 results
Clear
10 Recommendation Deferred
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
Government Response
The government's response defers action by stating that the evaluation results of Health-Led Trials are due in 2022, which will provide an assessment of their impact. In the meantime, it is funding the continuation of IPS services in trial areas, rather than committing to expanding devolved deal areas for employment support as recommended.
Department for Work and Pensions
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19 Recommendation Deferred
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
Government Response
The government states it will review and strengthen the Disability Confident scheme (Levels 2 and 3) by working with key stakeholders and commissioning an employer insight survey, rather than directly committing to the specific content of an online information hub or considering punitive measures as recommended.
Department for Work and Pensions
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35 Recommendation Deferred
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
The government states that detailed proposals for reforming the WCA will be brought forward in a White Paper in 2022, following analysis of responses to the Green Paper.
Department for Work and Pensions
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36 Recommendation Deferred
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
Government Response
The government has paused its proof of concept work for a warning system related to sanctions, and states that detailed proposals regarding conditionality, engagement, and sanctions will be brought forward in a White Paper in mid-2022 following analysis of Green Paper responses.
Department for Work and Pensions
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Government Response AI assessment · 38 of 33 classified
Accepted 4
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 5
Deferred 4
Not Addressed 24
Total 33 recs + 5 conclusions
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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