Second Report - Disability employment gap

The government details its existing goals for reducing the disability employment gap, commits to publishing annual statistical updates, and aims to achieve its current goal of seeing a million more disabled people in work by 2027.

The government describes its existing methods for monitoring disability employment and states its commitment to improving data, but does not commit to adopting a new target that combines both absolute and relative elements as recommended.

The government's response details existing ONS and DWP/DHSC data publications on employment outcomes for disabled people, including autism. It does not address the recommendation to adopt new or re-adopt previous specific disability employment targets, or to include such plans in the National Strategy for Disabled People.

The government notes that data on employment, disability, and impairment type is already collected in the Family Resources Survey (FRS) but does not commit to collecting the additional specific indicators recommended, such as the Prevented from Working by Disability measure or new job quality metrics.

The government response details a forthcoming consultation on workforce reporting on disability for large employers but does not commit to publishing the ONS Labour Force Survey data on autism or collecting more data on other impairment groups as recommended.

The government's response outlines general strategies for supporting disabled people in employment and addressing pay gaps, including the In-Work Progression Commission and Universal Credit changes, but it does not address the specific recommendation for DWP to work with ONS to collect symptom-based employment data in the Labour Force Survey.

The government response focuses on assessing the effectiveness of the Work and Health Programme and committing to fund a Local Supported Employment service with local authorities. It does not address the committee's recommendation to require larger employers to publish data on the proportion of their disabled employees.

The government response details various employment support initiatives delivered through Jobcentres, including training, Skills Bootcamps, and Sector-based Work Academy Programmes. It does not address the committee's recommendation for setting ambitious and timed targets to reduce the disability pay gap.

The government highlights the work of Employment Advisers in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services, supporting thousands of people into employment, and the Health and Care Bill's proposal to create Integrated Care Partnerships (ICPs) which will address employment at a local level. These initiatives align with the committee's observation on the value of localised support.

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.

The government response details DWP's policies and improvements regarding communication accessibility for disabled claimants, such as Video Relay Service and accessible forms, but does not address the recommendation to devolve employment support for disabled people to local authorities.

The government response details training and resources for Jobcentre staff and Disability Employment Advisers but does not address the recommendation to expand the role of Integrated Care Systems in commissioning localised employment support for disabled people.

The government's response outlines various broader initiatives from the National Disability Strategy and other programs to support disabled people into employment, but it does not specifically commit to adopting Individual Placement and Support (IPS) as a primary model for employment support or bringing forward the publication of data analysis from IPS trials.

The government's response focuses on an early version of a service to support employers managing health and disability in the workplace, alongside existing schemes like Disability Confident and Acas resources. It does not address the specific recommendations regarding improving accessibility of Jobcentre Plus premises, services, or communication formats for disabled clients.

The government's response focuses on promoting Access to Work, publishing statistics, and trialling an online payment claims journey, but it does not address the recommendation to improve the recording of disabled persons' communication preferences by Jobcentre Plus using an automated process.

The government response details improvements to the Access to Work digital customer service, including speeding up payments and improving accessibility. It does not address the committee's recommendations regarding Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs) or Jobcentre Plus staff training.

The government response details the piloting of a personalised Adjustment Passport to support disabled individuals in employment transitions by recording workplace adjustments, but it does not address the recommendation to promote job carving practices among employers or provide guidance on it.

The government response details improvements to the Access to Work scheme's customer service, channels, and digital functionality, but does not address the broader recommendation that the government should ensure employers understand their legal obligations regarding reasonable adjustments and the Equality Act.

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.

The government response discusses a review of the Disability Confident scheme and an employer insight survey, failing to address the recommendations regarding Access to Work, including publishing statistics quarterly, redesigning the application process, co-designing it, or reducing review frequency.

The government's response outlines a review of the Disability Confident scheme, including its assessment levels and complaints process, but it does not address the recommendation to ensure support for people with low digital literacy during the digital transformation of the Access to Work application process.

The government's response details the commitments required from employers under the Disability Confident scheme and mentions a future review of the scheme's criteria, but it does not address the committee's conclusion regarding the uncertainty caused by Access to Work support only being available after a job offer.

The government response outlines work following the "Health is Everyone's Business" consultation, focusing on improving access to Occupational Health for SMEs and the self-employed, including plans for user research on financial incentives. It does not address the committee's recommendation to extend eligibility for Access to Work passports or introduce a passport for disabled employees moving jobs.

The government response discusses Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing work to review SSP, stating the pandemic was not the right time for broader changes. This response does not address the committee's recommendation regarding rectifying problems with the Access to Work central call centre system.

The government's response discusses flexible and hybrid working arrangements and related consultations and guidance, but it does not address the recommendation to urgently announce plans and a timetable for the evaluation of the Disability Confident scheme.

The government response details ONS analysis on COVID-19 deaths by disability status and occupation, which does not address the recommendation to evaluate the Disability Confident scheme's success, including mandatory reporting of disabled employees.

The government's response describes the Kickstart and Restart schemes, their support for disabled participants, and monitoring efforts for these programs, but it does not address the recommendation to establish an independent body for external assessments of Disability Confident employers or to consider punitive measures for non-compliance.

The government response explains the payment model and incentives for the Restart Scheme, entirely failing to address the recommendation to review and strengthen the Disability Confident commitments and accreditation criteria to include a requirement for recruiting disabled people.

The government states that detailed proposals from the Green Paper consultation will be brought forward in a White Paper in 2022, focusing on the benefits system and enabling people to work independently. This response does not provide the specific detail or timetable requested for testing and evaluating a subsidy for SMEs and the self-employed regarding occupational health.

The government describes the paused "Tailoring Up" approach for Universal Credit claimants and states that detailed proposals from the Green Paper consultation will be brought forward in a White Paper in mid-2022. This response does not specifically detail plans or timescales for reforming Statutory Sick Pay, as requested by the committee.

The government highlights the recently published National Disability Strategy and its aim to improve disabled people's lives and employment, committing to reviewing engagement with disabled people. However, it does not specifically address the recommendation to amend legislation for a statutory right to request remote or flexible working from the start of employment.

The government states that analysis has already been undertaken by the ONS regarding the association between disability and COVID-19 deaths, and separately, occupational risk, implying no further research is needed as recommended.

The government states that the Kickstart and Restart schemes are accessible to disabled people, with support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers, and that Restart providers must be Disability Confident Leaders. It commits to monitoring the characteristics of participants in employment programmes.

The government explains that the Restart Scheme's existing payment model, which includes a delivery fee, outcome payments, and an accelerator model, is designed to incentivise providers to support all participants, including those furthest from the labour market.

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.

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.

The government describes its extensive engagement efforts for the National Disability Strategy and commits to reviewing how it engages with disabled people and their organizations.

The government details its extensive engagement through the UK Disability Survey and other events for the National Disability Strategy, and commits to reviewing its engagement methods with disabled people, but does not accept the SSAC protocol or provide a timeframe for publishing engagement information.