Scope: Future White Paper must set out real reforms to resolve the disability employment gap
Scope's Head of Policy and Public Affairs, James Taylor, welcomes the Government's commitment to halve the disability employment gap, but urges them to be ambitious with their reforms.
The Prime Minister set out her vision of a “country that works for everyone”, yet at Scope we know that disabled people continue to face far too many barriers to employment.
Our latest research reveals that 58 per cent of disabled people have felt at risk of losing their jobs because of their impairment, and 53 per cent have felt bullied or harassed at work for the same reason - this level of exclusion in the work place is unacceptable.
The Government made a welcome commitment to halve the disability employment gap –the difference between the number of non-disabled and disabled people in work.
Yet the most recent Labour Market Statistics highlight the gap is currently 30.8 per cent. Whilst it is positive to see the gap narrowing the pace of change remains slow as the gap has hovered at around 30 per cent for over a decade.
Many disabled people are pushing hard to get jobs and progress in their careers but the labour market is stacked against them. So how do we halve the gap?
Taking action on the Green paper
Last week the Government’s consultation on reforming employment support for disabled people closed. For there to be meaningful change, it’s vital that the Government listen to the views of disabled people and bring forward a White Paper that sets out real reforms to the support disabled people receive while in and out of work.
We think Government need to set out a cross-departmental strategy for meeting the commitment to halve the disability employment gap. Specialist employment support is key to recognising disabled people’s ambitions and the support they need, alongside action to tackle negative attitudes in the workplace.
Assessing disabled people for work
The Government has promised it will stop reassessments under the Work Capability Assessment for some people. However, we want to see a complete overhaul for everyone. The current assessment doesn’t adequately capture the areas where someone needs help to be able to move into work. We want to see it replaced with separate assessments for financial support and employment support needs.
It’s vital that any support offered to disabled people is voluntary. The Green Paper currently proposes extending conditionality to people in the support group of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). However, people in the Support Group have been assessed as not fit for work. Scope strongly opposes extending conditionality to this group and this has been backed by the recent Work and Pensions Committee report into the disability employment gap.
What’s more, new claimants in the Work Related Activity Group of ESA face a £30 a week reduction in financial support from April 2017. Reducing disabled people’s incomes won’t help them find a job, it will just make life harder. This something Scope has been campaigning against for over a year and a vote in Parliament before Christmas highlighted the growing cross party opposition to this change.
The role of employers
To really halve the disability employment gap, we need to see action from employers too. We need to create flexible and inclusive work places that enable disabled people to stay in work.
Access to Work is a vital fund, providing disabled people with the support needed to work such as specialist equipment. It should be expanded and better promoted. Lifting the requirement to take Statutory Sick Pay in consecutive blocks would also would help disabled people to manage fluctuating conditions in work. Reforms to in-work support would not only prevent disabled people falling out of work but employers losing valued staff.
Employers should be pushed to take a proactive approach to inclusion, with measures for recruiting, supporting and developing disabled employees at the heart of business planning. Negative employer attitudes can be a huge barrier to work.
In order to achieve a sustainable and significant reduction in the disability employment gap and meet its aim to halve the gap, the Government must continue to listen to and engage with disabled people and be ambitious with their reforms.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
Get the inside track on what MPs and Peers are talking about. Sign up to The House's morning email for the latest insight and reaction from Parliamentarians, policy-makers and organisations.
