Select Committee · Work and Pensions Committee
Disability employment
Status: Closed
Opened: 26 Feb 2024
Closed: 23 May 2024
Inquiry scope
Disabled people face significant barriers to work that non-disabled people do not, and despite employers having a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments in the workplace to accommodate them, there is evidence to suggest that many are not making these changes. Whilst the disability employment rate has risen in recent years, the disability employment gap (the difference between the proportions of disabled and non-disabled people in work) has flatlined at around 29 percentage points. The Government has recently announced several policies designed to increase employment rates among disabled people, including in its Transforming Support White Paper , at Spring Budget 2023, when it announced the introduction of Universal Support and the piloting of WorkWell, and in its Disability Action Plan, published in February 2024. The Work and Pensions Committee is now conducting a follow-up inquiry to its 2021 inquiry into the disability employment gap to scrutinise the effectiveness of the Government’s proposals for supporting disabled employment and reducing the disability employment gap. Read the call for evidence for more detail about the inquiry The call for evidence is also available in alternative formats via the links below: EasyRead British Sign Language video Audio onlyOral evidence sessions
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| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 15 May 2024 |
Work and Pensions Committee
Alison Thwaite · Down’s Syndrome Association,
Becca Stacey · Money and Mental Health Policy Institute,
Ceri Smith · Department for International Trade,
Evan John · Sense,
Georgia Harper · Autistica,
Russell Fleming · ME Association,
Ruth Wakeman · Crohn's and Colitis UK
|
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| 1 May 2024 |
Work and Pensions Committee
Dr Christine Grant · Coventry University,
Jacqueline Winstanley · Universal Inclusion,
Laura Davis · BASE and Inclusive Trading CIC,
Nic Murray · Leonard Cheshire,
Professor Helen Lawton Smith · Birkbeck, University of London,
Professor Ian Burn · University of Liverpool,
Professor Kim Hoque · Disability@Work
|
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Who gave evidence
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| Witness | Organisation | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Alison Thwaite · WorkFit Employment Development Manager | Down’s Syndrome Association | 1 |
| Becca Stacey · Senior Research Officer | Money and Mental Health Policy Institute | 1 |
| Ceri Smith · Director General in Strategy and Investment | Department for International Trade | 1 |
| Dr Christine Grant · Associate Professor (Research), Centre for Healthcare and Communities | Coventry University | 1 |
| Evan John · Policy and Public Affairs Advisor | Sense | 1 |
| Georgia Harper · Policy Manager | Autistica | 1 |
| Jacqueline Winstanley · Chief Executive Officer | Universal Inclusion | 1 |
| Laura Davis · Chief Executive | BASE and Inclusive Trading CIC | 1 |
| Nic Murray · Policy Manager | Leonard Cheshire | 1 |
| Professor Helen Lawton Smith · Professor of Entrepreneurship | Birkbeck, University of London | 1 |
| Professor Ian Burn · Professor of Economics | University of Liverpool | 1 |
| Professor Kim Hoque · Co-Founder | Disability@Work | 1 |
| Russell Fleming · Head of Communications | ME Association | 1 |
| Ruth Wakeman · Director of Services, Advocacy and Evidence | Crohn's and Colitis UK | 1 |
Correspondence
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| Published | Direction | Letter |
|---|---|---|
| 22 May 2024 | — | Correspondence with Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work relating to Disability employment inquiry |