Recommendation 6

HM Government Acknowledged

The National Disability Strategy focuses on the issues that disabled people have told us matter to them across all aspects of their daily lives, including employment. Pay gaps are caused by a range of factors, and to address them, we must spread opportunity more widely. As well as helping people get into work we want to help people progress in work. One of the key opportunities of Universal Credit – as both an in and an out of work benefit - is that it enables us to provide support to people who are in work to progress and increase their earnings. Last year DWP launched the In-Work Progression Commission led by Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith to gain a better understanding of the barriers faced by people in low pay and to help to ensure that work remains the best route out of poverty. The In-Work Progression Commission published their report on 1 July 2021 https://www.gov.uk/ government/publications/supporting-progression-out-of-low-pay-a-call-to-action. It makes 26 recommendations to help people to progress at work and move out of low paid employment. These include promoting a culture of lifelong learning, steps employers and Government can take to support workers to progress and improving local transport links. The Government is carefully considering the Commission’s recommendations. Starting in April 2022, the Government is enhancing its programme of support for workers on Universal Credit. More people who are in work on Universal Credit, including those with a health condition or disability, will be able to access work coach support, which will focus on career progression advice, and Jobcentre Plus specialists will work with local 8 Disability employment gap: Government response employers to identify local opportunities for people to progress in work. Disabled people are expected to be a significant percentage of claimants who work coaches will support through in work progression, where they have lower earnings and work fewer hours. This recognises that as disability employment increases, the disability pay gap may be impacted since it could be the case that some disabled people may wish or need to work less hours than non-disabled people, so receive lower earnings. In work support for such disabled people may increase their earnings power through higher rates of pay via career progression whilst acting to support increased job retention, To support progression, the Government is taking decisive action to make work pay by cutting the Universal Credit taper rate from 63 percent to 55 percent, and increasing Universal Credit work allowances by £500 per annum. We estimate that around two million families will save an extra £1,000 a year on average. Employment support Localised support