Join us on the 23rd and 24th of November from 11am – 4pm for Sasha Saben Callaghan’s ‘Lives: Reimagined’.
The theme for Disability History Month Scotland 2024 is ‘Disabled People: Livelihood and Employment’.
Disability has been seen for many years as synonymous with non-employment or unemployment.
This of course is not true. Disabled people have always sought a means of surviving whether in begging, employment or on welfare or charity.
Sasha Saben Callaghan’s ‘Lives: Reimagined‘ project explores the experiences of some of the disabled ‘inmates’ of the poorhouses which used to serve the Granton area, St Cuthbert’s, North Leith and South Leith, and imagines a very different life for the ‘pauper’ occupants.
Over 200,000 disabled people newly benefitting from Scottish social security system
Over 200,000 disabled adults have now had their benefit award transferred to Social Security Scotland from the Department for Work and Pensions, new figures show.
Almost two thirds (63%) of adults in Scotland who were previously getting Personal Independence Payment are now receiving Adult Disability Payment.
This marks a milestone in the ambitious project to safely and securely transfer the disability and carers benefit awards of everyone in Scotland, allowing them to benefit from a new system based on dignity, fairness and respect.
Adult Disability Payment was designed in partnership with disabled people to be better than the benefit it is replacing.
A significant improvement was ending the time-consuming and demanding re-assessments carried out by the DWP to decide if someone’s support should continue.
In Scotland these have been replaced with light touch reviews that ensure people are getting the right support without requiring them to provide unnecessary information or face a private sector assessment.
All disability and carer benefits are expected to be transferred to Social Security Scotland by the end of 2025, with benefit awards for disabled children already fully transferred.
A recent survey found almost 90% of people who had their disability benefit moved to Social Security Scotland said they were informed about the process and the communication was clear.
Almost two thirds of adults in Scotland who were getting Personal Independence Payment are now receiving @scotgov Adult Disability Payment.
Shirley-Anne Somerville, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice said:“This is an important milestone in the devolution of benefits to Scotland.
“People who received DWP benefits talked about the system being inhumane. They had experienced a system which did not get the decision right first time and which involved degrading assessments run by private providers.
“That worry is over for many now as we have moved the awards of hundreds of thousands of people to our new system, where they can benefit from its founding principles of dignity, fairness and respect.
“Adult Disability Payment was designed in partnership with disabled people to be better, fairer and easier to access.
“We are continuing to transfer the awards of disabled people from the DWP to our new system.
“If you are waiting to have your award transferred, please be assured that you do not need to do anything. The move will begin automatically and there will not be any gaps or changes to your payments.”
Sylvia Paton who is registered blind, said:“A lot of people have been put through an assessment process where it feels as though staff are trying to trip you up and implying you are lying about your disability.
“The DWP made me go for a medical assessment. We went into a room with a window facing the door and it was an instant white out for me.
“The lady said, ‘Take a seat,’ but I couldn’t see one and she didn’t tell me where it was. It was just awful and humiliating. It was all about ticking boxes with no understanding of my medical condition.
“I didn’t experience anything like that going from PIP to Adult Disability Payment. It was very automatic and painless.”
James Kyle, 41, delayed telling the DWP about his deteriorating eyesight due to his “traumatic” experiences with them. James, from Cumbernauld, said:“My condition impacts on anything which requires me to see fine detail.
“Reading is particularly challenging and using the cooker and the washing machine can be a problem.
“Recognising people and threatening situations are also difficult and I try not to travel at night or go places I’m not familiar with. I stick to fixed routes I know very well and rely a lot on taxis.
“My eyesight had deteriorated but I didn’t want to put myself through a review, even if it meant I would get more money, because of the emotional trauma I’d been put through. There was also the fear of losing what I was already getting.
“I heard Adult Disability Payment wasn’t as bad so I decided to report a change in circumstances which I knew would trigger my transfer from DLA.
“There was a long form to complete but when I asked for help a gentleman went through the form with me on a video conference call. I couldn’t have asked for a better service and my payment was uprated.”
Kirstie Henderson, Policy Officer at RNIB Scotland said:“We are delighted the Cabinet Secretary has visited, as it is vitally important that we listen to the experiences of blind and partially sighted people about social security benefits.
“Overall the experiences of people we’ve spoken to about their transfer to Adult Disability Payment has been positive, however there is always room for improvement.
“They have told us about the importance of receiving information in an accessible format, and being made aware of the support available to help claim what they’re entitled to.
“Access to information in accessible formats is a key principle – it allows people to take control of their own decisions.
“RNIB Scotland will continue to work closely with those delivering social security, ensuring the needs of blind and partially sighted people continue to be met.”
People seeking work who are disabled or have long-term health conditions are to be offered help from a dedicated employability adviser.
The initiative will be in place by next summer and involve advisers working with employers to develop roles suited to an individual’s needs.
Included as part of last week’s Programme for Government, it is designed to support people into work, boosting Scotland’s workforce and helping to drive economic growth. It will also help to deliver the Scottish Government’s ambition of creating a fairer labour market and halving the disability employment gap by 2038.
The Scottish Government will partner with local authorities and others including health and voluntary organisations to implement the measures. They build on the existing No-one Left Behind approach which has supported 61,930 people since April 2019, 19% of whom reported having a disability.
Employment Minister Tom Arthur visited the Routes to Work South, Cook and Learn Café in Cambuslang to find out how people facing challenges in getting back to work are currently being helped.
Mr Arthur said:“Our commitment to deliver specialist employability support from summer 2025 will ensure that more disabled people are able to secure fulfilling jobs.
“Tackling discrimination and stigma faced by those with disabilities and long-term health conditions is key to building a diverse workforce and creating a more prosperous and resilient economy.
“The project that I am visiting today demonstrates how supporting those furthest away from employment into work helps us to address labour market inequality and provide people with a better of quality-of-life.”
This support is being brought forward as part of the Scottish Government’s No One Left Behind Strategic Plan launched earlier today.
The latest government announcement on reforms to financial support for those with ill health or disability is misleading rhetoric. The lives of those with ill health or disability are completely misrepresented, and the language they use is divisive, (writes TUC’s ANJUM KLAIR).
The Government has deliberately confused the purpose of this benefit in order to ramp up its benefit scrounger rhetoric. PIP is not an out-of-work benefit: disabled people in full-time employment can be, and are, assessed as eligible for PIP. It assesses whether someone’s impairment or health conditions affects their day-to-day life and is intended to cover some of the additional costs incurred as a result of being disabled. It is not for assessing if you are capable of work- or work-related activity.
The idea that you can claim PIP for mild mental illness is untrue. The criteria for accessing PIP is stringent. You have to be suffering from severe mental illness. It is a complex application process and have to provide medical evidence.
If the current data is showing rising numbers of those with severe depression and anxiety claiming PIP, you don’t change the eligibility criteria to reduce claimant numbers – you look at the underlying drivers of ill health.
More than a decade of austerity under the Conservatives has resulted in crumbling public services.
The approach by government is to blame individuals. Only recently the Prime Minister attacked those too sick to work, by saying UK had a sick note culture, yet the data on workplace sickness absence does not suggest any substantial challenges.
And again, government conflates two separate areas, sick notes look at short-term illness for those in work and not long-term illness and disability. It is the rise in long-term sickness and disability which is alarming.
The ideas proposed in the consultation also include the insulting suggestion that disabled people are not to be trusted with spending their benefits on essential support. As it moves away from a fixed cash benefit and proposes to reimburse for extra costs, this also assumes that disabled people have the money to pay up front for this.
The consultation also proposes accessing treatments rather than receiving benefits for ill health, yet it is the lack of access to treatment which is exacerbating the increase in ill health. The long delays are well documented. Just for mental health support there is around1.9 million people waiting for support in England,
The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) to be abolished and eligibility for the health top-up in Universal Credit (UC) ( in this case the health element) will be passported (i.e. approved) via PIP.
The current UC Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) element will be replaced with a new UC health element.
Introduce more tailored conversations for claimants with work coaches, to enter suitable employment.
While we have issues with the validity of WCA decisions, it is supposed to assess people’s ability to work, while PIP clearly does not do this. This proposed change would amount to a huge financial cut to those not well enough to work. The IFS estimates that one million disabled or seriously unwell people who can’t get PIP would lose out by £350 a month.
Wider problems in the Government’s plan include the proposed introduction of a new personalised health conditionality approach. Disabled people will also face a higher risk of sanctions, as at present people currently identified as being unable to work and prepare for work are protected but could lose this right under the changes.
Such measures do not consider the structural barriers that stop disabled people from entering into the workplace, such as discrimination from employers, a failure to put in place reasonable adjustments, and inaccessible transport. The result will be many disabled people whose health makes it difficult or impossible to carry out work activity without a realistic chance of getting a job, being threatened with sanctions.
Separately the Government has made changes to descriptors in the WCA to apply from September 2025 for new claimants. As a result, 424,000 fewer people are expected to be assessed as having limited capability for work and work-related activity by 2028 to 2029.
The theme by the Conservative government is to constantly reduce eligibility to cut social security entitlement for disabled people or those with ill health. Government needs to end this cruel assault on sick and disabled people.
A report published this week by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Disabled People concludes that the UK Government has made “no significant progress” in addressing the grave and systematic violations of Deaf and Disabled people’s rights that it highlighted more than SEVEN YEARS AGO ago.
Instead, the report notes areas of further regression and numerous issues of “deep concern”.
The report states that:
“The Committee finds that the State party has failed to take all appropriate measures to address grave and systematic violations of the human rights of persons with disabilities and has failed to eliminate the root causes of inequality and discrimination.”
The report is the outcome of a follow up to the Committee’s unprecedented special inquiry which in 2016 found evidence of grave and systematic violations of Deaf and Disabled People’s rights due to welfare reform and austerity measures.
The inquiry focused on three specific areas: equal chances to live and participate in the community; right to good work; and, adequate social protections and standard of living.
Responding to this week’s UNCRPD report, which finds the current government has “failed to take all appropriate measures to address grave and systematic violations of the human rights” of disabled people, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Being disabled should not mean you are consigned to a poor standard of living.
“But this report from the UN paints a damning picture of life in the UK for disabled people after 14 years of Tory rule. Ministers must act on this report and eliminate the root causes of inequality.
“It is not right that millions of disabled workers are stuck in low-paid jobs and in-work poverty. And many do not get the accessibility and flexibility they need at work.
“That’s why we’re backing Labour’s New Deal for Working People, which would introduce disability pay gap reporting, introduce a day one right to flexible working, and ban zero-hours contracts, which disproportionately impact disabled workers.”
Svetlana Kotova, Director of Campaigns and Justice, Inclusion London, said:“This report is a damning verdict on the government’s track record in upholding our human rights.
“Since the 2016 finding of ‘grave and systematic’ rights violations, the UN committee has not only seen no progress, they also documented evidence of retrogression. Moreover, the Committee finds that UK welfare policy is based on a pervasive and hostile framework and rhetoric that devalues Disabled people and undermines our human rights.
“It is shocking that our country that positions itself as a world leader is yet again found to breach our rights on a systematic level. It is also shocking that the government has failed to listen to the UN in the past and has actively dismissed the previous recommendations.
“This report comes at a time when the government has strengthened its rhetoric of hostility towards Disabled people, announcing another set of reforms that will unleash another layer of misery and will lead to greater violations of our rights.
“The UN committee has recognised that we are barely surviving, not living a full life, and we are subject to arbitrary decision making from unqualified staff within complex and punitive benefit systems that see us as ‘undeserving’.
“We welcome the report and urge the government and the opposition to take it seriously and develop policies on welfare reform, employment and independent living that comply with the UK’s obligations under the UNCRDP.
“The report shows that the current system is not fit for purpose and the government cannot carry on punishing Disabled people. We urge the government and the opposition to commit to genuine cooperation and co-production with Disabled people and our organisations, as per recommendation (a), so that we can design a system that works.”
Louise Holden, Senior Policy Officer for Disabled People and Crime at Inclusion London, said:“We welcome the recommendation for parity and clarity in UK hate crime legislation in the UNCRDP report. Inclusion London has been campaigning for parity and clarity in UK hate crime legislation since 2016.
“Currently, UK law treats Disabled people differently. This makes it harder to prosecute offenders if they have targeted someone due to their perceived disability.
“The Law Commission has previously submitted two reports recommending that all protected characteristics should be treated as aggravated offences, in line with Race and Religion.
“As Disabled people, we are often targeted because we are perceived as ‘less than’ or ‘an easy target’. We need hate crime legislation updated in line with others so we can expect the same level of protection.”
Andy Greene from the National Steering Group of Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), who triggered the special inquiry said:“The process of evidence gathering, taking witness testimony and objective scrutiny of policy and its impact, is one that’s very difficult to ridicule or dismiss.
“The facts speak for themselves. As such, the inquiry vindicates the experiences of Deaf and Disabled people whose voices are too often ignored.”
John Kelly, musician and campaigner who also sits on the DPAC National Steering Group said the report is: “… damning on the lack of this government listening to our real lived experiences as Disabled people and doing anything to support what we really need which is to live and contribute in our community as equal citizens along with our peers.”
Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations (DDPOs) across the UK, who took part in reporting to the Committee, along with DPAC, through the UK DDPO Coalition, have welcomed the report.
Dermot Devlin, spokesperson for DPAC Northern Ireland said: “DPAC NI thank the UN Committee for their work and due diligence on our behalf and call on the Westminster Government to properly implement the recommendations of the 2016 inquiry and the current report.
“The absence of Government in Northern Ireland has failed Disabled people here. With the Executive now restored, bringing forward a Disability Strategy that addresses the Committee’s recommendations must be an absolute priority.”
The report documents how the UK government requested postponement of the session at which they were due to give evidence to the Committee in August.
Their request for postponement was just six days before the deadline for written evidence submissions to the inquiry was due and after many cash-strapped DDPOs had already booked their flights and accommodation to attend and give evidence.
The result was that the Committee, which is made up of Deaf ad Disabled members from around the world, had to split the oral evidence section of the inquiry into two separate sessions.
Rhian Davies, CEO for Disability Wales, said:“The UK Government’s approach to this review has been utterly disrespectful and matches the contempt shown to Disabled people for over a decade.
“We deserve better and we demand better.”
Ellen Clifford, UK Coalition Co-ordinator, said: “The government’s attitude towards the UN special inquiry is evidence that their treatment of Deaf and Disabled people is wilful and calculated. This is reflected in the damning findings of the report.
“The limitations of the inquiry process are that there are just too many deliberate rights violations to include in one report.
“However, the report validates the experiences of Deaf and Disabled people across the UK and is a much-needed counter to government rhetoric claiming they are “protecting the most vulnerable” when they are doing the exact opposite.”
The report highlights numerous areas of government policy that are not only failing Deaf and Disabled people, but that are causing serious rights violations.
Among the many areas where the Committee is “deeply concerned” are:
the social care recruitment crisis follow EU withdrawal; the inadequacies of social care support provision to cover anything more than “bare subsistence”;
incarceration of Disabled people “in secure psychiatric facilities due to a lack of community-based support”;
“disabled people who are housebound due to inadequate support to access the community”;
“abuse, mistreatment and the increasing use of restraints, restrictive practices and… unexpected deaths in the mental health care system”.
Dorothy Gould, founder of Liberation, a grass-roots organisation led by people with personal experience of mental distress/trauma, said:“It is an utter disgrace that many of us are forced into institutions, continue to be locked up against our will in places such as psychiatric hospitals and continue to be forcibly treated and abused, in complete breach of human rights which other citizens hold.”
The Committee’s recognition of the increasing barriers to employment have been welcomed by Deaf and Disabled trade unionists.
Natalie Amber, Co-chair, Deaf and Disabled Members Committee, Equity Trade Union, said:“Ill-thought through cuts, particularly as a result of welfare reform, are making it impossible to work in the creative industries unless you have independent wealth. This is directly and negatively impacting who we see on our stages and screens.”
The report acknowledges the devastating impact of previous welfare “reform” measures.
The report states that: “The Committee is appalled by reports of “benefit deaths” referring to fatalities among disabled people in the State party, subsequent to their engagement with the process for determining eligibility for benefits…
“Testimonies have also been received regarding the minimal, unsuitable, and/or abusive responses to individuals’ mental health emergencies that are frequently precipitated by the benefits assessment procedure.”
It recommends that the UK government: “Take comprehensive measures to ensure that persons with disabilities are adequately supported through social security payments, benefits and allowances,… ascertain the additional costs of living with disabilities and adjusting benefit amounts accordingly to reflect these costs”
Alison Turner, daughter-in-law of Errol Graham, who starved to death after his benefits were stopped, said:“I am pleased that the report highlighted the need for proper review and monitoring of the deaths of benefit claimants… It shows that this government has learned nothing and cares not for its direct actions to cause harm.”
“There is a pervasive framework and rhetoric that devalues disabled people and undermines their human dignity. Reforms within social welfare benefits are premised on a notion that disabled people are undeserving and wilfully avoiding employment (“skiving off”) and defrauding the system. This has resulted in hate speech and hostility towards disabled people.”
Kamran Mallick, CEO of Disability Rights UK, said:“Under this Government, the UK has lost its status as a nation that leads in disability rights to one that is actively attacking Disabled people.
“In just the last week we have seen an onslaught of new policy proposals and legislation which will not only harm us but also lead to avoidable deaths…
“At a time when we’re all struggling to make ends meet and cannot access the healthcare and support that we need, the Government are scapegoating Disabled people for a failing economy.
“We are not at fault for simply existing. The Government are at fault for their complete disregard for international treaties and contempt for Disabled people’s rights.”
John McArdle, spokesperson for the Black Triangle campaign in Scotland, said:“To proceed with the plans announced by Conservative Prine Minister Sunak last Friday will definitely lead to a surge in deaths by suicide and other avoidable harm which falls short of death but is nonetheless catastrophic.
“The U.K. has abrogated the Convention on the Rights of Disabled People by its treatment of Deaf and Disabled people in the UK.”
Disabled President of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), Natasha Hirst, made a call to all journalists to reflect the evidence as reflected in the report rather than unquestioningly repeating inaccurate and harmful government rhetoric:“There has never been a more important time for journalists and the wider media industry to tackle harmful negative rhetoric against disabled people.
“I call on journalists to take time to understand the concerns raised by the UN Committee and scrutinise why the Government is so keen to dismiss their failure to uphold disabled people’s human rights.
“Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations have thoroughly evidenced the harm caused by policy changes and cuts to services and yet the UK Government is intent on pushing this even further.
“Disabled people’s voices need to be heard and not drowned out and demonised by people who have never experienced the sharp end of the social security system.
“As journalists, we should report ethically to hold power to account, and not be complicit in the scapegoating of disabled people.”
Support for more than 1.2 million people in Scotland
All Scottish social security benefits are increasing by 6.7% in April, providing more support for disabled people, unpaid carers and people on low incomes.
Scottish Child Payment, which helps the families of more than 327,000 children, is now worth £26.70 per child per week.
A person eligible for the highest rate of Adult Disability Payment will receive £184.30 per week.
Carer Support Payment, Scotland’s newest benefit, has gone up to £81.90 every four weeks. The benefit for unpaid carers launched in three local authorities last year and will be available across Scotland by Autumn 2024.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Our investment in social security helps low‑income families with their living costs, enables disabled people to live full and independent lives, and supports older people to heat their homes in winter.
“This financial year we are committing a record £6.3 billion for benefits expenditure – which is £1.1 billion more than the UK Government gives to the Scottish Government for social security.
“We are making a choice to increase direct support for people who need it the most and that is more important than ever during the current cost of living crisis.”
This blog looked at the ways in which the gap in employment rates between disabled and non-disabled people has changed since 2014, finding that Scotland has lower rates of employment for disabled people compared to the rest of the UK. The gap has been closing more quickly, however.
This initial research led us to a question: why has the gap been closing more quickly? And furthermore, what changes have happened for different groups of people with disabilities?
Our full report, published today, models the reasons behind this change, and explores more detailed statistics on employment differences by type of disability.
Our work is based on a previous report by the DWP which looked at changes in the disability employment gap across the UK.
Some of our key findings include:
The employment rate for disabled people in Scotland has increased by 9 percentage points since 2014. Non-disabled employment rates also increased by 3 percentage points during this time period. This increase in the employment rate has been larger in Scotland compared to the rest of the UK, although the employment rate remains lower.
The employment rate has largely increased due to an increase in disability prevalence (70% of the total change), meaning that this change is primarily due to working people becoming disabled. A small portion of the change (10%) was due to a change in working patterns among disabled people.
On average, Scotland’s disabled working age population grew by about 4.6% each year between 2014 and 2022, while Scotland’s total working age population grew by less than 0.1%
Over half of the change in disability prevalence is due to an increase in reporting mental health-related disabilities and learning difficulties. In 2014, over a third of disabled people in Scotland reported musculoskeletal conditions as their main issue, and around a quarter reported a mental health condition or learning difficulty. These proportions have now switched.
Employment rates for all types of disability have increased since 2014. Musculoskeletal conditions – those affecting arms, legs, feet, neck, and back – had significant increases in employment rates, without significant increases in disability prevalence. By comparison, rates of reported mental illness grew substantially in both employment rates and in total prevalence, although the change in employment outpaced the change in population size.
Disabled people are disproportionately less likely to work in manufacturing; professional, scientific, and technical activities; or construction, and are more likely to work in education, retail, and health and social work.
The Independent Living Fund (ILF) Scotland is inviting disabled people, disabled peoples’ organisations and other interested stakeholders in and around Edinburgh to share their views and help shape the re-opened fund by attending its first co-production event in Edinburgh.
The first event will take place on Tuesday 12 December at Murrayfield Stadium.
Established in 2015, ILF Scotland was set up to continue to provide funding and support to help disabled people in Scotland and Northern Ireland live independently following the closure of the UK ILF. The ILF has not been open to new applications since 2010, but in September 2023, the First Minister announced in his Programme for Government that ILF will re-open on a phased basis in 2024/25.
Now, event attendees will have the chance to take part in an open discussion so that their feedback and views can help shape the development of policies for the re-opened ILF.
The event is the first to run in a series of co-production events taking place both in-person and online over the coming weeks.
The Scottish Government and ILF Scotland have established a co-production working group to help them develop the policies for a re-opened ILF. This group consists of disabled people, representatives from Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) and other key stakeholders.
This Group will make recommendations on re-opening to the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport and will take all feedback from the events on board as part of this.
Peter Scott, CEO at Independent Living Fund Scotland said: “It’s extremely important we hear from as many disabled people and our key stakeholders as possible.
“All views and feedback are welcome as this will help inform the policy development of the re-opened ILF and help define how we best support more of Scotland’s most disabled citizens.”
To sign up for the first event on Tuesday 12 December (11am – 3pm) at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, visit: ILF Scotland Events | Eventbrite
Disabled people and those with health conditions, who are currently being held back from improving their lives through work, will be better supported to realise their potential under UK Government plans unveiled yesterday.
As part of Government’s mission to support more people into work, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has today launched a consultation on changes to the Work Capability Assessment, following the landmark Health and Disability White Paper published earlier this year
Changes represent the next step in welfare reform, reflecting the rise of flexible and home working and better employer support for disabled people and people with health conditions
Changes also reflect that one in five of those with no work preparation requirements would like to work at some point in the future, with the right support
A consultation, launched yesterday (Tuesday 5 September), will consider changes to the Work Capability Assessment, with proposals to ensure it is delivering the right outcomes for supporting those most in need.
The consultation will look at updating the Work Capability Assessment’s categories so they better reflect the modern world of work and the opportunities more readily available to disabled people.
Earlier this year, Government confirmed investment worth £2 billion to support disabled people and those with long-term health conditions into work, while delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy. Today’s consultation will go further to facilitate appropriate work opportunities for people, by reviewing a range of categories in the assessment – representing its first significant update since 2011.
These categories are designed to determine what activity people can do and how that affects their ability to work. This then informs assessors’ decisions on what additional financial support people can receive through their benefits, and if claimants need to do anything to prepare themselves for work.
The consultation’s proposals include updating the categories associated with mobility and social interaction, reflecting improved employer support in recent years for flexible and home working – and minimising the risk of these issues causing problems for workers.
Those who were found capable of work preparation activity in light of the proposed changes would receive tailored support, safely helping them to move closer to work and ensuring a significant proportion of people are not automatically excluded from the support available.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak MP said: “Work transforms lives – providing not just greater financial security, but also providing purpose that has the power to benefit individuals, their families, and their communities.
“That’s why we’re doing everything we can to help more people thrive in work – by reflecting the complexity of people’s health needs, helping them take advantage of modern working environments, and connecting them to the best support available.
“The steps we’re taking today will ensure no one is held back from reaching their full potential through work, which is key to ensuring our economy is growing and fit for the future.”
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Mel Stride MP said: “Health assessments haven’t been reviewed in more than a decade and don’t reflect the realities of the world of work today. That’s why we’re consulting on reforms which will mean that many of those currently excluded from the labour market can realise their ambition of working.
“Anyone helped towards work through these proposals would receive appropriate support tailored to their individual circumstances, allowing them to safely access the life-changing impacts that work can provide.”
Jane Gratton, Deputy Director of Public Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Across the country, businesses are crying out for workers to fill job vacancies. Being employed has many positive benefits for people, so it makes sense to help everyone who wants to work to find a good job that meets their needs and personal circumstances.
“Employers understand this and want to be as flexible as possible to assist. To be effective, it’s crucial that, both sides, have the right support in place for as long as needed to help people find work, stay in work and have fulfilling careers.”
The UK Government is spending £25.9 billion on incapacity benefits this year, a 62% real-terms rise on 2013/14 (£15.9 billion), with current projections predicting a further 13% real-terms rise to £29.3 billion – with an extra 500,000 people coming onto these benefits – by 2027/28 if nothing changes.
This is fuelled in large part by the proportion of new claimants for incapacity benefits assessed as the highest possible award (no work-related requirements) rising from 21% in 2011 to 65% in 2022.
The Work Capability Assessment is being reviewed to ensure it reflects the latest opportunities for employment support, so that growing numbers of people are not missing out on the help available, particularly given the known health benefits from working. This is especially important when research shows that one in five of them would like to work at some point in the future.
Representing the latest step to support people with health conditions into work, this follows last year’s milestone of getting over one million more disabled people into employment compared to five years ago.
Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work Tom Pursglove MP added: “I am incredibly passionate about supporting disabled people to have the most fulfilling life possible, including through work, and these proposals would enable us to provide help to people who could benefit greatly from it.
“We will continue to look at ways to safely support more disabled people into work, unlocking all the positive wellbeing benefits that brings, whilst meeting the Prime Minister’s pledge to grow the economy.”
These proposed changes, due to come into force in 2025, come as part of the Government’s wider multi-billion pound plan to tackle inactivity and boost economic growth.
One of the measures the Government is also consulting on is the substantial risk category, where claimants who would otherwise be capable of work-related activity are excluded from work preparation requirements, on the basis that this could put them at risk to themselves or others.
The consultation will consider whether the application of this category is being applied too broadly, in turn excluding a significant number of vulnerable people from support that would prepare them to move closer to work, financial independence and a more fulfilling life.
This cohort could also benefit from the Government’s £2 billion investment to help those with long-term illnesses and disabilities get into work, and also from funding for work coaches to help people who need further support.
This includes the new Universal Support programme, which will help disabled people and people with health conditions by matching them with vacancies and providing support and training to help them start and stay in that role.
The DWP is also currently running a consultation on occupational health, which is looking at ways to encourage employers to expand their occupational health offer.
And the Spring 2023 Budget provided around £250 million of funding to modernise and digitise mental health services in England, providing wellness and clinical apps, piloting cutting-edge digital therapies and digitising the NHS Talking Therapies programme.
Disabled people are more at risk of having to make the difficult decision between heating and eating
Before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic disabled workers faced huge barriers getting into and staying in work (writes TUC General Secretary PAUL NOWAK).
The pandemic, and the huge changes it has caused to our everyday lives, has exacerbated the barriers disabled people face.
Not only have disabled people been disproportionately affected in terms of loss of life, with six in 10 Covid-19 related deaths being disabled people, but pre-existing workplace barriers have been accentuated by the pandemic.
And now, new data published by the TUC for our disabled workers conference shows disabled workers are much more likely to earn less than non-disabled workers.
That’s not right.
Having an impairment should never mean you get paid less or that you’re on worse terms and conditions. However, for too many disabled workers in this country, it is an all too true reality.
With spiralling inflation and eye watering bills, workers are having their income stretched in every direction. But for disabled people, the situation is even more challenging.
Let’s not forget – disabled workers face even higher living costs than non-disabled workers. So as the cost-of-living crisis continues to play havoc with everyone’s lives, we know that these workers are feeling the pinch even more.
But the challenges don’t end there.
Disabled workers also encounter more barriers in the workplace than non-disabled colleagues – with many worried that if they ask their employer for the reasonable adjustments they need to do their job, they’ll be refused outright.
New TUC analysis reveals disabled workers are much more likely to be paid less than their non-disabled colleagues – with those in the North of England and Wales even more likely to be paid less.
And we know that disabled people are more at risk of having to make the difficult decision between heating and eating.
With this cost-of-living crisis not looking like it’s going to end any time soon, things are only going to get worse. We need action now.
With the government too focused on its own political survival, ministers have done nothing to put the mind of disabled workers at ease.
Our call is clear: It’s time to end the pay disparity that penalises disabled workers and it’s time disabled workers get the support they need in the workplace.
At the TUC’s disabled workers conference, we heard from delegates about how the cost-of-living crisis is hitting disabled workers across the country. And we heard how we can build workplaces that work for everyone.
That means stamping out insecure work by banning zero-hour contracts, increasing the minimum wage and outlawing fire and rehire.
That means giving disabled workers fair access to request reasonable adjustments, and fining those employers who discriminate against workers because of any impairment.
And that means forcing employers to come with an action plan to report their disability pay and employment gaps.
This is a plan which will deliver and transform the lives of so many disabled workers across the country.
