Tag: disabled people

UK Government ‘to unlock work’ for sick and disabled people

Work will be unlocked for thousands of sick and disabled people through new measures that will bolster the support offered in Jobcentres and make the welfare system more sustainable, the Department for Work and Pensions has announced today

  • New plans to improve employment support brought forward ahead of wider reform package to fix broken welfare system. 
  • 1,000 work coaches deployed to deliver intensive employment support to sick and disabled people as part of the government’s Plan for Change which will break down barriers to opportunity.
  • It comes as a new survey reveals scale of the broken system with nearly half of disabled people and those with a health condition saying they don’t trust DWP to support them.

The plans will see 1,000 existing Work Coaches deployed in 2025/26 to deliver intensive voluntary support to around 65,000 sick and disabled people – helping them to break down barriers to opportunity, drive growth and unlock the benefits of work.

This intensive support for people on health-related benefits – including those furthest away from work – will see Work Coaches providing tailored and personalised employment support, and help claimants access other support such as writing CVs and interview techniques. They will also access a range of DWP employment programmes to help claimants unlock work based on conversations with their Work Coaches.

The additional help will be delivered by reprioritising work coach time so they can focus on tackling economic inactivity in order to make the welfare system more sustainable. The 1,000 redeployed Work Coaches are a “downpayment” on wide-ranging plans to overhaul employment support, which are set to be unveiled in just a few weeks’ time. 

It is part of the Government’s Plan for Change – which will boost living standards and grow the economy by unlocking work for the 2.8 million people who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness – the highest in the G7 – and bring down spending on incapacity benefits which is expected to reach £70 billion by the end of this parliament. 

It comes as new survey results show the current system isn’t just failing the taxpayer, it’s also failing the people it’s meant to help, with 44% of disabled people and people with a health condition believing DWP does not provide enough support to people who are out of work due to disability, ill health, or a long-term health condition.

Work and Pensions Secretary, Rt Hon Liz Kendall MP said: “We inherited a broken welfare system that is failing sick and disabled people, is bad for the taxpayer, and holding the economy back. 

“For too long, sick and disabled people have been told they can’t work, denied support, and locked out of jobs, with all the benefits that good work brings.

“But many sick and disabled people want and can work, with the right support. And we know that good work is good for people – for their living standards, for their mental and physical health, and for their ability to live independently. 

“We’re determined to fix the broken benefits system as part of our Plan for Change by reforming the welfare system and delivering proper support to help people get into work and get on at work, so we can get Britain working and deliver our ambition of an 80% employment rate.”

The data from the DWP Perceptions Survey – soon to be published in full – also shows:  

  • 35% of disabled people and people with a health condition believe DWP does not provide enough support to people of working age who are out of work, to help them get back into work. 
  • 44% of disabled people and people with a health condition don’t trust the DWP to help people reach their full career potential. 
  • Nearly 2 in 5 (39%) disabled people and people with a health condition do not trust DWP to take its customers’ needs into account in how it provides services. 

These figures follow recently released data which shows that there are over three million people on Universal Credit with no obligation to engage in work-related activity, despite over a quarter (27%) of health and disability benefit claimants believing that work could be possible in the future if their health improves and 200,000 saying they would be ready to work now.

Data also shows the number of working-age people on the health element of Universal Credit or claiming Employment Support Allowance (ESA) has risen to 3.1 million, a staggering 319% increase since the pandemic, reflecting the alarming rate at which young and working aged people are increasingly falling out of work and claiming incapacity benefits. 

Behind each of these statistics is a person with hopes and ambitions, who can provide businesses with much-needed skills and experience, helping to grow our economy.

To give people the support they deserve, and restore trust and fairness to our welfare system, reforms to the welfare system are expected to be announced in just a few weeks. 

These reforms will recognise that some people will be unable to work at points in their life and ensure they are provided with support while transforming the broken benefits system that: 

  • Asks people to demonstrate their incapacity to work to access higher benefits, which also then means they fear taking steps to get into work.
  • Is built around a fixed “can versus can’t work” divide that does not reflect the variety of jobs, the reality of fluctuating health conditions, or the potential for people to expand what they can do, with the right support.
  • Directs disabled people or those with a work-limiting health condition to a queue for an assessment, followed by no contact, no expectations, and no support if the state labels them as “unable” to work. 
  • Fails to intervene early to prevent people falling out of work and misses opportunities to support a return to work.
  • Pushes people towards economic inactivity due to the stark and binary divide between benefits rates and conditionality rules for jobseekers compared to those left behind on the health element of Universal Credit.  
  • Has become defined by poor experiences and low trust among many people who use it, particularly on the assessment process.

The government’s plans to fix the broken benefit system will build on the biggest employment reforms in a generation announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper, which will empower mayors to drive down economic inactivity, deliver a Youth Guarantee so every young person is either earning or learning, and overhaul jobcentres across the country. 

Former John Lewis boss Sir Charlie Mayfield is leading an independent review investigating how government and employers can work together to help disabled people and those with ill health who may be at risk of falling out work stay on in employment, with the findings of the discovery phase expected in the spring.

The government is also investing an additional £26 billion to cut NHS waiting lists and get Britain back to health and back to work. 

The government has already delivered on its pledge, providing two million extra appointments in five months and as a result, around 160,000 fewer patients on waiting lists today than in July.

Teams of clinicians will also introduce new ways of working at 20 hospital sites in areas with the highest levels of economic inactivity to help patients return to the workforce faster.

This is alongside the recruitment of an additional 8,500 mental health workers to ensure mental health is given the same attention as physical health.

New survey suggests benefits system is letting down people with mental health conditions who want to work

Many sick and disabled people say they want to work to help boost their living standards – but aren’t given the right support, according to new data published on Time to Talk day [6 February].

  • New survey suggests 200k people claiming health and disability benefits are ready for work now if the right job or support were available.
  • Comes as number of young people with a mental health condition who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness reaches over a quarter of a million (270,000).
  • Overhaul of health and disability benefit system set to be unveiled in Spring to ensure it provides meaningful support to help long term sick back into work.

New research published by the Department for Work and Pensions shows that nearly half (44%) of people with a mental health condition expect to be able to work in future if their health improves.

This comes as the number of young people (aged 16 to 34) who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness and have a mental condition reaches 270,000. This number has been rising consistently over the past decade and has increased by 60,000 (26%) in the last year alone. The equivalent figure for all people of working-age (16 to 64) is 790,000 – an increase of 140,000 (22%) over the last year.

The Work Aspirations of Health and Disability Claimants survey also finds that a third (32%) of those claiming health and disability benefits believe they can work now or in future.  (5%) say that they would be ready now if the right job or support were available. This equates to around 200,000 individuals.

The survey also finds that those out of jobs overwhelmingly see work as a key part of their identity and a route to higher self-esteem, happiness and security.

In further evidence that the current system pushes people away from work, the survey revealed that 50% of people who are on health and disability benefits and are not currently in work said they were worried they would not get their benefits back if they tried paid employment and it did not work out.

 It comes as the Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall visited Workbridge charity which offers support to people who are unable to work due to mental ill health, to hear how they’re supporting people with mental health conditions into work.

Responding to the stark survey results, the Work and Pensions Secretary has said the report demonstrates the need to reform the current welfare system, so that it offers better, meaningful support to give disabled people and people with long-term health conditions a real opportunity to find work.

The upcoming reforms will be a key part of the government’s Plan for Change to boost employment by breaking down barriers to opportunity – creating a welfare system that promotes tailored pathways into work and accommodates the complex nature of disabilities and health conditions – and consequently, improving people’s living standards.

Work and Pensions Secretary, Rt Hon Liz Kendall MP said: “Today’s report shows that the broken benefits system is letting down people with mental health conditions who want to work.

“People claiming Health and Disability benefits have been classed by the system as “can’t work” and shut out of jobs and have been ignored – when they’ve been crying out for support.

“That is a serious failure. It’s bad for people, bad for businesses, which miss out on considerable talent, and bad for the economy.

“For young people in particular, being out of work can have a scarring effect that lasts a lifetime.

“On Time to Talk day, it’s time to change how we support people with long-term health conditions, such as a mental health condition, so that they have a fair chance and choice to work.”

On her visit to Workbridge, Kendall spoke to experts to hear their insights on how government and employers can better accommodate the fluctuating nature of people’s mental health – ensuring that people’s views and voices are at the heart of changes that affect them.

Being in work has a positive effect on people’s mental and physical health – providing people with confidence and independence, as well as financial benefits.

The UK remains the only G7 country that has higher levels of economic inactivity now than before the pandemic, with the benefits bill spiralling – largely driven by the increase in people claiming incapacity benefits for mental health conditions, who had not received the care and treatment they deserve.

The reforms to the health & disability benefit system due to be unveiled in a Green Paper in Spring will consider these issues and how the government can tackle these barriers to employment, and the government will work closely alongside charities, organisations and disabled people to ensure their voices help shape any proposals for reform.

The Green Paper will set key ambitions for creating a system that is fairer on disabled people – offering support into work which takes into consideration the realities of their health condition and life circumstances, and fairness for the taxpayer by bringing down the benefits bill.

The reforms are expected to build on the Get Britain Working White Paper, which set out the first steps to achieving the government’s target 80% employment rate, driving up growth and driving down poverty in every corner of our country. 

Successful steps have already been taken to offer work and life-changing support, with a record number of people with mental health conditions receiving employment advice through the NHS Talking Therapies programme.

Alongside this support, the Laobur Government has settled record funding for the NHS – so that all people can get the care they need – and have pledged:

  • 8,500 more mental health staff
  • Mental health support teams in every school
  • Open-access mental health hubs in every community

Lives: Reimagined at Granton:hub

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.

Transfer of benefits reaches major milestone

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.

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.”

Helping disabled people into work

Support to be rolled out across Scotland

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.

no-one-left-behind-employability-strategic-plan-2024-2027Download

TUC: Government must end its cruel assault on sick and disabled people

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).

Mel Stride announced the consultation on reform of Personal Independent Payments (PIP). Two immediate observations from us are:   

  • 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. 

NHS waiting lists are at record highs, food insecurity and destitution has increased, and poverty levels are rising. This will inevitably affect physical and mental health. Data shows life expectancy and healthy life expectancy falling, and this is more profound in deprived areas.      

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 PIP consultation also adds a further layer of confusion for people not working due to ill health, as the government already set out a plan for health and disability benefits reform last year.  This is proposed for the new Parliament, and includes:    

  • 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.  

UN Committee slams Westminster government failure to address disability rights violations

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.

On publication of the 2016 report the then government dismissed its findings.

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.”

The report comes less than a week after the Prime Minister announced a new round of cuts to disability social security payments and amidst political and media rhetoric that directly contravenes the 2016 findings and recommendations by demonising disabled benefit claimants.

The report states that:

“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.”

Social security payments rise

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.”

Why is the gap in employment between disabled and non-disabled people in Scotland so large?

by FRASER of ALLANDER INSTITUTE’s Allison Cataleno and Chirsty McFadyen

Back in September, we published some initial findings on the disability employment gap in Scotland, in collaboration with the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).  

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. 

Read the full report here. 

People in Edinburgh invited to share their views at Independent Living Fund Scotland co-production event

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