UK: Work and Pensions Committee Launches Inquiry into Disability Employment Gap, Nov 2020

[Andy]

The Work and Pensions Committee is to investigate the gap between the employment rates of disabled and non-disabled people and how the DWP can better support disabled people in the labour market.

• Inquiry: Disability employment gap
• Work and Pensions Committee

The inquiry will examine trends in the disability employment gap, the economic impact of low employment rates for disabled people and the assistance available to help people in work. It will also cover the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

https://committees.parliament.uk/co...mmittee-to-examine-disability-employment-gap/

 

[Andy]

The CIIP’s submission illustrates how energy limiting chronic illnesses are often overlooked in the employment landscape.

In December 2020, the Chronic Illness Inclusion Project (CIIP) submitted evidence to the Work and Pensions Committee’s call for evidence for its inquiry into the disability employment gap.

In addition to the continuing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK government’s inquiry will examine the 28.6% gap in employment between disabled and non-disabled people (with current figures at 53.2% and 81.8% respectively). It will also address the economic impact of lower employment rates for disabled people, and the assistance available to disabled people seeking employment.

In response to the inquiry’s questions, the CIIP’s submission details the results of a survey of over 2,000 disabled people living with energy limiting chronic illness (ELCI) in the UK, as well as an in-depth qualitative research forum on navigating employment and social security issues with ELCI.

https://inclusionproject.org.uk/blog/disability-employment-gap

 

[Saz94]

Oh my god just fucking accept that some disabled people are too unwell to work, and give us the financial support that we need.

 

[Joan Crawford]

Oh my god just fucking accept that some disabled people are too unwell to work, and give us the financial support that we need.

Disabled and sick and disabled get mixed up in these broad reviews. Each condition and circumstances varies so much the detail gets lost. And it's ironically the details that matters for every individual

 

[Kitty]

Disabled and sick and disabled get mixed up in these broad reviews. Each condition and circumstances varies so much the detail gets lost.

Yup – a proportion of disabled people are not ill, but there's a huge burden of chronic illness too.

If you expect your population to work later and later into their lives, don't understand that a significant proportion have disabling illnesses (including those who would not even have survived their disease just a few years ago), design a benefits system that actively penalises them for taking recovery breaks from work, and simply tell employers to accommodate their needs without any grasp of whether or not it's actually realistic...you're probably going to end up with an unexplained disability employment gap.