The Work and Pensions Select Committee held the second of four Access to Work oral evidence sessions for its inquiry into employment support for disabled people
Purpose of the session
The session considered:
- DWP’s administration of the Access to Work programme and the level of customer service provided to users of the scheme by DWP
- The types of practical support offered—and not offered—through Access to Work and the transparency and consistency of the decision-making process
- The impacts—particularly on deaf British Sign Language users—of the "30 rule hour" for support workers, and alternative options for reducing the costs of support, and
- The particular needs of people with more "hidden" disabilities, such as mental health conditions, learning disabilities and developmental impairments, and how well Access to Work currently supports those needs.
Witnesses
Wednesday 3 September 2014, Wilson Room, Portcullis House
At 9.30am
- Andy Rickell, Chief Executive Officer, Action on Disability and Work UK
- Fazilet Hadi, Group Director, RNIB
- Marije Davidson, Equality and Diversity Advisor, York St. John University
From 10.30am
- Nicola Oliver, IPS Project Coordinator, Centre for Mental Health
- Ciara Lawrence, Campaigns Assistant and Ailis Hardy, Staff Development Coordinator, Mencap
- Rachel Brown, Administrative Assistant, Notting Hill Housing, and Susan Askew, Workplace Support Consultant, National Autistic Society
Further evidence sessions
The Committee plans to hold two further evidence sessions for this inquiry; these are provisionally scheduled as follows
- Wednesday 15 October at 9.30am, venue at the House of Commons TBC
- Wednesday 29 October at 9.30am, venue at the House of Commons TBC
To view the session go to http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=15918
To find out more go to http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/work-and-pensions-committee/news/access-to-work-second-evidence/
You can also view written evidence submitted by Jonathan Ko, who has both hearing loss and visual impairment.
