Stats show little change in disability employment gap

Sun,3 July 2016
News Education

A new House of Commons library report summarises the key statistics available on disabled people in employment in the UK.

View report

The 2015 Conservative Party manifesto included a commitment to “aim to halve the disability employment gap” by transforming “policy, practice and public attitudes, so that hundreds of thousands more disabled people who can and want to be in work find employment.”

In the first quarter of 2016, 46.9% of disabled people aged 16-64 were in employment; this was a gap of 33.1 percentage points compared to people without a disability. This gap has changed little from the figures for the previous year.

Currently, people with disabilities in Great Britain may receive back-to-work support through the

In his 2015 Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced that the Government would be introducing a new single Work and Health Programme to replace both the Work Programme and Work Choice.

The new programme will combine support for long-term unemployed claimants and those with health conditions or disabilities.

A Green Paper on employment support for disabled people, including the new programme, is expected to be published later this year.