Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Disabled People in Work

Monday 6 June 2022 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The number of disabled people in employment increased by 1.3 million between the first quarter of 2017 and the second quarter of 2022.
  • The Government supports disabled individuals through the Access to Work scheme, which offers financial assistance to cover extra costs for disabled workers.
  • The Disability Confident scheme aims to encourage employers to hire more people with disabilities.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Justin Tomlinson Con
Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question relates to the Conservative Party's manifesto commitment to increase the number of disabled people in work by 1 million between 2017 and 2027.

Question

What progress has been made on increasing the number of disabled people in employment by 1 million since 2017, as per the Conservative Party's manifesto commitment?

Answer from Chloe Smith

The latest figures released on 8 May show that between the first quarter of 2017 and the second quarter of this year, the number of disabled people in employment increased by 1.3 million, meaning that the goal has been exceeded after five years.

Answered
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Q2 Justin Tomlinson Con
Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

The MP acknowledges the progress in increasing employment for disabled individuals but asks about measures to support employers as their workforce changes due to disabilities or long-term health conditions.

Question

While the Government can be rightly proud of unlocking the potential of 1.3 million more disabled people, what additional steps are being taken to support employers with a changing workforce that includes more people with disabilities and long-term health conditions?

Answer from Chloe Smith

We are committed to supporting disabled individuals through Access to Work and Disability Confident schemes, with Access to Work offering financial assistance to cover extra costs for disabled workers. Additionally, the Disability Confident scheme aims to encourage employers to hire more people with disabilities.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about additional steps for employers was not fully addressed; only general support measures were mentioned without concrete new actions.

How: Committed To Supporting

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