Employment People with Disabilities 2020-01-23
2020-01-23
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
The Government is committed to reducing the disability employment gap and aims to see a million more disabled people in work by 2027. Programmes such as Access to Work and Disability Confident are being used.
Inclusion Scotland recommends increasing the Access to Work fund and lifting its cap, while Leonard Cheshire suggests cutting application waiting times to avoid jeopardising job offers. Will the Minister agree to put these proposals to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and meet me to further discuss concrete steps to reduce the disability employment gap?
The Access to Work programme is a demand-led scheme that helps disabled people with advice and a discretionary grant of up to £59,000 per annum. It is a flexible in-work support programme delivering reasonable adjustments, working with employers. I am sure that Ministers will be happy to hear from the hon. Lady.
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Assessment & feedback
The Minister did not explicitly agree to meet or put forward the specific proposals mentioned by Inclusion Scotland and Leonard Cheshire.
Response accuracy