Access to Work Scheme 2020-11-30
2020-11-30
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The question arises from concerns over the limited awareness and utilisation of Access to Work among employers.
What steps are being taken to increase the promotion of the Access to Work scheme to employers? According to recent research, 42% of employers feel discouraged from hiring people with a disability because they lack confidence in supporting their needs during the pandemic. Will the Government consider fast-tracking Access to Work applications for disabled individuals through the kickstart scheme as recommended by Leonard Cheshire?
I thank the hon. Member for that question. I know I am meeting the hon. Member on 14 December to discuss this in more detail. I am also meeting the new chief executive of Leonard Cheshire, so I will discuss that report in detail. We are proud to have delivered record disability employment last year with 43,000 people benefiting from Access to Work, an increase of 20%. Through schemes like Access to Work and Disability Confident, we engage employers to support a diverse workforce.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific request to fast-track applications for disabled individuals was not directly addressed.
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
▸
Context
The question arises from concerns over the limited awareness and utilisation of Access to Work among employers.
What steps are being taken to increase the promotion of the Access to Work scheme to employers? According to recent research, 42% of employers feel discouraged from hiring people with a disability because they lack confidence in supporting their needs during the pandemic. Will the Government consider fast-tracking Access to Work applications for disabled individuals through the kickstart scheme as recommended by Leonard Cheshire?
We are committed to ensuring that people with disabilities and long-term health conditions get the vital support that Access to Work provides. That includes working with more than 19,000 Disability Confident employers to enable them to promote access to work through their networks.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific request to fast-track applications for disabled individuals was not directly addressed.
Response accuracy