4 Takeaway Wins For Disability Employment

Disabled people and those of us working in disability employment support have nervously awaited the Labour government’s Green Paper, “Pathways to Work”, on reforming disability employment support. Public costs have spiralled since the pandemic, which is limiting our ability as a country to invest in public services, which in turn create more ill health and limits to working capacity. It has been a vicious cycle. The narratives around the news have been cautious at best and fearful at worst – British employees have had a hard decade with low wage growth and falling healthcare standard – we can’t take another hit. So, charting a path between these seemingly opposing considerations is tough and we’ve yet to see the impact of changes to assessments and thresholds. The disability community has been blamed and under attack for a long time now, we are weary. So focusing specifically on access to employment, I’ve outlined four takeaway wins which I think the we can get behind.

One: The Right To Try

The right to try means that people claiming disability benefits can hold on to their place in the system whilst trying a new job. If the job does not pan out, they do not have to start again at the beginning of the queue, with potentially months of form filling, assessments and, crucially, no income while they wait. This is good motivational psychology. Removing the existential threat to shelter and food of trying different employment paths will be absolutely transformational for many disabled people.

Two: More Onus On Employers

The Green Paper sets out guidelines for a consultation on Access to Work, which has heretofore been exclusively for employees. Yet, many of the changes that make workplaces accessible are structural. The reactive approach of one person at a time, and only when there is a problem, ignores the data we have accumulated on human centred environmental design, or general changes to the way work is structured. Support for small and medium sized businesses on making these changes could really make a dent for the long term. At last we are talking about inclusive design and we have data and evidence on how to make it work, in both the built environment and organisational policy. Government backing on implementation is welcome.

Three: Access To Work Reform

Access to Work reform in general could be a positive. Anyone worried about these changes should consider contributing to the consultation, because there is so much to play for. Access to Work has been a wild west of delivery, with no due diligence on standards or impact. Access to Work provision should be connected to employment outcomes, with some standards, reassurance and guarantees of quality. Just last month I outlined the cost/benefit ratio of Access to Work for neurodivergent people and how this could be made more efficient through investment and well thought through reform. Access to Work is a lifeline for many, we need to protect our investment here by reducing bureaucracy and focusing on results.

Four: One Billion Allocated For Disability Employability Support

This is significant investment in support for people who are long term unemployed and excluded from the labor market, more than the initial investment in New Deal for Disabled People from the last Labour government. This amount stands a good chance of meeting the moment, given the scale of the problem we face. Employability Support Coaching has a proven track record – it is possible for this to be incredibly effective if done well.

Ambition For Disabled People?

Overall, the anticipated savings of £5 Billion by 2029 are less than 10% of the anticipated bill by 2029, which is expected to be more than £75 Billion by then (running at about £50 Billion now, so growing rapidly. Optimistically, one could imagine these savings alone from improved health provision reducing chronic health issues, the Right to Try and workplaces improving accessibility. Can we balance these wins to remove the need for cuts for those who cannot work? This should be a focus for those submitting evidence for consultation. Many charities have spoken out about harmful changes to PIP assessments aimed at supporting independent living, for example.

Now there are a lot of caveats in this paper, the potential for both improvement and harm. That said, nearly three million people unable to work due to disability is shocking. This is marginalization and, in many cases, unnecessary. A core motivation here seems to be participation and ambition for disabled peoples’ careers. On balance, research indicates that good work, where possible, is beneficial to health, wellbeing and social identity.

We know things need to change. The Green Paper hints at some possible levers to switch us from the vicious cycle to the virtuous circle. These four takeaways show that there is a lot to play for and the opportunity to make some real, long term change to workplace accessibility, specifically. Accessibility is good for individual careers, talent management and it is essential for the UK’s national outlook.