Employment

Overall aim

Disabled people are able to enjoy their right to work on an equal basis with others, and the gap in employment rate between disabled and non-disabled people reduced.

Achievements from 2005 to 2009

• Employment rate of disabled people increased from 44.5% in 2005 to 48.4% in 2008. The gap compared to the overall employment rate has narrowed from 35.6% in 2005 to 31.2% in 2008.
• Pathways to Work (external link) available nationally from April 2008, providing tailored help for people receiving Employment and Support Allowance or an incapacity benefit because of a health condition or disability.
• Consultation on improving specialist disability employment services.
• 'Valuing Employment Now: Real Jobs for People with Learning Disabilities' (external link) launched in 2009, a cross-government strategy to help more people with moderate and severe learning disabilities to get into work.

Next steps on our strategy

• From 2010 existing incapacity benefit customers will be transferred to Employment Support Allowance (external link)so that, where appropriate, they can benefit from increased work-related support.
• Access to Work (external link) budget to be doubled by 2013-14, following a commitment in the White Paper published in December 2008. Access to Work gives disabled people and employers advice and support with additional employment costs resulting from an impairment or health condition - for example, help with the costs of travelling to work, adaptations to premises or special requirements.
• Work Choice (external link), the new specialist disability employment programme, launched in October 2010. Work Choice will provide more personalised and flexible support for disabled people with the highest support needs, helping them to move into and stay in employment.

• Article 27 - work and employment

• 6.1 (action to improve specialist employment services for disabled people).
• 6.2 (cross-government national strategy aimed at enabling people to remain in employment when they acquire an impairment or the condition worsens).
• 6.5 (investigation of impact of reforms to the benefit system, employment support programmes and charging policies within adult social care).
• 10.4 (public consultation on specialist disability employment programmes for disabled people who have complex barriers to entering and retaining employment).