Barnet (Parliament Politics Magazine) – New figures reveal fewer than half of disabled people in Barnet were employed last year, mirroring a nationwide trend that leaves nearly half out of work.
The government announced its aim last year to close the work gap between disabled and non-disabled people and reduce economic inactivity caused by illness in order to reach an 80% employment rate.
Only 47% of Barnet’s 38,802 working-age disabled residents were employed in the year ending in March, according to data released by the Department for Work and Pensions.
The disability employment gap, or the difference between the percentage of disabled and non-disabled individuals in a job, was 33 percentage points, while the employment rate for non-disabled people was 80%.
The previous year, 47% of disabled persons and 72% of non-disabled people were employed, representing a 25 percentage point difference.
In the UK, 82% of the 31.4 million persons without disabilities were employed in the year ending in March, compared to about 55% of the 10.2 million impaired people.
Although it indicates that the disability employment gap was 27 percentage points, which is about consistent with the previous year, it also indicates that the government is still far from its goal of closing this gap.
Mikey Erhardt, policy lead at Disability Rights UK, said:
“The latest DWP statistics highlight what we all know – that the inflexibility and top-down cultures of employers, their failure to comply with the Equality Act and their inability to create inclusive cultures for disabled employees is holding the economy back for us all.
These new statistics make clear how the department’s current approach of cutting support to push people into employment just doesn’t work.”
He went on to say that disabled persons who are “pushed into work by cuts” are likely to experience unfavorable and unstable working circumstances, which increases their likelihood of quitting their jobs and creating “a vicious and relenting cycle of sickness and poverty.”
People with disabilities are protected from discrimination in the workplace under the Equality Act of 2010, which mandates that businesses treat them fairly and provide reasonable accommodations so they are not at a disadvantage.
Mr. Erhardt had advocated for “real change” before to the Budget in order to
“empower disabled people into flexible, rewarding, well-paid jobs by making the law stronger, rather than asking employers nicely whilst handing them our hard-earned money.”
On Wednesday, the Chancellor declared that under the Pathways to Work Guarantee, disabled individuals seeking out-of-work benefits will have access to customized support and specialized work coaches.
Reacting to the DWP figures, James Taylor, executive director of strategy at disability equality charity Scope, said:
“It’s alarming that disabled people are bearing the brunt of the weakening job market.
It suggests disabled people are facing a double whammy of being hit hardest by job cuts and not getting the opportunities they should.
With unemployment rising and hiring sluggish, the government needs to invest in supporting disabled people to get into and stay in work.”
A DWP spokesperson said:
“We’re determined to get more people off welfare and into work. That’s why we are stepping up our plan to Get Britain Working with the most ambitious employment reforms in a generation.
This includes modernising jobcentres, providing tailored support through the Connect to Work programme and partnering with more than sixty major and many small employers to reshape how health issues and disabilities are managed in the workplace.”
What funding is available to employers to hire disabled workers in Barnet?
Barnet employers can pierce public UK government schemes to support hiring impaired workers, with original council programs enhancing delivery; no Barnet-specific subventions set up beyond partnerships.
Grant covers practical support (e.g., outfit acclimations, BSL practitioners, job coaching, internal health advice) up to £60,000/ time; employer reimburses costs post-implementation. Open to all sizes; apply via gov.uk.
Barnet Council- funded service (extended 3 times) provides free CV/ interview training, job matching, in- work support for impaired residents; helped 770 into jobs (2022/23). mates with employers for placements. Free employer delegation with coffers for adaptations; links to ATW and training subventions.
National backing (428m West London allocation) aids 100,000 impaired people via job support; Barnet employers access via original capitals. Contact Barnet’s BOOST platoon or DWP for acclimatized advice; schemes prioritize sustained employment.
