Why efforts to get more disabled people into work are flawed

Recently the government has put forward various proposals for how it plans to get more disabled people into work. A key part of this is the ‘Keep Britain Working Review’, which focuses on the role that employers can play. However, efforts on this topic are disjointed and uncoordinated. This became clear when the ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working’ green paper was published, introducing reductions to millions of disabled people’s benefits without meaningful consultation.

The cuts agenda will conflict with, rather than support, the employment agenda.

The value and limitations of Keep Britain Working

In 2024, 2,298 people came to us for help about mental health discrimination at work. And 3,617 came to us for advice about disability discrimination (excluding mental health) in the workplace. Many of those we help, like Aran, face employers who don’t provide the necessary adaptations or support to make their workplace accessible.

Aran* experiences seizures as a result of his epilepsy and cerebral palsy. He has worked at a sixth form college for 10 years, and in 2023 took on a new role. The college said they would make reasonable adjustments so that Aran could carry out this new role. These included an SOS bracelet, an assessment for a desk, text to speak software and a chair with arms. But his employer never provided these adjustments. What’s more, his workload became very stressful after 2 colleagues left and his employer didn’t replace them. The pressure caused him to have more frequent seizures, and occupational health had to sign him off as sick.

Employers need to do more to make workplaces accessible and supportive for disabled people. The Keep Britain Working Review plans to change this. This review will focus on 3 key areas. First, how to incentivise employers and employees to retain disabled workers and prevent ill-health at work. Second, how to provide more timely support and treatment to workers when they become unwell. And third, how employers can better engage with and support workers when they are off sick.

The aims of this review are important, and if it succeeds many workplaces will become more hospitable to disabled people. However, a key part of helping disabled people to access work also lies with the social security system, addressing the wider day-to-day costs of being disabled. Yet the proposals in the green paper suggest stripping away this support for many.

The importance of Personal Independence Payment

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) helps make work more accessible for many disabled people. For example, it can cover adapted transport or travel costs for those unable to use public transport. This can make commuting easier. Nearly 1 in 4 (23%) people who came to us for help with PIP in 2024 were in work.

The Keep Britain Working review says it will complement the government’s plans to reform the benefits system to help more people stay in work. However, it’s hard to see how this review aligns with green paper reforms to cut financial support for disabled workers. Limiting PIP to those scoring at least 4 points in one activity would remove benefits from 800,000 people. Many disabled people would therefore lose the vital financial help they need to access and stay in work.

The future of Access to Work

Access to Work is an existing scheme that helps employers make workplaces more accessible for disabled people. It provides grants that pay for practical adjustments and accommodations including assistive software, work-related support staff, and specialist furniture. For many, it is the difference between being able to work or not.

However, it’s a small scheme that’s struggling to meet the level of demand. The number of people we helped with Access to Work in 2024 was more than double what it was in 2019, with clients commonly facing delays to getting this support. The green paper does not propose providing the necessary resources to address this. Instead, it suggests shifting more responsibility onto employers to make workplaces accessible. Yet as the Keep Britain Working review makes clear, many employers have a lot to do before their workplaces are accessible for disabled people. Keep Britain Working is a promising agenda, but it should not be used as a reason to withdraw state support for helping disabled people access work. Our concern is that the proposed reforms to Access to Work risk fewer disabled people getting the adjustments they need.

Incoherent efforts

Many disabled people are already in a very precarious financial position. 24% of the people who came to us for help about PIP in 2024 also needed help relating to charitable support and food banks. Proposed green paper reforms would further remove financial support from many disabled people. This would increase the number who face financial barriers to engaging with work — we often advise people who are too stressed about money to focus on returning to employment. Such steps could worsen the cycle of money worries and poor health, pushing people further from the labour market.

To address the barriers disabled people face to work, efforts need to be better aligned so they don’t undermine each other. Pairing steps to support disabled people into the workplace, while cutting the financial support that enables many to access employment, will limit the likelihood of getting more disabled people into work. A more coherent and coordinated approach is needed.