Campaigners have published a withering 237-page attack on the government’s work, health and disability green paper, accusing ministers of creating a “smokescreen” to disguise their intention to cut support and force sick and disabled people into inappropriate work. The response from […]
Employment
G4S, Maximus and ‘A4E’ all set to win contracts under Work and Health Programme
Some of the country’s most controversial and discredited outsourcing companies are set to win contracts under the government’s new programme to find jobs for disabled people and other marginalised groups. The 11 organisations that have been successful in the bidding process […]
Self-employment can provide choice and control for disabled people, MPs hear
Three disabled entrepreneurs have told MPs that the government should make it easier for people with impairments to move into self-employment. Jane Cordell, Sara McKee and Robert Winstanley were giving evidence to an inquiry by the Commons work and pensions select […]
Fresh anger over Mind’s government links as Farmer heads new review
The appointment of Mind’s chief executive to head an employment review for the prime minister has raised fresh concerns among disabled activists about the mental health charity’s closeness to the government. Prime minister Theresa May announced this week that Paul Farmer […]
Disabled people face institutional disablism from employers, says damning report
Disabled people are facing “institutional disablism” at the hands of both public and private sector employers, according to a new parliamentary report that examines how the government can meet its pledge to halve the disability employment gap. The report by the […]
Mordaunt misleads MPs over Tory disability employment gap target
The minister for disabled people misled a Commons committee about the government’s pledge to halve the disability employment gap… less than two minutes after she began giving evidence. Penny Mordaunt (pictured) began speaking to the work and pensions select committee at […]
DWP admits most Disability Confident employers just skipped across from Two Ticks
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has admitted flooding its under-fire Disability Confident scheme with hundreds of employers from the hugely-discredited disability employment programme it is replacing. The revelation is yet another blow to the credibility of the newly-relaunched scheme. […]
It’s official: Ministers have abandoned their disability employment gap target
A Labour MP has proved that the government has abandoned a target it set to halve the disability employment gap by 2020. The promise, included in last year’s general election manifesto, said a Conservative government would “aim to halve the disability […]
Employers ‘reluctant’ to provide adjustments in zero hours culture
The growth of zero hours contracts is making it even harder for disabled workers to secure the reasonable adjustments they need to do their jobs, “valuable” new research suggests. Employers are displaying a “strong reluctance” to make reasonable adjustments for disabled […]
Disability Confident will be ‘trivially easy’ for employers to abuse, research suggests
The government’s scheme aimed at encouraging employers to take on disabled staff is “trivially easy to abuse” and allows organisations to describe themselves as “Disability Confident” even if they do not comply with anti-discrimination laws, new research suggests. Disability Confident was […]