People with disabilities need more help to stay in work, says Citizens Advice

PEOPLE who are disabled or have health conditions need more help to stay in work or find a job because they face a huge “employability gap”, says a report.

Research by Citizens Advice found that the disabled and people suffering a health problem were more than twice as likely to leave work than others.

They were also three times less likely to move into employment, said the charity, adding that of the 3.5 million jobless people who are disabled or have a health condition, 1.4 million want a job.

The Government was urged offer better support, while employers were called on to understand the needs of people living with conditions such as arthritis or depression.

One in four people aged 50-64 are disabled or have a health condition, while half a million in this group are unemployed but want a job.

Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: “Closing the health and disability employment gap will take work from both employers and Government.

“Disabled people and those with a health condition face a range of obstacles which need to be recognised and addressed to help them get and keep a job.

“Simple things like being flexible about medical appointments or adaptable working hours can make a huge difference.”

As the population ages and more people stay in work longer, Citizens Advice says it is more important than ever that employers and the Government do more to help them address the challenges.

Anna Bird, of disability charity Scope, said: “We know disabled people are pushing hard to find jobs, but they continue to face huge barriers to finding, staying and progressing in work.

“The Government has made a welcome pledge to halve the disability employment gap by 2020. But the latest figures show this gap between the employment rate of disabled people and the rest of the population is widening.

“As this report has shown, the overwhelming message from disabled people is that having flexibility makes all the difference. Our research shows 40% of all employed disabled people say flexible or part-time working has enabled them to stay in work.”

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said: “Getting more disabled people into work and halving the disability employment gap are top priorities. Around 365,000 more disabled people are in work compared to 2014, which is great news but there is more to do.

“That’s why we’re increasing support in job centres, investing more in adapting workplaces for people with specific needs while our Work and Health Green Paper will be looking at how we can go even further.”

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