Response to Amber Rudd’s address

‘The Secretary of State’s address crucially recognises that we need to break down the barriers disabled people face to getting much-needed financial support, and we welcome the new tone being set. 

‘The government has taken a major step in acknowledging first that it must account for the extra costs disabled people face due to their disability, and second that it must work to restore confidence in the welfare system. Disabled people in recent years have all too often felt they were bearing the brunt of austerity measures.

‘To go further and close the disability employment gap as the government hopes, we must consider the high rate of disabled people falling out of work.

‘The vast majority of disabled people acquire their disabilities while they are in work, but our own research shows that over seven in ten disabled adults have had to leave work because of their conditions.

‘To counter these barriers the government should require employers with over 250 staff to publish how many disabled people they employ. This would take us closer to an employment landscape where disabled people can expect to be treated fairly at work as standard.’

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