to Work is a labour market intervention and must be expanded ‘Access – and improved to serve the needs of business and employees’ (Susan Scott Parker, CEO, Business Disability Forum) Access to Work is a successful government programme that can make the difference between working and not working. It is the only government disability employment programme that is proven to be effective. But it serves only 35,000 people a year compared to 3.3 million disabled people of working age. to Work currently supports only a minority of disabled people ‘…Access who might benefit from the and Pensions Select programme’ (Work Committee 2014). Government accepted in full recommendations from Liz Sayce’s review in 2011 and in 2013, designed to double the Mike Adams’ expert panel numbers supported and personalise the service. This has not happened. are disappointed that some of our specific recommendations that ‘We we believe would have helped double the numbers of disabled people helped have not happened, despite being accepted by government; and we are concerned that no political party has yet committed to doubling the numbers in the and Liz Sayce) next parliament’ (Mike Adams Meanwhile money has gone into ineffective programmes, like the Work Programme. Latest figures show almost 90% of Employment and Support Allowance claimants (mainly disabled people) on the Work programme have not moved into employment. Problems with Access to Work actually stop people working. The problems include: Letting Access to Work remain a to ‘best kept secret’, particularly people working in small businesses, where employers and
‘Access to Work is a labour market intervention – and must be expanded and improved to serve the needs of business and employees’ (Susan Scott Parker, CEO, Business Disability Forum) Access to Work is a successful government programme that can make the difference between working and not working. It is the only government disability employment programme that is proven to be effective. But it serves only 35,000 people a year compared to 3.3 million disabled people of working age. ‘…Access to Work currently supports only a minority of disabled people who might benefit from the programme’ (Work and Pensions Select Committee 2014). Government accepted in full recommendations from Liz Sayce’s review in 2011 and Mike Adams’ expert panel in 2013, designed to double the numbers supported and personalise the service. This has not happened. ‘We are disappointed that some of our specific recommendations that we believe would have helped double the numbers of disabled people helped have not happened, despite being accepted by government; and we are concerned that no political party has yet committed to doubling the numbers in the next parliament’ (Mike Adams and Liz Sayce) Meanwhile money has gone into ineffective programmes, like the Work Programme. Latest figures show almost 90% of Employment and Support Allowance claimants (mainly disabled people) on the Work programme have not moved into employment. Problems with Access to Work actually stop people working. The problems include: Letting Access to Work remain a ‘best kept secret’, particularly to people working in small businesses, where employers and
Access%20to%20Long-term%20Unemployment%20-%20or%20Access%20to%20Work.docx