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Neurodiverse people on benefits to be helped into work in bid to cut welfare bill

Minister Stephen Timms cites ‘negative experiences of interviews and prejudicial opinions’ putting neurodiverse people off work

Neurodiverse people on benefits will be helped into work in a bid to cut the welfare bill, a minister has said.

The Government is launching a new panel to advise ministers on how to get neurodiverse people into employment to improve their career prospects and ensure a “fairer” welfare system.

The announcement comes ahead of the Government’s long-awaited welfare reforms which will aim to push those on incapacity benefits – due to sickness or health conditions – into work.

The minister for social security and disability told The i Paper that just one in three people with neurodiversity conditions are in work.

Sir Stephen Timms cited a reluctance among employers to introduce adjustments as a reason behind the low employment rate. He said that addressing this and helping more people into work will be central to the reforms of disability benefits, expected in March.

Writing in The i Paper, Timms said: “Negative experiences of interviews, prejudicial opinions and a reluctance to introduce adjustments are just some of the barriers facing prospective neurodiverse employees.”

Changing this could lead to “huge gains”, he added. “More people into work – people who’ve genuinely been left behind, denied the opportunity and the help they need to move into a job – more money in people’s pockets, our businesses and our economy growing, and a welfare system that’s fairer on the taxpayer.

“As this panel begins its crucial work, we will use their findings to bolster the employment prospects for thousands of eager neurodiverse jobseekers waiting for someone to take a chance on them.

“And all of this will be central to reforming health and disability benefits this spring – reforms that will genuinely be shaped by disabled people as we build a system that helps people into work and gives support to those who need it.”

‘Disabled people have been ignored and their talents are going to waste – we will fix it’

Our country and our businesses are brimming with talent.  But with less than one in three people with neurodiversity conditions in work, it’s clear their talent is going to waste. 

But for too long, disabled people have had their views, and their voices, ignored – conversations had and decisions taken about their lives with little input into policies that affect them and their families.

We made a clear pledge in our Get Britain Working White Paper to put the voices of disabled people at the heart of what we do, and to support those who can work into work – a key part of the Plan for Change that will boost living standards and grow the economy.

As part of those efforts we’re engaging with disability groups on reforms to the benefit system, so it genuinely provides the support they need to get into work, while delivering fairness to the taxpayer.

On top of this, the Keep Britain Working Review – led by Sir Charlie Mayfield – is looking at how employers can better recruit and retain disabled people, while ministerial leads for disability are now in every Government department.

And today we’re doing even more by announcing the first ever panel on neurodiversity employment to help us address the worrying employment gap.

Negative experiences of interviews, prejudicial opinions and a reluctance to introduce adjustments are just some of the barriers facing prospective neurodiverse employees.

Headed up by Professor Amanda Kirby, the panel will use their academic expertise and personal experiences to look at how businesses and employers can foster a better workplace, unlock the talents of neurodiverse employees, and grow their businesses.

It will examine and explore the unique employment barriers affecting the neurodiversity community and how these can be tackled, unlocking potential and unleashing growth in every corner of the country.

There are huge gains to be had. More people into work – people who’ve genuinely been left behind, denied the opportunity and the help they need to move into a job – more money in people’s pockets, our businesses and our economy growing, and a welfare system that’s fairer on the taxpayer.

As this panel begins its crucial work, we will use their findings to bolster the employment prospects for thousands of eager neurodiverse jobseekers waiting for someone to take a chance on them. And all of this will be central to reforming health and disability benefits this spring – reforms that will genuinely be shaped by disabled people as we build a system that helps people into work and gives support to those who need it.

Sir Stephen Timms,
Minister for Social Security and Disability

Neurodiversity covers a range of conditions such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Down syndrome and Tourette’s.

According to the Government, the employment rate for disabled people with autism stands at 31 per cent compared with 54.7 per cent for all disabled people.

The panel – led Professor Amanda Kirby and comprised of leading academics in the neurodiversity field – will focus on what actions employers can take to foster a more inclusive workplace, and what the Government can introduce to make it easier for people to access work.

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has committed to retaining the billions of pounds in welfare cuts outlined under the former administration.

In spring, she will begin to set out how savings can be made with the reforms to sickness and disability benefits, with a pledge to ensure all disabled people are able to work.

On Wednesday, ministers hinted that some people on sickness and disability benefits will lose their current exemptions from looking for work under the plans.

The Government said it would bring forward earlier intervention to stop people leaving employment.

Employment minister Alison McGovern said the former Conservative government had changed universal credit for those categorised as having “limited capacity for work” due to a health condition, by removing any expectation on them to look for employment.

McGovern argued this had removed conditionality for those on welfare for a health reason, at the same time as those considered healthy faced lower incomes and more sanctions.

Kendall has also announced plans for better support for businesses using Jobcentres to fill vacancies.

Employers who want to use Jobcentres to fill vacancies will be offered an account manager with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to provide recruitment support.

The DWP has also committed to summits with businesses in the next three months, across sectors it believes to be important to growth, such as construction and social care.

These sectors will also see a boost in the number of training programmes available at Jobcentres.

“Our job is to serve employers so that we can get more people off benefits into work; that’s better for them, it helps the economy grow and it’s better for the taxpayer too,” Kendall said.

Earlier this month, the Keep Britain Working Review, headed by former John Lewis boss Sir Charlie Mayfield, was officially launched. It will examine how businesses and government can work together to get the disabled and long-term sick into jobs.



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