Written evidence from Autistica DYE0015

About us

Autistica is the UK’s leading autism research and campaigning charity. Our mission is to create breakthroughs that enable all autistic people to live happier, healthier, longer lives. We do this by funding research, shaping policy and working with autistic people to make more of a difference.

In 2021, we launched our six ambitious and visionary 2030 Goals, which includes doubling the employment rate for autistic people. To that end, we recently provided support for Sir Robert Buckland KC MP’s Review of Autism Employment, published last month.[i]

The autism employment gap

According to Government statistics, just 3 in 10 autistic people are in any kind of employment; the lowest employment rate of all disability groups.[ii] Contrary to popular stereotypes around autism, these barriers are present even for those who reach the highest levels of education; autistic graduates face the highest rate of unemployment and the lowest rate of full-time employment of all disability groups.[iii]

Under-employment of autistic people is also a significant problem. The most recent available data on disability pay gaps shows autistic employees are paid a third less on average than non-disabled employees; the highest pay gap of all disability groups.[iv] This narrows significantly when controlling for type of occupation, suggesting that a key driver of the autism pay gap is a failure to include autistic people in more senior and prestigious roles. At graduate level, autistic people are three times as likely to be in voluntary or unpaid work after university compared to disabled graduates as a whole, and one third of those in employment are in a role for which they are overqualified.iii

The inclusion of autism in the Labour Force Survey and Annual Population Survey data collection since 2020, with data first published in 2021, is a hugely important step in highlighting the scale of the problem and in benchmarking progress. It is hoped that this will continue when the Labour Force Survey re-launches later this year. We are pleased to note that since reporting began, the autism employment rate has risen from 21.7% in 2020[v] to 30% in the latest available data. However, it is unclear to what extent this is due to greater awareness, improved identification of autism in adults and greater willingness of autistic employees to disclose their status rather than a “true” increase in employment.

Barriers to employment

The autism employment gap should be seen in the context of wider stark inequalities facing autistic people. Getting a diagnosis is very difficult, with over 172,000 people waiting for an assessment as of December 2023[vi] and years-long waiting lists considered the norm, and there is frequently little to no support available beyond diagnosis.[vii],[viii] Autistic people experience worse overall health than the general population[ix] and 8 in 10 autistic people experience mental health difficulties,[x] with knock-on effects for finding and maintaining sustainable employment. The sensory and communication needs of autistic people are rarely considered in the design of public spaces, rendering them inaccessible not only to potential customers and service users who are autistic, but also to potential employees.

Many aspects of the traditional recruitment process disadvantage autistic people. For example, job advertisements frequently include generic attributes such as “team player” which are not always relevant to the role but may deter autistic candidates. Interviews are often more of a test of adherence to social norms and verbal communication under pressure than the competencies required for the role.[xi] Once in the workplace, autistic people often face stigma and bullying, inaccessible work environments, and resistance to making reasonable adjustments.[xii]

These barriers to meaningful employment further contribute to a situation where autistic people are more than twice as likely to lack the necessary income to meet their basic needs[xiii] and around half of autistic adults do not live independently.[xiv] This, in turn, contributes to social isolation and poor mental health, creating a vicious circle which pushes employment even further out of reach.

Employers who contributed to the Buckland Reviewi frequently cited lack of confidence and knowledge around autism as a barrier to supporting autistic employees. Deeply entrenched social norms and attitudes around professionalism and “how it’s always been done” are also difficult to shift on an organisational level.

Current policy

Participants in the Buckland Review had mixed views on existing Government initiatives to support disabled people into work. While Disability Confident was seen as a positive first step, many autistic people and employers felt it did not translate into practical changes, in some cases being used as a “tick-box” by employers who had gone on to treat them poorly. Indeed, a 2022 Government survey of participating employers found that over a third had not recruited any disabled people since joining the scheme.[xv] The Review recommends increasing the rigour of assessment and developmental work needed to achieve higher Disability Confident levels; it is hoped that this will be reflected in the ongoing review of the scheme.

Access to Work was generally viewed more positively by autistic people and employers who had used the scheme. Nevertheless, respondents highlighted poor overall awareness of Access to Work support, and difficulties making initial applications. The Health and Disability White Paper commits to providing enhanced Access to Work packages for those with higher support needs, as well as access to mental health support through the scheme; both of these commitments may be of particular benefit to autistic people. However, it should be noted that common approaches to mental health support, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, may need to be adapted in order to be effective for autistic people.[xvi]

Various other elements of the Health and Disability White Paper are to be welcomed. In particular, the right to request flexible working from day one of employment, due to come into force next month, will increase opportunities for autistic people who find traditional work hours and locations difficult. It is hoped that the proposed Jobcentre Design Guide will include consideration of the access needs of autistic people, especially following the pilot of the National Autistic Society’s Autism Accreditation framework in Jobcentres.[xvii]

However, these positive steps risk being undermined by more punitive measures removing financial support for autistic people who are, through no fault of their own, still largely shut out of the workplace. For example, the Health and Disability White Paper proposed tightening of the Work Capability Assessment descriptors that particularly affect autistic people, such as social engagement, although we note the proposed changes following last year’s consultation are more limited.[xviii] There are longstanding issues of mismatch between assessment descriptors and functional roles within the UK labour market,[xix] in addition to an often complex application process which may be inaccessible for some autistic people.

The rise of remote and hybrid work has broken down barriers for some autistic people in finding sustainable work, and it is hoped that this continues. However, working remotely is not a suitable solution for all autistic people. For some, particularly those with learning disabilities, working remotely or using digital platforms may create additional barriers. Others may not have suitable equipment or space to work from home, and in practice most remote jobs still at least occasional travel. Furthermore, not all jobs can feasibly be carried out remotely, and relying on this as a sole solution to inaccessibility in the workplace risks shutting autistic people out of large swathes of potential employment, including many entry-level jobs. It is therefore concerning to see this used as a basis for proposals to reduce or remove elements of disability-related benefits.

There are similar concerns around stricter benefit sanctions announced in the Back to Work Plan,[xx] which may punish autistic claimants for being unable to engage with inaccessible placements suggested by work coaches with a poor understanding of autism. Such measures, and the rhetoric that often surrounds them, feeds into wider negative attitudes around disabled people (including autistic people) as “faking” or not trying hard enough to “overcome” their disability. Furthermore, the common framing of these measures as “supporting disabled people into work” has built lasting mistrust amongst the community, with knock-on effects for the uptake of support-focused initiatives such as Access to Work.

Our recommendations for Government

We strongly welcome the Buckland Review’s 19 recommendations for Government to close the autism employment gap. In particular, the Government has an opportunity to lead the way in working with larger organisations to develop and evaluate processes for recruiting and supporting autistic employees. Participants also told us that autistic employees of small and medium-sized enterprises may be particularly isolated, and the recommendation for Government backing of cross-industry autism employment support groups may alleviate this. The Department for Work and Pensions is in the process of setting up a Task Group to make these recommendations a reality, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate on this initiative.

We were grateful to hear from schools, colleges and careers advisory services regarding the barriers to preparing autistic young people for work, and welcome the Buckland Review’s recommendation to ensure careers advisors have a strong understanding of autism. We also welcome the Department for Work and Pensions’ ongoing pilot of entry routes to supported internships for those without an Education, Health and Care Plan. It is crucial that thorough evaluation is built into such pilots in order to build the evidence base for designing future initiatives.

Another area of employment support where the Department for Work and Pensions has more direct control is the provision of work coaches. We would recommend the development of an evidence-based specialised curriculum on neurodiversity for work coaches, and would be delighted to partner with the Department on such an initiative.

Although self-employment was not the initial focus of the Buckland Review, it was soon highlighted by autistic participants as a valuable route into employment for many who find themselves excluded from more traditional routes. We welcome the Review’s recommendation that the Government identifies and promotes sources of information and support on becoming self-employed or establishing a social enterprise. Again, it is important that existing Access to Work provision is easily accessible for this group. Nevertheless, self-employment will not necessarily be suitable for or of interest to every single autistic person, and should not be seen as the sole solution to access barriers in other forms of employment.

Our recommendations for employers

Small changes made by employers could also make a substantial difference. Tailoring job adverts to the competencies required for the role, providing interview questions in advance, and exploring alternatives to the traditional interview could break down barriers for autistic candidates. Designating a quiet space and providing or allowing the use of sensory tools could make work more sustainable for many autistic employees. A key theme throughout the Buckland Review was “inclusion by design”; rather than relying on individual autistic employees to come forward at huge personal risk to receive individual adjustments, many of these changes could be made universally and benefit a much wider range of people.

Last month, Autistica launched the Neurodiversity Employers Index (NDEI®), a gold-standard evidence-based framework for attracting and retaining neurodivergent talent.[xxi] We would strongly encourage employers of all sizes and sectors to sign up to the NDEI® to receive a confidential scored report, a personalised roadmap for change and the opportunity to earn NDEI® awards to highlight neuroinclusion. More information is available on the Autistica website: autistica.org.uk/get-involved/employers/ndei/.