Written evidence from Jane Powell (DEG0137)

My name is Jane Powell. I am responding to your call for evidence through Scope, the disability equality charity. I want to share my experiences of the barriers I've faced getting into work and what can be improved to help disabled people in the future.

I've answered two questions below as part of your call for evidence.

What extra support would you benefit from to get into work?

I would like the Government to extend "Access to Work" to disabled volunteers, so that disabled people can make themselves "Work ready", whilst benefiting from governmt heip, this will greatly help disabled people on their journey back to work Jane Powell MSc in International Social Welfare and Social Policy.

Looking to the future, what does the Government need to improve on to help disabled people get into, stay and progress in work?

It needs to look at ways to PREVENT companies from enacting A Capability process at the slightest problem, that the employer & employee may face and enable the two sides to work together to find a solution. Jane Powell MSc in International Social Welfare and Social Policy.

The disability employment gap has been stuck close to 30 percent for over a decade, and the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic has seen disabled people falling out of work faster than non-disabled people. 

Scope wants the Government to deliver on its pledge to tackle the disability employment gap. The Government must use the opportunity of the forthcoming National Strategy for Disabled People to set out plans to close the gap.

I hope that the evidence I have provided, alongside research from Scope will prove useful to the committee.

December 2020