Charity asks government to do more to help disabled people get jobs

The national Christian disability charity Livability has warned that unless more investment and new innovative employment schemes are developed, disabled people will continue to be excluded from the workplace.

As 34 Remploy factories are being closed and more than 1,500 disabled people are due to lose their jobs, the charity believes that a new strategy is needed to better support people with disabilities back into employment or self-employment. The charity runs its own Enterprise Agency that helps disabled and disadvantaged people start their own businesses and Livability wants to see similar innovative schemes put in place across the country.

Statistics already show that:

Only 7.5% of people with learning disability are in paid employment in England. 47% of disabled people are in employment compared to 74% of non-disabled people.

Mike Smith, Chief Executive of national disability charity Livability said: “We believe that more needs to be done to tackle long term employment issues with disabled people in general. The current Access to Work programme is not effective and not value for money as the outcomes are poor. We believe the government should be more innovative and look for viable options and alternatives for disabled people to get into work.

Livability’s self-employment programme is an example of how disabled people can be introduced into sustainable employment generating income for themselves, and the government through the payment of taxes and the removal of the need to pay benefits.

Government support for these effective programmes is currently woefully inadequate and JobCentre Plus should be tasked with an urgent review to explore other options for employment that are specifically targeted towards disabled people and their particular needs.’’

The Livability Enterprise Agency, launched in 2011, provides one-off workshops to
help people start thinking about self-employment as well as longer courses covering business planning, book-keeping and marketing. Clients are also able to receive advice on the benefits and other financial help they are entitled to while making the transition to self-employment. Once a client becomes self-employed, the service can also provide business mentoring for up to six months in order for the business to have the best possible start. The service works in partnership with job centres and local authorities to help disabled people access self-employment all over the UK.

Livability is also concerned that the current closure of the Remploy factories is being poorly thought through.

Mike Smith, Chief Executive of national disability charity Livability said: ‘’In the current economic climate and with high levels of unemployment, the Remploy factories closures are devastating for thousands of disabled people and their families. Although, we understand that in some instances it might be necessary to close expensive and loss making factories, we do not support the urgency with which this is being done. More time and support should be allowed to enable Remploy’s disabled workforce to find other employment.’’

Earlier this year, Minister for Disabled People Maria Miller has announced that 36 out of 54 Remploy factories are due to close. More than 1,500 disabled people will lose their jobs. Remploy factories were established 66 years ago and employ mainly disabled people. The government announced that those factories that were not financially viable would close.

The minister added that the government would instead invest into other schemes to help disabled people find work.

For more information visit: www.livability.org.uk