Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that providers of his Department's services (a) better understand the demands of the local labour market and (b) reach out to employers to encourage them to consider disabled applicants.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The Department has teams of performance managers who work with providers to ensure they keep to their contracted obligations, which include an understanding of the demands of their local labour market and consideration of disabled applicants.
There are specific programmes which support disabled people with entering or retaining work, and through which providers can work with local employers. These include Work Programme, Work Choice, and Specialist Employability Support.
Additionally, Disability Confident was launched in July 2013. Disability Confident supports this Government’s commitment to halve the employment gap between disabled and non-disabled people by focusing on the role of employers, who have a crucial role to play in ensuring disabled people are recruited, retained and developed in their careers. When employers sign up as Disability Confident, they are asked to make specific meaningful offers of opportunities for disabled people such as jobs, apprenticeships, internships, and work experience opportunities. So far, over 1900 businesses have signed up to the new Disability Confident scheme, with this number growing daily.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (a) the Access to Work scheme and (b) its administration.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Access to Work continues to support over 36,000 people per year take up or retain employment. Last year the scheme helped people with mental health conditions, learning disabilities and young people in larger numbers than ever before.
On 2 September 2016 we launched the Access to Work Digital Service in response to customer feedback requesting a more convenient, accessible and quicker process. This transformation will also enable staff to administer the scheme more efficiently as we look to increase the number of disabled people who could be helped into or remain in work as part of the Government’s ambition to halve the disability employment gap.
The Spending Review announcement confirmed we’re increasing the capacity of Access to Work through a real term increase in spending starting in 16/17. Funding will reflect the numbers of applicants and their needs, and recognises expected increases in demand of around 25,000 extra customers by the end of the Parliament.
To support this we have been working with jobcentres, businesses and local organisations to promote the Access to Work Scheme. We have also promoted Access to Work as part of the Disability Confident Campaign and are currently looking at further marketing and promotion of the Access to Work programme.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will (a) commission research to estimate the number of people from other EU member states who receive (i) in-work and (ii) out of work benefits in the UK; and if he will publish that information before 23 June 2016.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
There are no current plans to conduct the analyses listed.