Asked by: Matt Hancock (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average processing time for employees to receive their reasonable adjustments after applying for an access to work grant has been over the last 12 months.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
Once a decision has been made and funding has been confirmed, Access to Work do not engage with the employer or customer as we cannot influence the implementation of reasonable adjustments.
Asked by: Matt Hancock (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people applied for an access to work grant in the last year; and what proportion of those applications are from people at the start of their employment.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The information requested about Access to Work applications is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
However, Access to Work statistics include how many applications result in provision being approved from 2007/08 to 2022/23. Please see Table 3 of the Access to Work statistics.
The latest Access to Work statistics can be found here:
Access to Work statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Matt Hancock (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department is taking steps to reduce the time taken for employees to receive their reasonable adjustments after applying for an access to work grant.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
As Access to Work do not engage with the employer once funding is in place, we do not measure this process.
Asked by: Matt Hancock (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government Equalities Office is taking steps to encourage (a) private companies and (b) the public sector to adopt neuro-inclusive practices in the workplace.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The Government is taking positive steps to promote the contribution of neurodivergent people in businesses, reduce the stigma they may face within the workplace, and encourage the adoption of neuro-inclusive practices.
We know that neurodivergent people bring many positive benefits to businesses, which should be recognised. On 2 April 2023, World Autism Acceptance Day, we announced the launch of a new review into autism and employment.
The 'Buckland Review', which is being led by the Rt Hon Member for South Swindon, is focused on supporting employers to recruit and retain autistic people, identifying barriers to this, and developing ways to overcome those barriers.
One area of focus in the review is understanding the working practices or initiatives that can reduce stigma for autistic employees and autistic jobseekers. Whilst the review’s primary focus is autism, many of the adjustments and initiatives that would benefit autistic people could also benefit neurodivergent people.
The review will present recommendations to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions later this year.
We are also supporting employers via Disability Confident to increase their understanding of how to recruit, retain, and support neurodivergent employees. Being Disability Confident helps employers to tap into the huge pool of talent amongst disabled and neurodivergent people, and recruit, retain, and develop people with the skills businesses need.
The scheme provides employers with the skills and knowledge to remove barriers that might be preventing disabled people, neurodivergent people, and those with long-term health conditions, from accessing employment and allows them opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations
Asked by: Matt Hancock (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to help reduce workplace stigma for people who are neurodivergent.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The Government is taking positive steps to promote the contribution of neurodivergent people in businesses, reduce the stigma they may face within the workplace, and encourage the adoption of neuro-inclusive practices.
We know that neurodivergent people bring many positive benefits to businesses, which should be recognised. On 2 April 2023, World Autism Acceptance Day, we announced the launch of a new review into autism and employment.
The 'Buckland Review', which is being led by the Rt Hon Member for South Swindon, is focused on supporting employers to recruit and retain autistic people, identifying barriers to this, and developing ways to overcome those barriers.
One area of focus in the review is understanding the working practices or initiatives that can reduce stigma for autistic employees and autistic jobseekers. Whilst the review’s primary focus is autism, many of the adjustments and initiatives that would benefit autistic people could also benefit neurodivergent people.
The review will present recommendations to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions later this year.
We are also supporting employers via Disability Confident to increase their understanding of how to recruit, retain, and support neurodivergent employees. Being Disability Confident helps employers to tap into the huge pool of talent amongst disabled and neurodivergent people, and recruit, retain, and develop people with the skills businesses need.
The scheme provides employers with the skills and knowledge to remove barriers that might be preventing disabled people, neurodivergent people, and those with long-term health conditions, from accessing employment and allows them opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations
Asked by: Matt Hancock (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to help promote the contribution of neurodivergent people to businesses.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The Government is taking positive steps to promote the contribution of neurodivergent people in businesses, reduce the stigma they may face within the workplace, and encourage the adoption of neuro-inclusive practices.
We know that neurodivergent people bring many positive benefits to businesses, which should be recognised. On 2 April 2023, World Autism Acceptance Day, we announced the launch of a new review into autism and employment.
The 'Buckland Review', which is being led by the Rt Hon Member for South Swindon, is focused on supporting employers to recruit and retain autistic people, identifying barriers to this, and developing ways to overcome those barriers.
One area of focus in the review is understanding the working practices or initiatives that can reduce stigma for autistic employees and autistic jobseekers. Whilst the review’s primary focus is autism, many of the adjustments and initiatives that would benefit autistic people could also benefit neurodivergent people.
The review will present recommendations to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions later this year.
We are also supporting employers via Disability Confident to increase their understanding of how to recruit, retain, and support neurodivergent employees. Being Disability Confident helps employers to tap into the huge pool of talent amongst disabled and neurodivergent people, and recruit, retain, and develop people with the skills businesses need.
The scheme provides employers with the skills and knowledge to remove barriers that might be preventing disabled people, neurodivergent people, and those with long-term health conditions, from accessing employment and allows them opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations
Asked by: Matt Hancock (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will make an assessment of the (a) potential return on investment in terms of employment prospects for deaf people who receive auditory verbal therapy as children, (b) long-term employment outcomes for deaf children who have taken part in that therapy and (c) potential return on investment in terms of employment prospects of embedding 300 trained practitioners in that therapy, as recommended by Auditory Verbal UK.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
DWP doesn’t deliver or fund this intervention and does not plan to make an assessment of the auditory verbal therapy impacts, and future employment outcomes.
However, we do have a programme of evaluations for DWP led and funded interventions and also review evidence produced externally to learn what works.