Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2026 to Question 12047 on Employment: Disability, what assessment he has made of the potential challenges faced by his Department to support people with disabilities into work and reduce the disability employment gap.

The barriers that disabled people and people with health conditions are unique and complex. Our programmes are informed by DWP and external research, making sure that our support is evidence based and targets the barriers that prevent disabled people and people with health conditions from getting work, and getting on in work.

Recent DWP research spoke to customers not currently in work, and who did not rule out work permanently, and they were asked the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with a series of statements about the barriers to finding work. The barriers often related to their health, confidence and skills, the employer/workplace, DWP and benefits, and personal circumstance. The full findings can be viewed in our report available at: Work aspirations and support needs of health and disability customers: Final findings report - GOV.UK.