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 recent conversations he has had with (a) other government departments and (b) third party bodies to support efforts to champion people with disabilities into work.

This government is committed to working collaboratively to support disabled people and people with health conditions. We are championing the rights of disabled people and working with them so that their views and voices are at the heart of everything we do. Every government department has a Lead Minister for Disability and alongside their ministerial portfolio, they have a specific responsibility to work across government to remove barriers for disabled people. Chaired by the Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms, the group meets regularly throughout the year.

Last year, the Minister for Social Security and Disability announced our plans for a UK Government Plan for Disability. The Plan will:

• summarise work already underway across Government to champion the rights of disabled people,
• develop a set of aspirations for Government to prioritise next in order to break down barriers for disabled people; and
• set out a clear vision that will show what this Government is aiming to achieve for disabled people in the longer term.

Ministers also meet regularly with several strategic networks of disabled people, their representative organisations and other disability stakeholders to discuss disability employment. This includes the Disabled People’s Organisation (DPO) Forum England, the Regional Stakeholder Network, the Disability Charities Consortium and the Disability and Access Ambassadors

Additionally, DWP’s Strategic Relationship Team works with employers and partners, including trade bodies, industry groups and training providers, to promote inclusive recruitment and improve awareness of workplace adjustments and support for disabled people.

DWP’s Independent Disability Advisory Panel is helping to shape and guide our health and disability policy and strategy through providing guidance, feedback, and recommendations. The eleven-member panel has personal experience of health and disability and wider experience across Disabled People’s Organisations, charities, research, the health system, and employment.

In November 2025, Sir Charlie Mayfield published the Keep Britain Working Review, setting out recommendations to reshape how government works with employers to improve work and health outcomes through creating healthier, more inclusive workplaces. The government is now working with volunteer employers, providers and regions through a Vanguard Phase to test and refine approaches to help disabled workers and workers with long-term health conditions receive the support they need to remain and thrive in employment.