Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the disability employment gap on (a) the public purse and (b) trends in the level of economic growth.

The Department has published analysis which estimated the costs to the economy of working age ill-health or disabilities that prevent working in the UK, to be between £240 and £330 billion.

The Government is committed to reducing the disability employment gap, as part of a clear ambition to raise the overall employment rate to 80%. The Government has published a set of key indicators, including the disability employment rate gap, which is monitored regularly to assess progress and identify influencing factors.