Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to the Access to Work scheme on the ability of disabled people to (a) enter, (b) remain and (c) succeed in employment.

Access to Work has not been substantially changed since its introduction in 1994. There is a strong case for updating the role it plays in making work accessible for disabled people.

In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of the Access to Work scheme. We also considered the role of employers in creating accessible and inclusive workplaces as well as how we can shape the market for aids, appliances and assistive technology, to reduce their cost and spread their adoption.

We are considering responses to the consultation and will set out our plans in due course. The Green Paper launched a consultation that will inform the chosen future direction of Access to Work. Once this is established, we will consider timelines and work closely with stakeholders to ensure an appropriate transition.

This government values the input of disabled people and people with health conditions, in addition to the representative organisations and people that support them. That is why we brought forward the Green Paper and opened a public consultation. We are now carefully reviewing responses to the Green Paper as we further develop proposals, alongside facilitating other ways to involve disabled people in the reforms.

One such way is through the Collaboration Committees, which we launched on the 2 July, which bring together groups of disabled people and other experts for specific work areas, including Access to Work, to collaborate and provide discussion, challenge, and recommendations.