Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

What steps the Government is taking to help young people with disabilities into work.

This Government is committed to enabling young disabled people to fulfil their potential and achieve their aspirations. We provide a range of programmes and initiatives to support them, including:

• Jobcentre support for schools, which targets young people that schools identify as being at risk of becoming NEET (not in employment, education or training), or who may otherwise be disadvantaged in the labour market – for example those with a health or disability issue.

• The Young Person’s Supported Work Experience programme, which offers a personally tailored supported work experience opportunity for young people (aged 18 – 24) to enable them to fully benefit from time in the work place. This proof of concept is being tested in five Jobcentre Plus districts.

• Tri-Work, a supported work experience proof of concept aimed at young people with special educational needs in years 10/11 in schools and special schools. This proof of concept is being tested in three local authorities.

• The Local Supported Employment (LSE) proof of concept ‘place and train’ model, which aims to move disabled people into real jobs, at the going rate of pay, with support for both the individual and employer. This is being tested in nine local authorities.

• Supported Internships, which all qualified post-16 education providers in England have been able to deliver Since September 2013. These are personalised study programmes, based primarily at a prospective employer, for young people with complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

• Access to Work, which already offers support to disabled people undertaking a number of opportunities that help them to prepare for paid employment, including work experience, apprenticeships, supported internships and traineeships.