Access to Work scheme not reaching all disabled people
19/12/2014
Some MPs have claimed that large numbers of disabled people are missing out on government support to help them into work.
A report from the Work and Pensions Select Committee found that the governments Access to Work programme has not received enough funding or publicity, and many disabled people are still unaware of it. MPs are also worried that the people in charge of the scheme often failed to understand the needs of disabled people.
The scheme helps disabled people get back into work by paying for specialist aids, equipment, building adaptations and support workers. It has managed to help 35,000 disabled people get or maintain a job this year, which is 5,000 more than two years ago.
The MPs found that where the Access to Work scheme was properly implemented, it transformed the lives of disabled people, many who would have been unable to have a job without it, but there were also key problems in the scheme. MPs believe staff in the scheme showed "unacceptable lack of disability awareness" and called for staff to be given additional training.
There was also a "misperception" that the scheme only provided physical aids, equipment and transport for people with physical disabilities, the report stated.
Dame Anne Begg, Labour MP and chairman of the committee, said:
"Access to Work's modest budget risks an approach which seeks to boost the numbers helped by Access to Work by bearing down on the awards of people whose support needs happen to be high cost, including those who use British Sign Language"
A spokesperson for Access to Work said:
"This week we announced further improvements to the service and we have also committed an additional £15m to ensure even more people can benefit"
Need financial advice?
If you have any personal finance questions related to this news article, then please contact our financial advisers. You can get in touch by asking a question online, calling us on 0800 092 1245, or by arranging a visit.
Share this..
Related stories
Bank of England warns that Eurozone problems could affect Britain
The latest threat to the UK economy appears to be coming from the Eurozone where the Greek economic crisis looks like spreading to the likes of Portugal and Spain. Mervyn King, the Gov of the Bank of England, has today suggested that a downturn in economic activity within the Eurozone will limit UK trade within Europe and could ultimately push the UK back into recession. On the back of these do...
Read MoreIs risk bad for the economy?
Over the last few years we have seen many reviews of risk in the UK financial arena and the impact this can have upon the UK economy. In many ways you could be forgiven for assuming that all risk is bad and by reducing the level of risk in the UK we will in some way ensure a better standard of living and a more stable financial arena. But is this really correct? The truth is that without risk t...
Read MoreWill the UK be set adrift by the G20?
As we covered yesterday, Alistair Darling has pleaded with his G20 colleagues to maintain the ongoing financial stimulus for the worldwide economy. However, there are fears that with the UK lagging behind the likes of the US, Japan, France and Germany we could see the stimulus halted earlier than the UK government would like which could impact upon the UK economy in the short to medium term.
...
UK trade gap widens in April
The UK trade deficit for April increased from £7.259 billion in March to £7.279 billion in April although the figures were overshadowed somewhat by the volcanic ash saga which grounded planes for over a week. While the figures are slightly disappointing, in that many experts had expected imports to increase, these are probably figures we can discount because of the unknown entity which was the v...
Read MoreScottish unions demand investment into labour market
The Scottish Trade Union Congress has today demanded significant investment into the Scottish labour market amid signs that the economic upturn seen in other areas of the UK has not be replicated in Scotland as yet. One of the factors highlighted by the unions is the latest youth unemployment figure which has ballooned by 89% in the 2 years to February 2010. This is a major problem for the Scottis...
Read More