Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure employers are encouraged to support people with disabilities into employment.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We are funding local authorities to open our supported employment programme, Connect to Work, throughout England and Wales. Crucially, as part of this programme, specialist employment advisers work with both participants and employers, ensuring that participants are supported and workplaces are inclusive.

It is also recognised that employers play an important role in addressing health and disability. To build on this, the Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Health and Social Care Joint Work & Health Directorate (JWHD) is facilitating “Keep Britain Working”, an independent review of the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces. The Independent lead reviewer, Sir Charlie Mayfield’s report has now been released - Keep Britain Working: Final report - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure employers are encouraged to support people with disabilities into employment.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Good work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live. Backed by £240 million investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched last November will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate.

Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.

Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies, Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care, WorkWell and NHS Health and Growth Accelerators.

In recognition of employer’s vital role in addressing health-related economic activity, we appointed Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead the Keep Britain Working independent review which led to a report which was published on 5 November. In partnership with DBT and DHSC colleagues we are immediately launching Vanguards to test new employer-led approaches to support individuals to stay in work and develop a Healthy Workplace Standard, putting his key recommendations into action from day one.

Additionally, the DWP and DHSC Joint Work and Health Directorate has developed a digital information service for employers, continues to oversee the Disability Confident Scheme, and continues to increase access to Occupational Health.

In our March Green Paper, we set out our Pathways to Work Guarantee, backed by £1 billion a year of new additional funding by 2030. We will build towards a guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for all disabled people and those with health conditions on out of work benefits.

The NHS 10 Year Health Plan, published in July, stated our intention to break down barriers to opportunity by delivering the holistic support that people need to access and thrive in employment by ensuring a better health service for everyone, regardless of condition or service area. It outlines how the neighbourhood health service will join up support from across the work, health and skills systems to help address the multiple complex challenges that often stop people finding and staying in work.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to granting businesses that employ people with learning disabilities an exemption or reduction in employer National Insurance contributions.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government is committed to helping people with health conditions and disabled people, including those with learning disabilities, to start and stay in work.

The government provides support to employers to recruit and retain disabled people through the Access to Work scheme, which assists with the cost of specialist equipment, workplace adjustments or support workers.

The government has also announced the largest investment in employment support in at least a generation to help sick and disabled people, reaching £1 billion per annum by 2029-30. The government has also made significant investments in employment support for disabled people at the Spending Review, including through the rollout of Connect to Work which will help up to 100,000 individuals a year to secure work and the delivery of Work Well, a programme which aims to improve health and employment outcomes through locally led work and health services.

The Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the policy making process. The Chancellor will announce any changes to the tax system at fiscal events in the usual way.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce financial incentives for businesses that employ people with learning disabilities.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Department for Business and Trade does not have any plans to introduce financial incentives for businesses that employ people with learning disabilities.

The Government's Access to Work scheme offers a grant to help employees with a physical or mental health condition or disability get or stay in work. Businesses can also apply for finance through the Government-backed British Business Bank which aims to improve access to finance to help businesses invest and grow.

Additionally, the Government commissioned Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead the Keep Britain Working Review, because we recognise the vital role employers can play in helping address the challenges faced by disabled people and people with health conditions in work, which are holding back individuals, businesses and the economy, and we are determined to tackle this issue. The final report was published on 5 November.