Asked by: Baroness Thomas of Winchester (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to assist employers whose premises are inaccessible to potential employees with disabilities.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) runs the Access to Work Scheme which provides grant funding to disabled people, as well as those with a health condition. The grant supports workplace adjustments that go beyond what would normally be expected from an employer through their duty to provide reasonable adjustments as outlined in the Equality Act 2010. This can include grants to make appropriate changes to a place of work, to make them more accessible for the customer.
In addition, as set out in the Pathways to Work Green Paper published on 18 March, DWP are consulting on the future of the Access to Work scheme.