Asked by: Lord Vinson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the statement in the Green Paper on work and health and disability, Improving Lives, published in October 2016, what consideration they have given to allowing the voluntary incorporation of a portion of a severely disabled employee’s Employment and Support Allowance to be offset as part of their pay, in order to help enhance their employability.
Answered by Baroness Buscombe
Improving Lives – the Work, Health and Disability Green Paper, published In October 2016, attracted over 6000 responses, including many on how to enhance the employability of ESA recipients. We are currently considering future policy options in this area.
Existing measures to reduce potential costs to employers, and so improve employability, include Access to Work which offers practical advice and funding of up to £42,100 pa for employees’ support costs over and above reasonable adjustments.
Our new ‘Small Employer Offer’ for small and medium-sized enterprises is trialling a £500 payment to employers for mentoring and supporting disabled people employed for over 3 months.