Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of guidance for employers in addressing the needs of neurodivergent candidates.

Employers have a responsibility under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled job applicants where required, including to recruitment and assessment processes

The Buckland Review of Autism Employment (2024) highlighted that autistic people can have significantly more negative experiences of interviews, group tasks and psychometric tests. More recently, the independent Expert Academic Panel on Neurodiversity (2026) highlighted that recruitment processes can unintentionally exclude neurodivergent talent. In light of this, the Government recognises that there are gaps in the evidence base and is taking action to strengthen our understanding and support more inclusive employment practices.

Firstly, the Department is funding a further programme of ACAS-led masterclasses for line managers in small and medium-sized employers, aimed at improving their knowledge, skills and confidence to recruit, retain and support neurodivergent people at work. These masterclasses will take place in early 2027

Further, the Department is developing an ‘Employer Hiring Toolkit’, which will be piloted with employers over the next six months. The toolkit includes evidence-based resources to support more inclusive and effective hiring practices across all candidate groups

Alongside this, we continue to engage with employers, neurodiversity organisations and people with lived experience to better understand the barriers to creating neuroinclusive workplaces, including recruitment practices, and to inform our approach to improving employment outcomes for neurodivergent people.