Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the end of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme on the disability employment gap.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was designed as a temporary measure to support businesses while restrictions were in place. As the economy has reopened, the jobs market has recovered, vacancies are at record highs, and the success of the Government’s vaccination programme has allowed us to lift almost all restrictions. That is why it is right that the Government continues to wind down its temporary pandemic support, while continuing to support businesses to invest in the recovery and supporting people into new jobs.

The employment rate gap between people with a disability and those without is 28.1 percentage points, and the Government is committed to reducing the disability employment gap. To support disabled people into work, as part of the Spending Review, the Government confirmed that it is providing specialised disability employment support worth over £1.1 billion over the next three years. This includes an additional £156 million over the Spending Review period for health and disability support with a focus on additional work coaches. This is alongside the Work and Health Programme, which will continue to provide personal support to disabled people to find jobs that match their employment and health needs, and the Access to Work scheme which will continue to help cover the costs of workplace adaptations, special equipment and travel.