Disabled people who want to move into employment will be given ‘Work Coach’ support due to a new government scheme. campaigning organisation Disability Rights UK ( DRUK ) has reported. However they have called for it not to be made compulsory.
It follows a preview of Welfare Reforms given by Minister for Disabled People Chloe Smith. These are due to be announced in a summer 2022 Government White Paper.
In July 2021, the Government published a Green Paper Shaping Future Support giving options for addressing some “short-to-medium-term issues in health and disability benefits”.
The Green Paper also aimed to “start a discussion about the opportunities for wider change to deliver on the objectives of the health and disability benefit system”.
Speaking at a Disability Confident Jobs Fair the Minister said: “Our Health and Disability White Paper later this summer will help Disabled people to live more independently, including with more help to move into work, where work is right for the individual.
One of the plans she highlighted was additional Work Support: “We will offer more support to the 2.8 million people with health conditions receiving Universal Credit or Employment Support Allowance. From 14 June, we will be trialling an offer of additional Work Coach support for claimants currently awaiting their Work Capability Assessment, initially across a third of the country.
“Later in the year, we will expand the offer to claimants after their Work Capability Assessment with limited capability for work but who want help to move closer or into the labour market over time.”
Other reforms announced by the Minister related to the Access To Work scheme to offer disabled people a “more streamlined, digital service that is visible and accessible”
In addition, she said: “We are also piloting Adjustment Passports to help support and empower disabled people to have a more structured conversation with potential employers about their disability, and to speed up the Access to Work process and reduce the need for assessments.”
Ken Butler, DRUK Welfare Rights and Policy Adviser, commented: “To win the trust and confidence of Disabled people, work conditionality and any pressure to work must be removed. A medical certificate (“fit note”) should be accepted as evidence that someone is currently not able to work.
“However, support with no strings attached could be offered to those who feel it may be helpful. And, if a person does manage to get back into work, there should be no penalty if it doesn’t work out. If support is going to be genuinely helpful, there needs to be complete removal of any kind of threat or punishment.”
The whole of Chloe Smith’s speech is available here.
