The Work and Pensions Committee continues its
disability
employment gap inquiry with a session focussing on issues
related to mental health, learning disabilities and autism.
The Committee’s inquiry is investigating the gap between the
employment rates of disabled and non-disabled people and how the
Department for Work and Pensions can better support disabled
people in the labour market.
The first panel, featuring mental health charities, will explore
the barriers to work faced by people with mental health problems
and the effectiveness of the DWP and the benefits system in
supporting people both in-work and to find jobs.
The second part of the meeting, featuring learning disability and
autism charities, will also focus on barriers to employment and
support. It could also explore the impact of the coronavirus
pandemic and the Government’s forthcoming National Disability
Strategy.
The disability employment gap is the difference between the
employment rates of disabled and non-disabled people. Official
data on
disabled peoples’ employment rates shows a gap of 28.6
percentage points, with 53.2% of disabled people in employment
compared with 81.8% non-disabled people.
Witness schedule:
Wednesday 10th March
At 9.30am
-
David Stephenson, Senior Policy and Campaigns
Officer, Mind
-
Alex Kennedy, Head of Campaigns and Public
Affairs, Rethink Mental Illness
-
Dr Jed Boardman, Consultant
Psychiatrist/Senior Lecturer in Social Psychiatry Senior
PolicyAdvisor, Centre for Mental Health
At 10.30am
-
Matthew Harrison, Public Affairs and
Parliamentary Manager, Mencap
-
Jane Harris, Director of External Affairs and
Social Change, National Autistic Society
-
Lorenzo Torre, Job Coach, Three Cs
