The House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee recently launched a fresh inquiry into how best to improve the employment prospects of disabled people. The Committee sought input from disabled individuals, employers, and sector experts, with a particular focus on tackling the long-standing disability employment gap. The call for evidence closed on 29 September 2025.
Aims of the Inquiry
The inquiry is exploring:
- The root causes of the disability employment gap.
- How effectively current government programmes support disabled people into work.
- What further measures could help close the gap and improve job opportunities.
The Committee has encouraged contributions from a wide range of perspectives, including those with lived experience, to ensure its recommendations are grounded in practical realities.
The Disability Employment Gap – Key Statistics
Figures cited by the Committee show the scale of the challenge:
- Around one in four of the UK’s working-age population are reported as disabled, including 5.52 million in employment.
- Disabled people are twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people, with unemployment rates of 6.9% compared to 3.6%.
These disparities highlight the need for targeted interventions that address both structural barriers and workplace practices.
Previous Inquiries
This is not the first time the Committee has examined the issue.
In 2020, it carried out a similar inquiry, to which the government responded in November 2021. The Committee Chair at the time described the response as “unambitious”.
In February 2024, the Committee launched another inquiry into disabled people’s employment, but this was cut short when Parliament was dissolved ahead of the 2024 General Election.
Why This Matters
With such a significant proportion of the working-age population affected, closing the disability employment gap is not just a question of fairness it is also an economic imperative. Increased participation by disabled people in the workforce has the potential to benefit employers, the wider economy, and society.
