'Equality is a myth' | How disabled workers are being locked out of opportunities

Disabled employees and founders in the UK are revealing that the world of work is not designed for them, with welfare cuts and a lack of business funding ensuring they cannot win. 

Those with disabilities are almost twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people, and three times as likely to be economically inactive. 

The recent welfare cuts announced by Liz Kendall are intended to increase disabled work incentives, however, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has not found strong evidence that the cuts will lead to more people going into work. 

This could be linked to the disability pay gap. In 2023/24, the gap stood at £2.35 per hour, or 17.2%, with non-disabled employees earning a median of £16.03 per hour compared to £13.68 for disabled employees. This means non-disabled employees earn 17.2% more than disabled employees.