What will it take to tackle disability unemployment?

Back in the day when I worked….. In an office I had a quote on my desk. It was by Goethe and said “If you treat an individual as he is, he will remain how he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.”

I still believe in that quote. The disabled community is not generally a work shy group of people who have nothing to offer. In fact sitting back and thinking I don’t know one of my many disability friends who don’t do something. Some are carers saving the government a lot of money, other’s volunteer and give huge amounts of time for nothing. All this has a worth in society not only an emotional one but a financial one.

In the news as I write this blog there is talk of a change to the work capability system and even a green paper on improving employability of disabled people. But are we asking the right questions? As I’ve said disabled people already hugely contribute to society. They should be valued and supported to continue to do so. The definition that is wrong is the definition of work, which only equates to a financial contribution and not an emotional one.

If you treat people with disabilities as valued they will be as Goethe says add value. Its help and understanding that’s needed not rhetoric.

So what can be done? Well I think the law and technology is already there, they just need tweaking. Here’s a list of my main ideas.

·        Do away with the work capability tests and PIP, rely on our NHS and medical staff i.e. GP’s, consultants to advice the DWP. Why pay for something twice? 

·        Central Government and Local Government need to lead on the Equality duties, specifically ensuring participation in society which should include work. How? Well changes to the disability tick scheme away from a paper based system, enforce it have a minimum % of population standard based on National and regional statistics. Give those who use it priority funding via access to work including private companies.

·        If a disabled person does any work including volunteering this should be recognised and paid for at least the minimum wage. How? Employment and support allowance allows for work up to sixteen hour a week without it affecting benefits. Increase this limit to at least 20 hours and recognise this as work. This is a part of the system that is hugely underutilised.

·        Employers need to think differently they need to move away from traditional thinking methods. With technology and the web, we no longer need to work 9- 5, five days a week. As long as the hours are worked, it shouldn’t matter when or where including having to visit an office. How? Use technology to free up and change working styles. Encourage working home, apart from just helping disabled people, we might actually do away with early morning and evening congestion. 

·        Have a sliding benefits system joined up with the tax and NI system, the more a person works or contributes the less benefits they get, however ensuring that the cost of being disabled is a priority consideration and this is factored in to it.

I’m sure others may also have Ideas, I’d love to hear them? What do you think? How do we improve the system……