London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Minister for Disabled People on employment: 'We can do better'

Minister for Disabled People on employment: 'We can do better'

The UK's new disability minister has admitted the government "has scope to do better" when it comes to getting disabled people into work.

Tom Pursglove, Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, made the comment while announcing a new Disability Action Plan.

He is the third MP to hold the position in as many months.

The Office for National Statistics states that 53% of disabled people in the UK are in employment.

That is compared to 82% of non-disabled people.

A lack of accessibility in the workplace, biases in hiring processes and difficulty initially accessing employment services, are often cited as barriers to disabled people entering the workforce.

Mr Pursglove, who has been the MP for Corby since 2015, told the BBC Access All podcast that one way in which he hopes to improve the experience of disabled people getting into work, is digitising the Access to Work scheme.

Access to Work aims to help disabled people start or stay in work. It provides grants to pay for practical support like transport or interpreters for British Sign Language users, but is currently paper-based.

Mr Pursglove, 34, said that while the scheme "unlocks so many opportunities for so many people," he believes there is "scope to do better around the way that that system and process works".

He added: "It's very early days in the role, but one of the things that has struck me is, what more can we do to try and digitise those processes wherever possible?

"What can we do to try and minimise delays that people see? And how can we just make it more effective?"


MP Tom Pursglove opens the new lab Global Disability Innovation Hub at the Olympic Park

More than 25,000 disabled people are currently waiting for their Access to Work application to be processed, and the time taken to process the application has almost doubled in the last year, from 32.5 days to 63.1 days.

The Minister made the comments as he opened a new Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) research lab at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, London, to mark International Day of People with Disabilities on 3 December.

The GDI Hub is a research centre focused on disability innovation and inclusivity through research and data.

The announcement of the Disability Action Plan, which the government says will "meaningfully improve" the lives of disabled people, comes almost one year after a survey of disabled people - used to inform the highly anticipated National Disability Strategy - was ruled "unlawful" by the High Court.

In January 2022, the UK Disability Survey gained 14,000 responses but was found to have failed to consult with disabled people effectively to allow for "meaningful responses". The government is currently appealing against the decision.

It said the newly announced Disability Action Plan was separate to the National Disability Strategy, and it would include a consultation.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×