Disabled people and work: Is this government scheme too good to be true?

Access to work (allegedly): If you are also wondering why a group of people apparently having breakfast symbolises access to work for the disabled, you're well on the way to the right level of scepticism about this scheme.

Access to work (allegedly): If you are also wondering why a group of people apparently having breakfast symbolises access to work for the disabled, you’re well on the way to the right level of scepticism about this scheme.

The government is launching a new scheme for the disabled, saying those on traineeships, supported internships, work trials and work academies are to get “additional help” through the Access to Work programme.

After all the persecution of recent years, is it wrong of me to look askance at this?

Here’s the press release; what do YOU think?

“Disabled people will get more support to gain the skills and experience they need to get a job under changes to the government’s specialist disability employment scheme announced today (16 July 2013).

“Disabled people on traineeships, supported internships, work trials and work academies will for the first time get additional help through the Access to Work scheme – which provides funding towards the extra costs disabled people face in work, such as travel costs, specially adapted equipment or support workers.

“Minister for Disabled People Esther McVey said: ‘Young disabled people tell me how difficult it can be to get a job without experience – and they want the same choice of training opportunities as everyone else to help them into work.

“‘We’re opening up Access to Work to do just that – so that more young disabled people can get a foothold in the jobs market, get their careers on track and achieve their full potential.’

Recent changes also mean that businesses with up to 49 employees will save up to £2,300 per employee who uses the fund by no longer paying a contribution towards the extra costs faced by disabled people in work.

“Disabled jobseekers who want to set up their own business through the New Enterprise Allowance are also eligible for Access to Work funding. Access to Work has previously been called ‘the government’s best kept secret’ so to raise awareness of the changes, the government will continue its marketing campaign – targeted at young disabled people and people with mental health conditions.

“Last year the programme helped 30,000 disabled people keep or get employment. Research also shows that around half (45 per cent) of Access to Work customers would be out of work if they did not receive support through the scheme.”

The last paragraph should be ignored because it is a DWP statistic. Even if it was right when it left the statisticians, we cannot guarantee that there hasn’t been interference for politically-motivated purposes.

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13 Comments

  1. […] The government is launching a new scheme for the disabled, saying those on traineeships, supported internships, work trials and work academies are to get "additional help" through the Access to Wor…  […]

  2. sp4mf15h July 16, 2013 at 12:11 pm - Reply

    I thought there used to be transport and special needs costs paid to those disabled that needed it before the Tories started their war on welfare.
    So basically they are just going to give them back the benefits they used to get from disability living allowance and suchlike but this time make it means tested on if they are trying to work or not. Sounds like a typical tory plan.
    I also think the whole Remploy saga should be mentioned here. If they were genuinely concerned about getting disabled people jobs they would of kept this places open.

  3. jeffrey davies (@jeffrey33333) July 16, 2013 at 12:19 pm - Reply

    yep am afraid they plot another useless scheme never the mind by this time next year they wll have helped over 8000 people back into work ids words again part of his lie jeff3

    • Mike Sivier July 16, 2013 at 1:10 pm - Reply

      No – he now reckons they have ALREADY ‘helped’ 12,000 people back into work. The 8,000 was back in May.

      • Barry Davies March 24, 2014 at 12:16 pm - Reply

        They have helped 12,000 people off benefits, they haven’t helped them into any work at all.

  4. denise clendinning July 16, 2013 at 12:58 pm - Reply

    This is lip service. Why is Esther Mcvey concerned about the disabled when the government closed all the Remploy factories and all this rubbish about training they were already trained up in the factories to do their jobs and the older one,s how are they going to train up it takes longer when your disabled and as for saying you will have support workers who are they trying to kid it,s all political to get the votes .

  5. hilary772013 July 16, 2013 at 2:06 pm - Reply

    So true Denise, my position before I became ill was an accounts administrator and already have all the skills to do that job. This I am afraid is another smoke screen & I like Mikes last paragraph as when the statistics started to get quoted my thoughts where here we go again more misrepresentation of facts ie more lies, as well.

  6. charlie fox July 16, 2013 at 2:07 pm - Reply

    Actually Access to Work used to be pretty good. They provided my ex partner with around 30k of support over 14 years, mostly in specialised equipment and admin support. The sad fact is that funding for equipment has been cut and people are being bullied into reducing the hours of their support workers. Extending the scheme is good news but what the large print giveth the small print taketh away.

  7. beastrabban July 16, 2013 at 3:09 pm - Reply

    Hi Denise and Hilary – this does indeed look like a smokescreen. This might need a bit of checking by someone who knows the corporate law relating to the employment of the disabled. I understood, however, that there were already tax breaks and incentives to encourage companies to reserve a percentage of their jobs to the disabled. This looks like an attempt to remove this legislation, and either place the burden for their employment onto the taxpayer, or allow it to be scrapped altogether and allow companies to employ fewer people with disabilities under the guise of encouraging them to do the opposite.

  8. AM-FM July 16, 2013 at 5:38 pm - Reply

    New scheme?
    Looks like they’re launching a scheme brought in by Labour about 2007.
    I can’t see any difference, apart from the new word ‘trainingships’ aka workfare.

    This from 2010
    http://www.mdctrailblazers.org/news/685_minister-confirms-government-commitment-to-access-to-work

    They even have statistics.
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-to-work-official-statistics-april-2011–2

  9. john kent July 17, 2013 at 8:28 am - Reply

    Sorry but anything this Government say or do is a premeditated lie,
    They are all looking out for themselves not us the public.
    Finally Bull S**T comes to mind and were all going to be dropped in it
    except Camerons buddies the Millionaire club

  10. rainbowwarriorlizzie July 18, 2013 at 8:14 pm - Reply

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