Motion Passed: Lifting Barriers to Work for Disabled People

For too long those with disabilities have struggled to obtain secure employment - a struggle intensified by Covid-19. Even though the huge increase of working from home could have made finding and keeping a job easier, disabled workers have instead been disproportionately impacted by furlough, reduced hours and redundancies.¹

Labelling LGBTQ+ as an 'ideology' and suppressing LGBTQ+ people is outrageous.

That's why today @LaylaMoran is launching our new campaign to #ProtectOurTwins, encouraging UK towns to work with their Polish twins to defend human rights. https://t.co/eWsyZtWpIL

- Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) March 11, 2021

Even before the pandemic, those with disabilities had a 52% employment rate, compared to 81% for non-disabled people - a staggering employment gap. Disabled workers also earn £2.10 less per hour than their non-disabled colleagues.

That's why the Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to lift the unjust barriers excluding disabled people from the workplace.

Today we have passed a motion that sets out a targeted strategy furthering the employment of disabled people as we emerge from the pandemic. We are demanding overdue policy changes including:

For too long those with disabilities have struggled to obtain secure employment

1. A Jobs Guarantee for newly unemployed disabled people and specialist disability employment support
2. A £20 a week increase in Employment Support Allowance and Personal Independence Payments, in line with the Universal Credit uplift
3. Disabled people to have a 'day one' right to work from home if they want to, unless there are significant business reasons as to why this could not be accommodated

Read the full motion here:

Lifting Barriers to Work for Disabled People

The Liberal Democrats are dedicated to defending disabled peoples' right to work and secure employment. We recognise that the UK economy can only be truly successful if it supports disabled workers.

¹ Leonard Chesire