Last chance to respond to the government’s work, health and disability consultation before deadline

The Department for Health and the Department for Work and Pensions are asking for deaf and disabled people to respond to their latest consultation which closes on Friday this week.

‘Work, health and disability: improving lives’ will help advise the government on how to halve the disability employment gap, following the news that only 48% of disabled people have a job compared to 80% of people without a disability.

In a description on the consultation’s website, the government said:

“[We want] to help everyone to be able to enjoy the independence, security and good health that being in work can bring.

“We know that the right type of work is good for an individual’s physical and mental health. Work can bring other benefits – introduce a sense of purpose, raise self-esteem, and allow people to build relationships.”

Statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions also show that 4.6 million people with disabilities and long-term health conditions are unemployed, and that only around 3 in 100 people claiming Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants leave the benefit each month.

“We need to understand why disabled people and people with health conditions might be unable to get a job or keep one, and to recognise the wide range of conditions and circumstances they face,” the government said.

Topics included in the consultation include ‘the role of employers and work coaches, improvements to the welfare system […] and changing the culture around work and health’. It also covers occupational health support and investment in ‘innovative services’.

There are 46 questions, but only numbered questions will appear once participants have selected the audience group which most applies to them.

The consultation comes after the government published its green paper of the same name, which can be viewed here.

People interested in responding to the consultation have until 11:45pm on February 17 to reply. The link to the form can be found here.

By Liam O’Dell. Liam is partially deaf and uses hearing aids in both ears. Alongside studying for a degree in journalism, Liam enjoys presenting his own radio show, listening to music and reading one of the many books on his ’to-be-read’ list. You can find out more about Liam over at his blog: www.thelifeofathinker.wordpress.com, or follow him on Twitter: @lifeofathinker.