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What does disability mean in 2025 and DWP making a mess
Manage episode 503095457 series 1573684
Depending on where you read it, there could be 13 million or 16 million disabled people in the UK. Some statistics suggest 1 in 4 of us, while others indicate 1 in 5. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch recently suggested the term ‘disabled’ is in danger of losing all meaning. Is she on to something? What is the point of a definition, and what measure do we use?
Some who are disabled under the Equality Act 2010 definition are having a terrible time working for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The DWP has lost more disability discrimination tribunal cases than any other UK employer. They have paid out nearly £1 million in awards. The pot calling the kettle black… The DWP administers the "Disability Confident" scheme to help employers recruit and retain disabled people.
Finally, Government ministers are saying they want to "get Britain working," including disabled people, whilst simultaneously cutting Access to Work (AtW). AtW is the scheme that pays for the more expensive adjustments that enable disabled people to obtain employment and stay in it.
Show Links:
Kemmi Badenoch has no useful meaning of disability now
Employers ‘have rational fear of hiring disabled workers’
Access to Work Collective Dr Shani Dhanda
Chapters
1. What does disability mean in 2025 and DWP making a mess (00:00:00)
2. Abnormally Funny People (00:00:38)
3. DWP the irony (00:06:55)
4. Access to Work (00:13:16)
5. Badenoch on Disability (00:26:01)
119 episodes
Manage episode 503095457 series 1573684
Depending on where you read it, there could be 13 million or 16 million disabled people in the UK. Some statistics suggest 1 in 4 of us, while others indicate 1 in 5. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch recently suggested the term ‘disabled’ is in danger of losing all meaning. Is she on to something? What is the point of a definition, and what measure do we use?
Some who are disabled under the Equality Act 2010 definition are having a terrible time working for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The DWP has lost more disability discrimination tribunal cases than any other UK employer. They have paid out nearly £1 million in awards. The pot calling the kettle black… The DWP administers the "Disability Confident" scheme to help employers recruit and retain disabled people.
Finally, Government ministers are saying they want to "get Britain working," including disabled people, whilst simultaneously cutting Access to Work (AtW). AtW is the scheme that pays for the more expensive adjustments that enable disabled people to obtain employment and stay in it.
Show Links:
Kemmi Badenoch has no useful meaning of disability now
Employers ‘have rational fear of hiring disabled workers’
Access to Work Collective Dr Shani Dhanda
Chapters
1. What does disability mean in 2025 and DWP making a mess (00:00:00)
2. Abnormally Funny People (00:00:38)
3. DWP the irony (00:06:55)
4. Access to Work (00:13:16)
5. Badenoch on Disability (00:26:01)
119 episodes
All episodes
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