National Audit Office criticises government’s approach to disability employment

In 2017, the government set a goal to see 1 million more disabled people in work in the 10 years to 2027.

The National Audit Office have recently published a report looking at the Department for Work & Pensions progress and support to help disabled people overcome barriers to work.

In the Supporting disabled people to work report, the NAO suggested that the DWP has limited evidence of which methods of employment support for disabled people are effective.

The report states that the DWP rarely undertakes rigorous evaluation of programmes’ impact on disabled people’s employment outcome. So far, none of the current programmes in place have completed a robust impact evaluation, meaning the NAO or DWP can confirm whether or not the programmes are effective.

The report recommends:

• The DWP take the lead in implementing a cross-government strategy, with a full implementation plan for the 10-year target
• They provide Jobcentre Plus work coaches with a framework for setting goals with disabled people
• They develop a strategy for turning evidence into a practical delivery plan