So, who is going to employ all these disabled people the government wants to wean of welfare

[Jimisnotmyname]

Really wondering. Not saying it is necessarily a bad thing to encourage those who can work, to work but as a carer for 2 disabled family members, I am hugely struggling to find another job as nobody is willing to give me any flexibility (which I need as a carer) and there are always candidates who do not need the same accomodations I do. I would imagine that many of those currently not in work because of disability or a health condition, will often need a similar level of flexibility. I just wonder who on the the government think will offer jobs galore on these circumstances??

Spoiler alert - there’s no suitable work 😂

My issue, isn’t that some disabled people can and do work.

It’s that those who are currently deemed unfit for work aren’t just going to wake up tomorrow cured/fixed/suddenly work ready.

If you can’t work due to disability today, in my view you probably can’t work next year due to the same disability, and shouldn’t be penalised financially for that.

Love to see this happen but doubt the government cares.

Along with my mobility problems, I have severe pain which I manage at the moment with increasing doses of morphine, which in turn make me sleep a lot.
If I had a job, I would have to ask my carer to come earlier in a morning to help me shower and dress, she'd have to come to work with me to help with the clean up after toilet accidents,
I have 3 medical appointments next week. Tuesday I'll need the full morning off, Wednesday all day off because I have a 6 hour infusion, Thursday I'll need the afternoon off. Then I'll need a few days in bed to recover.
What call centre on this earth will put up with that?
I worked full time for 40 fucking years for someone like you who knows fuck all about disability to tell me to get a job in a call centre

My 17yo child with autism has applied any types of part-time and volunteer jobs but he hasn't received even 1 interview. He is willing to work so labour gov should give him a part-time job.

Another issue in respect of the welfare changes and encouraging people into work, is that in April employer national insurance contributions will be payable when an employee earns £5,000 rather than when they earn over £9,100. And the rate employers pay is increasing to 15% of earnings above that threshold from 13.8%. So employing people, even part timers, is going to be more expensive for businesses. Many large firms in retail are looking to reduce employee costs, not take on more staff because of this.
It feels as if one government department (welfare) is totally oblivious to the effects of the chancellor's increased taxes on employers. I wish the government could do joined up writing.

What, 40+ hrs a week?
Even if you had a doctor's appointment every single week, attended 5 hrs therapy, and a 2hr group every week for training on how to find a job etc.... That's still a whole lot less hours than a full time job.

A full time job, for which you have to pay transport costs to attend, purchase and wear suitable office clothing, either make and take lunch or pay for one, plus do 7+ solid hours of work every day. Then you have to pay tax and national insurance on that money, pension contributions are deducted. You also have to pay more for things like council tax as a working adult, no discount. Every prescription has to be paid for, as a working person you are entitled to nothing for free

If you would only be looking at minimum wage jobs anyway UC when topped up by PIP /disability benefits etc starts to look a bit more attractive.

I don't actually think it's is a lot of work to feign something like anxiety or depression, compared to the amount of work it is to do a full time job.

Thing is you don’t have much protection at all in the first 2 years of a new job
I am sailing very close to becoming the statistic of the 1 in 6 women that lose their job due to endometriosis
I have reasonable adjustments but my time off sick is just becoming too often. And the gynae wait is 18 months
so if someone starts a new job, they’re going to end up sacked before they even get around to seeing gynae let alone a treatment plan. Plus the time off for appointments as well

@Autisticunemployable I have a relative with autoimmune conditions, mental health issues and has been diagnosed with FND for years. He does actually hold down a job, but has a very, very understanding employer who will let him work from home when he can't go into the office.
Like you say FND is what's left when they've tried diagnosing you with everything else. It wasn't until he mentioned a close relative had thyroid issues, that he was tested and he actually got a diagnosis of Graves disease. Work have always struggled with FND but Graves disease they can get their head round. Figure that?!

I don’t think people realise how bloody terrifying it is to see hundreds of strangers arguing over whether you or your loved ones should be allowed a warm house and a meal. At the end of the day, that’s what this is.

if we changed disability to any other characteristic and started threads mumsnet wouldn’t stand for it. It’s so horribly overwhelming and panic inducing.

I really don't think that's being said here.

I was not being incredibly nasty, I made two comments - the first quite lengthy one and one other (that for some reason got removed). The lady I replied to said she couldn’t possibly go to work because she can’t walk very well and has caring responsibilities, but had a wheelchair. I asked why wasn’t she able to go to work in her wheelchair as my company employs multiple people in wheelchairs and if she can’t leave the house why can’t she work from home as presumably she will be sitting for long lengths of time due to not being able to walk. I wasn’t saying she should go to work, I said that not being able to walk far doesn’t automatically mean you are incapable of working. If you class that as incredibly nasty you must have lead a very sheltered live.

and you did wish it on me to have multiple strokes which is why mumsnet has now removed it!

So do you possibly think you are in the category of ‘there is not a job that you will currently be able to perform’ in which case you won’t be required to?

no one is saying that everyone with a disability should have to work.

but there are some people with a disability who, if offered a job (which is suitable for them, they are able to do , won’t cause them extra distress etc) should have to accept it (or lose their benefits.

for example, my sister lost 3 toes in an accident. She is registered disabled but works full time. There is no reason why she shouldn’t and she wants to.

why should someone similar to her get to choose whether to work?

disability covers a huge range of abilities,

All due respect but there’s thousands of different jobs/roles out there.

I have ADHD and yes I’m never going to be cut out to be an accountant or work in admin. But I have lots of other employable skills: works well under pressure, customer service, quick thinking, public speaking, good with kids, positive mindset etc.

Somebody who is cut out to be an account probably wouldn’t make a good teacher. I’ve got two uncle’s I reckon would be on the spectrum: one works for the local council deep diving into archives to do with land ownership and the other is a lorry driver. Both of them could not work with members of the public/roles that required social skills but I doubt chatty/social people would like to spend 8 hours a day essentially working in silence or days on the road.

And whilst nobody wants to grow up to be an ‘unskilled’ worker, there’s a reason why there’s thousands of roles that are classified as unskilled.

The astonishing number of people on here who are trying to solve disabled peoples' work issues, as if said disabled people aren't already experts on their own bodies and know their own limits and capabilities 🙄 I'd be shocked if I wasn't disabled and hadn't seen it all before.

That's what the net result of these changes will actually be though - disabled people being steered into jobs unsuited due to pressure by DWP, loss of benefit, threatened sanction etc, so in essence, the people who are wholeheartedly for these changes are indeed advocating for people to be shoehorned into unsuitable work, even if they are not expressly saying it out loud.

You're forgetting that a disabled register does not exist, and you're assessed for disability benefits based on how your disability affects you, not whether or not you have one or what it is.

Well i don’t agree that that should happen, and i hope it doesn’t.

again, im referring to jobs that are suitable for people.

I would willingly employ someone with a disability who was able to fulfil the role.

and I wouldn’t offer a job to someone that I didn’t feel would be able to do it. What employer would?

Honestly I disagree. I’ve previously worked in helping people back into employment and there is always a focus on what works for them & finding a role that is suitable. So someone in a wheelchair isn’t going to be forced to apply for a job as a scaffolder, but they would be encouraged to apply for a job in sales, admin, customer service. Someone who struggles socially isn’t going to be forced to apply for a job as a public speaker or cold caller, but would be encouraged to apply for a job in driving, admin, accounting etc.

The money the government say they are going to put into helping people into work here could be brilliant here in highlighting options for people. I’ve spoken with many people like this when previously helping them back into work, men who have worked manual jobs for 15 years and who now are unable to do that who have decided they are unable to work- they aren’t- they are just unable to do the job that they were doing. But once you sit down & look at what IS doable, with the right support for applications, upskilling, interview practice etc, it does help.

Yes because it’s logical isn’t it?
Just reduce benefits and THEN set up a system to help them, make employers employ disabled people and change mentalities!!
Yay!!

I mean it’s clear you can change mentality in the workplace easily agd quickly do it won’t be an issue, right? right??

I could take my wheelchair but most schools & nurseries aren’t accessible.

Schools and nurseries are legally mandated to comply with Accessibility under the Equality Act (2010) if you're in UK, so saying most aren't accessible is not accurate.

@Mrsttcno1 and I imagine you’ll also encourage companies to offer wfh jobs at a time when companies are pushing people back into work?
Even though fir a lot of disabled people, wfh is one of the most basic requirements.

Yep that’s going to work well….

People don't choose to have a disability and not work.

i know my sister gets a blue badge, not sure what, if any benefits actually, as she doesn’t need them.

which is my point, not all people registered (or similar terminology) are in the same box .

clearly many people on this thread genuinely cannot work and require more support, not less.

but lots of people in this country can and should be working.

What do you mean I am "choosing to" ?

I work to pay the bills and mortgage and feed my children. It's a real effort every day to work.

No it's not.