Support For All

Jonathan Shaw, Minister for Disabled People, discusses Government Pledges.

Recently the Government pledged £5 billion helping jobseekers during the economic downturn.

This includes creating jobs for young people and those in the hardest hit communities, delivering training and skills, and providing 16,000 extra frontline staff in Jobcentres across the country. The Government is determined to meet the biggest challenge facing communities – unemployment.

I personally want to ensure, as Minister for Disabled People, that disabled people do not get left behind. We will continue to act, to support disabled people, their families, communities and the economy through the downturn to prevent long-term unemployment.

The Government wants to make sure every disabled person gets the help and support they need to overcome their barriers to work, fulfil their potential and build a better life for themselves and their families.

Our welfare reforms will provide the type of personalised help, which is flexible and sensitive to disabled people. We recently announced the pilots for the Personal Employment Programme to help those not yet ready or able to work get the skills or advice they need to prepare for employment in future. People will be able to access a variety of back to work support, whilst still being able to benefit from any specialist support that they need. For example, someone with a mental health illness affected by anxiety will be able to access specialist support to help them manage that condition.

Phil Hope, Minister for Care Services, and I recently announced 400 employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities across the DWP, including in Jobcentre Plus. We have pledged to get as many as possible into jobs where they are working at least 16 hours per week in order to close the gap between the employment rate of people with learning disabilities and that of disabled people generally.

A fairer more equal society; this encompasses everything the Government is trying to achieve in its vision to radically reform the welfare system, reflecting our aims to see virtually every disabled person in work, with the personal help they need to get there.  When times are tough, it is more important than ever that we provide people with the extra help they need.  People in control of their lives. A fairer and more equal society.  I look forward to updating you on how we are progressing with these new initiatives.