DWP to hold disabled employment services consultation in Manchester

THE future of employment services for disabled people will come under the spotlight next Monday when the government stages a public consultation in the North West.

Disability support organisation Breakthrough UK has been asked by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to host the event at its Greater Manchester headquarters at 1pm on Monday, September 26.

It will focus specifically on proposed changes to improve and expand the Access to Work programme which gives financial help for support workers, interpreters, equipment and other practical support to enable disabled people to get and keep jobs.

The public consultation has been launched by the Government following the Sayce Review of specialist disability employment programmes which reported in June.

The Manchester event will give businesses an opportunity to hear from DWP about proposed changes to Access to Work, recount their own experiences of using it and – ultimately – formulate better responses to the consultation. 

Lorraine Gradwell, chief executive of Breakthrough UK, said: “We want as many employers and disabled adults who have had direct experience of the Access to Work programme to attend the event to hear what changes are planned and to share their opinions and experiences with the team from the DWP.”