TUC reveals the disability pay gap

Disabled workers effectively stopped earning on November 12^th because of the disability pay gap, meaning that they’ll effectively work for free from now until the end of the year.

New analysis published by the TUC shows that the earnings gulf between disabled and non-disabled workers remains significant at £2.24 an hour. That means disabled employees working 35 hours a week have to get by with over £4,000 less a year compared to non-disabled workers on average.

This amounts to a 15.5% disability pay gap. While this represents a welcome modest improvement from last year (when the gap was 17.2%), the TUC warns it is still substantial and needs urgent action to tackle.

TUC analysis also shows that the unemployment rate among disabled people is now the highest it has been since before the pandemic – more than double the unemployment rate for non-disabled people. This highlights the failure of attempts by pervious governments to support disabled people into work.

On top of higher unemployment rates and lower earnings, disabled people also face higher living costs. On average, according to Scope analysis disabled people have to fork out an additional £1,224 a month to secure the same standard of living as a non-disabled person. The costs disabled people face can include higher gas and electricity bills to keep the homes warm; home adaptations; hearing or other sensory equipment; manual or electric mobility aids; and higher food bills to allow them to meet specific dietary requirements.

The new TUC analysis also shows that disabled workers are significantly more likely to be employed on zero-hours contracts than non-disabled workers (4.3% compared to 3.3%).

The TUC is urging the government to press on with delivering its plans to introduce mandatory pay gap reporting.

This needs to sit alongside wider measures including reform of the Access to Work scheme, so that people get the support they need to get into work, and requirements on employers to deliver reasonable adjustments rapidly.

In addition, the Mayfield review, published last Wednesday, recognised that more needs to be done to boost the number of disabled people in work and set out some key steps in the right direction.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Everyone who works for a living deserves to earn a decent living. But disabled workers are still waiting for pay parity and fair treatment at work. Urgent action is now needed to improve the quality of work and pay for disabled people.

“The government’s commitment to delivering mandatory pay gap reporting and banning exploitative zero-hours contracts are among some of the measures that will make a real difference in disabled people’s working lives. It’s important we now see those plans realised as soon as possible.

“We need an economy that allows disabled people to thrive – not one that traps them in poverty.”

You can learn more about issues around disability in the workplace on Empower Up here.