Disabled people effectively stop earning from today due to pay gap
Disabled workers will work effectively for free from now until the end of the year, according to a new analysis of the disability wage gap.
According to the Trades Union Congress, earnings between disabled and non-disabled workers remain at a significant £2.24 an hour; This means that disabled workers working 35 hours a week have to live on an average of £4,000 less per year than non-disabled workers.
The disability wage gap corresponds to a difference of 15.5 percent; This is a modest improvement on last year, when it was 17.2 per cent, but the TUC and disability advocates have warned significant steps are needed to tackle inequality.
People with disabilities already face higher costs of living on average; Disability equality charity Scope estimates that they would need to pay an additional £1,224 per month to have the same standard of living as a non-disabled person. Additional costs faced by people with disabilities include increased gas and electricity bills to keep their homes warm, home adaptations, hearing or other sensory equipment, and increased food bills to meet nutritional requirements.
Scope Strategy Director James Taylor said: “The disability pay gap proves once again that the workplace is stacked against disabled people.
“Life is more expensive if you’re disabled. But fair pay and career advancement opportunities are out of reach for many,” he added. “Employers need to take action to make workplaces accessible and inclusive, so talented disabled people cannot be overlooked.
“We are also calling on the government to bring forward legislation on disability pay gap reporting to deliver meaningful change and take steps to close the pay gap.”
They are more likely to be employed on zero-hour contracts than non-disabled workers, the analysis found; The union body argues that these contracts give employers greater control over workers’ working hours and earning power.
The union’s further analysis shows that the unemployment rate among disabled people is at the highest level since before the pandemic; This rate is more than twice that of people without disabilities.
Dan White, policy officer at Disability Rights England, said the disability pay gap was a stark reminder of the inequality disabled people experience in the job market.
“At a time when the government is pushing disabled people into work, the ongoing disability pay gap reminds us of the inequality we experience in the labor market,” Mr White said. “While a one percent drop is welcome, the pay gap remains. At a time when many in our society are struggling with poverty, disabled workers are returning home with less money in our pockets. Failure to significantly close the gap is cruel and shameful for employers and the government.”
“The government is proposing to introduce mandatory disability pay gap reporting and has already consulted on this intention. “We need this legislation to be brought forward to ensure employers take responsibility for fixing the disability pay gap.
“The pay gap is a stark reminder ahead of the upcoming budget announcement. It appears Disabled people need an extra £1095 per month to achieve the same standard of living as non-disabled people.
“This gap is rarely recognized in the funding of public services, with our community having to bear the brunt of years of decline, receiving little in return for our hard work to plug the cracks. The pay gap proves that this year’s budget should be a reset, a move away from years of austerity and towards funding the services we all rely on.”
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said urgent action was needed to improve the quality of work and wages of disabled people, calling on the government to press ahead with plans to introduce mandatory pay gap reporting for disabled people.
“The government’s commitment to mandatory pay gap reporting and banning exploitative zero-hour contracts are some of the measures that will make a real difference to the working lives of disabled people,” he said. “It is important that we now see these plans implemented as quickly as possible.
“We need an economy that allows people with disabilities to thrive, not one that condemns them to poverty.”
The government’s Employment Rights Bill, which proposes to ban zero hours contracts, is currently in its final stages.
A government spokesman said: “We are committed to increasing opportunities and championing the rights of people with disabilities and removing barriers to opportunity.” “That’s why, as part of the upcoming Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, we are introducing mandatory disability pay gap reporting for major employers.”
