Disabled adults

Approaching half (45%) of working age disabled adults say the pandemic has had a negative impact on their current ability to work, rising to 57% among 18-24 year olds.

One in four (24%) who were in employment before the pandemic now say they have been placed on furlough or have applied for grants to top up their wages.  Additionally, one in four (26%) who were placed on furlough say they have not been able to return to work.

Other consequences to those employed pre-pandemic include:

• One in five (20%) who say they have lost out on income
• One in four (24%) who say they are working reduced hours
• One in twenty (5%) who are currently unemployed

Employers

One in four (20%) employers say they would be less likely to employ someone with a disability. The practicalities and cost of making workplace adjustments are considered the main barriers to employing disabled people (56% and 54% respectively).

Half of employers (49%) say disabled people are more at risk of being negatively affected by the COVID-19 recession than non-disabled people. Comparatively, just over a quarter (27%) believe both groups are no more at risk than the other.

Looking ahead, employers are most often concerned for their staff’s mental health and wellbeing (41%), followed by their physical health (39%) and job security (37%). Those who employ disabled people are twice as likely those who do not to cite future career prospects as their greatest concern for staff over the next year (20% vs 11%).