A report summarized activity to date in the incapacity benefit reforms 'Pathways to Work' pilots.
Source: Billy Blyth, Pathways to Work Performance Summary, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7962 8176)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Dec
Researchers examined existing evidence on the economic and social costs and benefits to employers of retaining, recruiting, and employing disabled people and/or people with a health condition or an injury. Many benefits were claimed for businesses that employed disabled people: employers cited access to a wider pool of skills, improved morale, better retention rates, and similar indirect business benefits. But hard evidence on values for costs and benefits to employers of employing disabled people was 'nearly impossible' to find.
Source: Karen Needels and Robert Schmitz (eds.), Economic and Social Costs and Benefits to Employers of Retaining, Recruiting and Employing Disabled People and/or People with Health Conditions or an Injury: A review of the evidence, Research Report 400, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2006-Dec
Research showed general support among incapacity benefit recipients for the principles of the Pathways to Work programme: but the panel emphasized the importance of the intervention coming at the right time, and the support offered suiting the circumstances of individual people.
Source: Anne Corden and Katharine Nice, Pathways to Work: Findings from the final cohort in a qualitative longitudinal panel of incapacity benefits recipients, Research Report 398, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2006-Oct
A report explored the reasons for variation in performance between new and existing job brokers under the New Deal for Disabled People programme. Job brokers performance was found to be affected by a range of factors, including changes to the way in which the programme was monitored, relationships between Jobcentre Plus and job brokers, and by environmental and contextual considerations.
Source: Abigail Davis, Elspeth Pound and Bruce Stafford, New Deal for Disabled People Extensions: Examining the role and operation of new job brokers, Research Report 384, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2006-Sep
A report evaluated two modernization funds established to improve provision of a supported employment programme ('WORKSTEP') for disabled people facing the most significant or complex barriers to finding and keeping a job.
Source: Ann Purvis, Lindsay Smith, James Lowrey and Lynn Dobbs, WORKSTEP Modernisation Funds Evaluation, Research Report 378, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2006-Aug
A report presented selected findings from an evaluation of the New Deal for Disabled People. It covered developments up to and including spring 2004, and synthesized findings from fieldwork with NDDP participants, employers, members of the eligible population, those delivering the programme, and from administrative data. The research evidence was of steady progress in terms of outcomes and institutional developments.
Source: Bruce Stafford et al., New Deal for Disabled People: Second synthesis report Interim findings from the evaluation, Research Report 377, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2006-Aug
A report analyzed the results from the third cohort of a survey of participants in the New Deal for Disabled People - designed to identify their characteristics, and their experiences of (and views on) the programme. There was tentative evidence that the higher proportion of job entries for 'pathways to work' areas compared to elsewhere might be attributable to the incapacity benefit reforms implemented in the pilot areas.
Source: Kate Legge et al., New Deal for Disabled People: Survey of Registrants - Report of Cohort 3, Research Report 369, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2006-Jul
An article described regional patterns in disability benefit claims in the United Kingdom (and United States of America), and explored the economics literature in search of potential explanations for them.
Source: Duncan McVicar, 'Why do disability benefit rolls vary between regions? A review of the evidence from the USA and the UK', Regional Studies, Volume 40 Number 5
Links: Article
Date: 2006-Jul
A government-commissioned report examined a range of possible scenarios for the Remploy business (giving factory employment to disabled people), including the option of complete closure. The average annual subsidy for Remploy factory workers was 18,000 per person, with the highest subsidies over 48,000 per person - compared with other supported employment that cost 5,000 per person per year. The government rejected complete closure, and confirmed a 5-year funding package: but it said that the company needed to modernize to become financially sustainable and improve efficiency.
Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers and Stephen Duckworth, Remploy: Review of Future Business Options, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7962 8176) | Press release 19 July 2006, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7712 2171)
Links: Report | Summary | Hansard | DWP press release | Community Care report
Date: 2006-Jul
A trade union report said that far too few disabled people who wanted to work were being recruited by employers; and too many disabled employees, including workers who had become disabled after being injured at work, were losing their jobs.
Source: Jobs for Disabled People, Trades Union Congress (020 7467 1294)
Links: Report | TUC press release
Date: 2006-May
A report said that managing disability as a business priority benefited both business and the wider community.
Source: Rhiannon Suter, Susan Scott-Parker and Simon Zadek, Realising Potential: Disability confidence builds better business, Employers Forum on Disability (020 7403 3020)
Links: EFD press release
Date: 2006-May
A report examined people's experience and use of the 'return to work credit' (an earnings supplement available to incapacity benefit recipients who move into paid work).
Source: Anne Corden and Katharine Nice, Pathways to Work from Incapacity Benefits: A study of experience and use of return to work credit, Research Report 353, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2006-May
A report examined the early impact of the 'pathways to work' pilots on employment, earnings, receipt of incapacity benefits, and a potential indicator of the extent to which individuals' health affected their everyday activities.
Source: Stuart Adam, Carl Emmerson, Christine Frayne and Alissa Goodman, Early Quantitative Evidence on the Impact of the Pathways to Work Pilots, Research Report 354, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2006-May
A study found that working days lost through sickness absence were at their lowest level in 20 years, after the total fell in 2005 by 4 million days, to 164 million.
Source: Absence Minded: Absence and labour turnover 2006, Confederation of British Industry (020 7395 8247) with AXA
Links: CBI press release | DWP press release | TUC press release | BBC report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2006-May
A study examined the design, delivery and performance of the 'WORKSTEP' programme (a supported employment programme aimed at disabled people facing the most significant or complex barriers to finding and keeping a job.) It said that the programme clearly provided invaluable support to many people who would be unlikely to find and sustain employment via any other route.
Source: Ann Purvis, James Lowrey and Lynn Dobbs, WORKSTEP Evaluation Case Studies: Exploring the design, delivery and performance of the WORKSTEP Programme, Research Report 348, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2006-Apr
A survey examined public bodies' approach to implementing the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995. The Act was a major factor that influenced the changes made by organizations which took part in the survey, in terms of employment and service provision, accessibility of information, and buildings strategy. It was also the main reason given by respondents for integrating disability issues into their mainstream plans.
Source: Simon Roberts, Antonia Ivaldi, Monica Magadi, Viet-Hai Phung and Bruce Stafford, Public Sector and Equality for Disabled People, Research Report 343, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Report | Summary | DWP press release
Date: 2006-Apr
An article examined how family doctor and patient gender interacted to influence the outcome of consultation - in particular, the effect of gender interaction on the duration of patients' certified sickness.
Source: Christopher Shiels and Mark Gabbay, 'The influence of GP and patient gender interaction on the duration of certified sickness absence', Family Practice, Volume 23 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Mar
An article examined the challenges of applying a 'barriers' approach to a disability employment monitoring schemes. It emphasized the importance of disability employment monitoring if disabled people were to be better represented and receive equitable treatment in the workplace.
Source: Alan Roulstone and Jon Warren, 'Applying a barriers approach to monitoring disabled people s employment: implications for the Disability Discrimination Act 2005', Disability & Society, Volume 21 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Mar
Two linked reports evaluated the job retention and rehabilitation pilot, which sought to test additional help for those off work due to sickness and ill-health to return to, and retain, their job. Overall, the interventions had no significant impact on the group of people recruited into the trial across key return-to-work measures.
Source: Christopher Farrell, Katharine Nice, Jane Lewis and Roy Sainsbury, Experiences of the Job Retention and Rehabilitation Pilot, Research Report 339, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040) | Christopher Farrell, Katharine Nice, Jane Lewis and Roy Sainsbury, Impacts of the Job Retention and Rehabilitation Pilot, Research Report 342, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report 339 | Summary 339 | Report 342 | Summary 342 | DWP press release
Date: 2006-Mar
A report analyzed variations in the employment prospects of disabled people in the light of their differing demographic characteristics, economic opportunities, and impairments.
Source: Richard Berthoud, The Employment Rates of Disabled People, Research Report 298, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2006-Mar
A survey aimed to establish the characteristics of the population eligible for the New Deal for Disabled People - including their work aspirations, and their awareness of, attitudes to and involvement with, the NDDP.
Source: Candice Pires, Anne Kazimirski, Andrew Shaw, Roy Sainsbury and Angela Meah, New Deal for Disabled People Evaluation: Eligible Population Survey, Wave Three, Research Report 324, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2006-Mar
An article examined how family doctors decided whether or not to offer a sick note. Doctors were more likely to offer a sick note to patients with a psychological problem. Issuing sick notes was unrelated to the patient's family circumstances or patient demand.
Source: Amaryllis Campbell and Jane Ogden, 'Why do doctors issue sick notes? An experimental questionnaire study in primary care', Family Practice, Volume 23 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Feb
An inspectorate report said that inadequate training and support were preventing people with disabilities from achieving their potential in the workplace.
Source: Greater Expectations: Provision for learners with disabilities, Adult Learning Inspectorate (0870 240 7744)
Links: Report | ALI press release
Date: 2006-Feb
A private member's Bill was introduced to give workers who become disabled time off work in order to assess whether and how they could keep their job.
Source: Rehabilitation Leave Bill, John Robertson MP, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard
Date: 2006-Jan