The Government’s work experience scheme has come under major fire recently. It gives people on benefits the chance of work experience (unpaid) – but, once they have started it, those individuals must continue or may face benefit sanctions.
Disability Rights UK believes that disabled people must be given opportunities that lead to paid work. Disabled people have far fewer opportunities than non-disabled people to gain work experience – but the workfare scheme must give opportunities for real paid work, give the opportunity to build confidence - which is often knocked by negative attitudes of some careers advisors and employers – and any unpaid work experience must be strictly time limited.
Liz Sayce, Disability Rights UK’s Chief Executive, says: “Disabled people want jobs and want work experience that leads to real paid work. It has to be good work experience – which means real development and training opportunities, a serious chance of paid work through doing it, and strict time limits on any unpaid work experience. Requiring long term unpaid work is not fair. Also Government must act to offer access to work support – for technology, interpreters etc – so disabled people can actually do internships and all kinds of work experience. At the moment they are often excluded. It is time to put in place the right support and adjustments rather than wave the ‘stick’ of benefit sanctions.”
