Nearly half of 700 disabled respondents to a Scope survey said flexible working time and practices could have helped them stay in work
The disability charity has published a new report; ‘A million futures' - showing that last year alone, 220,000 more disabled people fell out of work than found a new job and that a lack of flexibility in the workplace is a critical issue.
Nearly half (48%) of the 700 respondents to a Scope survey said that flexible working time and practices could have helped them stay in work.
Many disabled people said that a key benefit of flexible working is that it can allow them to manage changes in their lives related to disability, or to manage a fluctuating condition, or recover from treatment.
Yet only one in three had been offered the flexibility they needed.
As a result, disabled people and their families found themselves relying on taking sick leave to manage this need for flexibility.
Scope said: "Providing better support for disabled people must be a priority for Government and employers - and can bring benefits for everyone.
"For those disabled people who are able to continue working, it means they can continue working, contributing, and taking home a pay packet.
"Employers are able to keep hold of the knowledge, experience and contacts that often experienced disabled people can bring.
"Crucially, better in-work support can bring benefits to the Government, by rebalancing spending on expensive programmes back to supporting those in work."
In related news, the American Cancer Society's Cancer Journal claims unemployment amongst women who were diagnosed with breast cancer four years previously is connected to the side effects of chemotherapy treatment.
Commenting, Liz Egan, Lead of the working through cancer Programme at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "If every survivor received a cancer recovery package, had access to appropriate services and employers offered effective back-to-work support, the picture could be very different."
