The latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that millions of disabled people are in employment across the UK. However, the difference between the employment rates of disabled and non-disabled people remains substantial, raising questions about the effectiveness of policies designed to improve access to work.
The government’s latest report, covering April to June 2026, estimates that 5.6 million disabled people are employed. The disability employment rate stands at 53%, compared with 82.4% for non-disabled people.
This leaves an employment gap of approximately 29.4 percentage points. Although the latest quarterly figures suggest a small improvement, the changes are not statistically significant.
Annual figures also present a more complicated picture. The disability employment gap increased from 26.8 percentage points in 2024-25 to 28 percentage points in 2025-26, while the disability employment rate declined.
The figures highlight the continuing challenges disabled people face in accessing secure and suitable employment. They also raise questions about how accurately changes in disability prevalence are reflected in official employment statistics.
Figures
The DWP’s latest publication provides an overview of employment among working-age disabled people in the UK.
According to the report, the number of disabled people in employment increased by approximately 150,000 over the previous year, reaching 5.6 million.
However, the employment rate remains considerably lower than that of non-disabled people.
| Employment Measure | Latest Figures |
|---|---|
| Disabled people in employment | 5.6 million |
| Disability employment rate | 53% |
| Non-disabled employment rate | 82.4% |
| Disability employment gap | Approximately 29.4 percentage points |
| Quarterly change in disability employment rate | +0.2 percentage points |
| Annual change in employment gap | -0.3 percentage points |
The quarterly figures suggest that employment outcomes for disabled people may have improved slightly. However, the DWP states that neither the change in the employment rate nor the reduction in the employment gap was statistically significant.
This means the observed changes cannot confidently be interpreted as evidence of a sustained improvement.
The DWP’s official employment statistics provide further information about the employment rates and characteristics of disabled workers.
Trends
The annual figures provide a different perspective from the quarterly results.
Between 2024-25 and 2025-26, the disability employment rate declined from 55.3% to 54.3%. Over the same period, the disability employment gap increased from 26.8 percentage points to 28 percentage points.
This suggests that the relative employment disadvantage experienced by disabled people may have increased over the year.
However, interpreting these figures requires consideration of a factor known as disability prevalence.
Disability prevalence refers to the proportion of the population who identify as disabled or report an impairment that affects their daily activities.
Changes in this proportion can influence the number of people classified as disabled in employment statistics. As more people identify as disabled, the overall number of disabled people in work may increase even if their relative employment prospects do not improve.
This distinction is important when assessing whether government employment policies are producing meaningful changes.
Prevalence
Researchers have previously highlighted the relationship between disability prevalence and employment statistics.
Studies by academics associated with Cardiff Business School and the Disability@Work research group have examined how changes in the proportion of people reporting disabilities can affect the disability employment gap.
Their research suggests that some of the improvement previously reported in disability employment figures may have resulted from changes in the population classified as disabled rather than improvements in employment opportunities.
The latest DWP report estimates that disability prevalence accounted for approximately 60% of the change in the number of disabled people in employment between 2013 and 2026.
Other factors included changes in the employment rate of non-disabled people, which accounted for an estimated 20% of the change, and growth in the working-age population, which accounted for approximately 5%.
The report estimates that around 15% of the change was attributable to changes in the disability employment gap itself.
These findings suggest that the increase in the number of disabled people in employment should not automatically be interpreted as evidence that employment barriers have been substantially reduced.
Barriers
The employment gap also varies across different groups of disabled people.
According to the latest figures, the gap is wider among:
- Men.
- People aged 50 to 64.
- People with no formal qualifications.
- People living in social housing.
- People who are not living in a couple.
- Residents of Northern Ireland, Scotland, northern England, the West Midlands and Wales.
These differences suggest that employment disadvantage is influenced by a combination of factors, including age, education, location and access to suitable opportunities.
Disability Rights UK has called for a national strategy focused on improving accessibility, flexibility and security in the labour market.
The organisation has also highlighted the importance of funding the Access to Work scheme, implementing reasonable adjustments, improving pay transparency and reviewing the Disability Confident scheme.
The Equality Act 2010 establishes legal protections against disability discrimination in employment and other areas of public life.
However, legal protections alone may not remove practical barriers such as inaccessible workplaces, inflexible working arrangements or a lack of appropriate support.
Support
The DWP has said it is investing £3.5 billion in personalised disability employment support.
A government spokesperson stated that the number of disabled people in employment had increased by 150,000 over the previous year, reaching 5.6 million.
The department also said it was working to improve access to employment and help disabled people and people with health conditions find secure jobs.
However, disability organisations have argued that employment support should be accompanied by changes in employer practices and wider labour market conditions.
They have also warned that reducing access to social security benefits could increase financial insecurity for disabled people who are unable to work or face significant barriers to employment.
For some people, paid employment may not be a realistic option because of their health conditions or support needs. Any strategy must therefore recognise the different circumstances of disabled people.
Discrimination
The government has also decided not to introduce section 14 of the Equality Act 2010, which would have provided a specific legal framework for combined discrimination.
Combined discrimination, also known as intersectional discrimination, occurs when multiple characteristics interact to create a distinct form of disadvantage.
For example, a disabled person may experience discrimination that is influenced by both disability and race, rather than either characteristic independently.
The government said introducing the provision could create legal uncertainty and additional procedural challenges. It intends instead to issue guidance explaining how existing equality law can address combined discrimination.
Research published by the government found that between 2% and 6% of discrimination claims and complaints involved intersectional discrimination.
Among cases involving multiple discrimination, disability and race were the most frequently identified combination, accounting for 16.4% of cases.
The findings highlight the importance of considering how different characteristics can influence people’s experiences of discrimination.
The latest DWP figures show that disabled people continue to face substantial employment disadvantage across the UK. Although the number of disabled people in work has increased, the employment gap remains close to 30 percentage points.
Knowing whether this gap is narrowing requires more than examining changes in the total number of disabled people employed. Disability prevalence, employment rates and the wider labour market must also be considered.
For policymakers, employers and disability organisations, the challenge remains to improve access to secure, suitable and accessible employment while ensuring that people who cannot work receive appropriate support.
