Disability Pay Gap figures published
According to research published today by the TUC, disabled workers are working the final 47 days of the year for free, and the disability pay gap is bigger now than it was a decade ago.
Analysis from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) reveals that the pay gap between disabled and non-disabled workers is now 14.6%, with disabled people earning around £1.90 less per hour. The disability pay gap has shrunk from 17.2% last year but the gap is still higher than a decade ago
This makes a difference of £3,460 a year for someone working a 35-hour week, meaning that disabled people effectively work for free for the last 47 days of the year. The weekly difference is £66.50, which is more than the average household spends on food each week.
Zero Progress
The TUC has slammed the “Zero Progress” on the disability pay gap. TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said “We all deserve to be paid fairly for the work we do. But disabled people continue to be valued less in our jobs market.
“Too many disabled people are held back at work, not getting the reasonable adjustments they need to do their jobs. And we need to strengthen the benefits system for those who are unable to work or are out of work, so they are not left in poverty.”
The analysis also showed that disabled workers were more likely to be on zero-hours contracts, with disabled Black women nearly three time as likely than non-disabled white men (6% compared to 2.2%) to be on these insecure contracts.
The TUC is calling for disability pay gap reporting to become mandatory, in the same manner as the gender pay gap.
Get involved
Read the full report from the TUC.
Get involved with the National Disabled Members’ networks to share your experiences and ideas on how to best support disabled people in the workplace and fight for the rights of disabled workers.