There is a worrying story in the Financial Times about how Access to Work – designed to support disabled people to take up or remain in work – is having the opposite effect.

Quoting a report by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, it finds that long delays, inconsistent decision-making and funding uncertainty are causing disabled people – including those with learning disabilities – to wait months for support, with some losing job offers, existing employment and income as a result.

The report also warns that these failings are, in turn, discouraging some employers from recruiting disabled people.

At EmployAble, we know that the right support can make all the difference to both candidates and employers. Schemes such as Access to Work should remove barriers to employment, not create new ones, and we hope to see urgent action taken to restore confidence in this important programme.