Agenda item

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Leigh Bramall

That this Council:-

 

(a)       is concerned by recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures showing the disability employment gap  – the difference in employment rates between disabled and non-disabled people – is widening;

 

(b)       agrees with Mark Atkinson, chief executive of disability charity Scope, that: “current measures to support disabled people into employment aren’t working”;

 

(c)        believes that policies implemented by the Government, such as the abolition of the Independent Living Fund and the decision to cap Access To Work payments, will make it harder for people with disabilities to get into work;

 

(d)       further expresses its concern about Work Capability Assessments and the private providers who run them, noting a report released by the National Audit Office in January which found that under Maximus - the new providers of Work Capability Assessments - while cost has almost doubled, there remains a backlog of 280,000 cases and individuals are still having to wait an average of 23 weeks for decisions to be made on whether they will be entitled to Employment and Support Allowance;

 

(e)       notes the work Sheffield City Council is doing to support people with disabilities back into employment, including:-

 

(i)         its action to bring resources together from various Council portfolios to better target spending;  and

 

(ii)        new initiatives to better support people with learning disabilities and mental health conditions to secure work;

 

(f)        welcomes the current Administration’s pledge to double the number of people with disabilities moving into employment in Sheffield; and

 

(g)       calls on the Government to overhaul the assessments system and cancel the planned cuts to Employment and Support Allowance that will take up to £30 a week from people with disabilities.

Minutes:

Work Capability Assessments

 

11.1

It was formally moved by Councillor Leigh Bramall, and formally seconded by Councillor Adam Hurst, that this Council:-

 

 

 

(a)       is concerned by recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures showing the disability employment gap – the difference in employment rates between disabled and non-disabled people – is widening;

 

(b)       agrees with Mark Atkinson, chief executive of disability charity Scope, that: “current measures to support disabled people into employment aren’t working”;

 

(c)        believes that policies implemented by the Government, such as the abolition of the Independent Living Fund and the decision to cap Access To Work payments, will make it harder for people with disabilities to get into work;

 

(d)       further expresses its concern about Work Capability Assessments and the private providers who run them, noting a report released by the National Audit Office in January which found that under Maximus - the new providers of Work Capability Assessments - while cost has almost doubled, there remains a backlog of 280,000 cases and individuals are still having to wait an average of 23 weeks for decisions to be made on whether they will be entitled to Employment and Support Allowance;

 

(e)       notes the work Sheffield City Council is doing to support people with disabilities back into employment, including:-

 

(i)         its action to bring resources together from various Council portfolios to better target spending; and

 

(ii)        new initiatives to better support people with learning disabilities and mental health conditions to secure work;

 

(f)        welcomes the current Administration’s pledge to double the number of people with disabilities moving into employment in Sheffield; and

 

(g)       calls on the Government to overhaul the assessments system and cancel the planned cuts to Employment and Support Allowance that will take up to £30 a week from people with disabilities.

 

 

11.2

Whereupon, it was formally moved by Councillor Douglas Johnson, and formally seconded by Councillor Magid Magid, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of a new paragraph (h) as follows:-

 

 

 

(h)        but recognises there are some people for whom paid employment will never be a realistic option and that the duty of an inclusive society is to meet the needs of everyone - however disadvantaged - who has the dignity of being human.

 

 

11.3

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.

 

 

11.4

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

 

 

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

 

 (a)        is concerned by recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures showing the disability employment gap – the difference in employment rates between disabled and non-disabled people – is widening;

 

(b)         agrees with Mark Atkinson, chief executive of disability charity Scope, that: “current measures to support disabled people into employment aren’t working”;

 

(c)         believes that policies implemented by the Government, such as the abolition of the Independent Living Fund and the decision to cap Access To Work payments, will make it harder for people with disabilities to get into work;

 

(d)         further expresses its concern about Work Capability Assessments and the private providers who run them, noting a report released by the National Audit Office in January which found that under Maximus - the new providers of Work Capability Assessments - while cost has almost doubled, there remains a backlog of 280,000 cases and individuals are still having to wait an average of 23 weeks for decisions to be made on whether they will be entitled to Employment and Support Allowance;

 

(e)         notes the work Sheffield City Council is doing to support people with disabilities back into employment, including:-

 

             (i)       its action to bring resources together from various Council portfolios to better target spending;  and

 

             (ii)      new initiatives to better support people with learning disabilities and mental health conditions to secure work;

 

(f)          welcomes the current Administration’s pledge to double the number of people with disabilities moving into employment in Sheffield;

 

(g)         calls on the Government to overhaul the assessments system and cancel the planned cuts to Employment and Support Allowance that will take up to £30 a week from people with disabilities; and

 

(h)        but recognises there are some people for whom paid employment will never be a realistic option and that the duty of an inclusive society is to meet the needs of everyone - however disadvantaged - who has the dignity of being human.