Employers have been warned “no business can afford to overlook the value of disabled talent”, as a paper highlights the barriers to work many disabled people face.
Disabled people are twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people, according to the paper from the Society of Pension Professionals (SPP). This has wide reaching impacts as there are more than 16 million disabled people in the UK.
The paper also highlights that when in a job, disabled people are paid on average 13.8 percent less an hour. Many are in lower-paid, less secure roles with fewer opportunities to progress. This inequality is creating a disability pensions gap, which can mean people living in poverty in later life.
In the paper, Kamran Mallick, CEO of Disability Rights UK, said: “These inequalities result not from individual capability, but structural and attitudinal barriers within our labour market. Application portals often fail to accommodate screen readers or flexible formats. Interviewers may lack an understanding of disability.
“Outdated assumptions about what constitutes ‘competence’ can filter out talented candidates. Disabled people are frequently passed over for roles or promotions because they don’t conform to rigid expectations of availability, communication style, or presence.”
He emphasised that getting reasonable adjustments at work can be “bureaucratic” as managers often don’t know what support is available or “fear saying the wrong thing”.
Disabled staff say they feel excluded from social activities, denied opportunities to develop, or are viewed as less capable, even when outperforming, he added.
The paper urged HR teams to encourage senior executives to champion disability inclusion and lead by example. Employers can make a difference by setting targets, reporting on progress, and including disability in wider DEI strategies.
Ahead of the expected expansion in pay gap reporting legislation, which the government is developing, organisations can begin reporting on disability pay gaps now, as well as taking action to narrow the gap. Mallick said that employers that do this will be better placed to recruit and retain disabled talent.
“Transparency drives accountability and can shift organisational culture,” he said, urging employers to reimagine and monitor recruitment.
“Inclusive job descriptions that allow flexibility and remote working options, accessible platforms, alternative ways of assessing suitability, and ensuring flexibility at interviews all help level the playing field. To create a barrier-free experience for disabled people, monitoring also needs to include progression and retention.”
The paper highlights the “under use” of the government Access to Work scheme. This is a key issue as the scheme funds adjustments such as support workers, travel assistance, and specialist equipment.
“Promoting and demystifying this scheme could be transformative,” he said. “Businesses must commit to co-production: working with disabled employees and networks to shape workplace policies, practices, and culture. Shifting from doing “for” to “with” is essential if inclusion is to be genuine and sustainable.”
By tackling these inequalities, employers and the pensions industry can ensure disabled people are in a position where they can contribute more to their pensions.
SPP and Disability Rights UK also called on the pensions industry to “lead by example and become a sector where disabled people thrive”. To drive this forward, the paper recommends pension providers ensure communications, products, and advice are accessible and inclusive.
“With over 16 million disabled people in the UK, no business can afford to overlook the value of disabled talent, nor the social and financial cost of inaction. The pensions industry must lead by example, actively supporting systemic changes to improve employment outcomes for disabled people,” Mallick said.
The paper aims to highlight disability in the pensions industry, and wider business world. It includes insight from Disability Rights UK’s Mallick and Charlotte Feld, consultant lawyer at Travers Smith and a member of the SPP.
