April 2022
The phrase ‘levelling-up’ is a phrase many of us have heard several times since 2019. In fact, we now have a dedicated Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which replaced the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Levelling-up was at the heart of the governments manifesto prior to its landslide General Election victory in 2019. It is not just about improving regions through better public transport or investing in local high streets.
My recent visit to Watford Workshop with Prime Minister Boris Johnson reminded me that it is about ensuring equal opportunity for all. This fantastic charity employs adults with disabilities who face barriers to mainstream employment.
Being able to write a CV or walk into a job interview is something that many of us take for granted, but for those with a learning difficulty or disability it can be a significant challenge, and sometimes feel like an impossible task.
There are more than 14 million disabled people in the UK, and disabled people are over twice as likely to be unemployed.
The DWP will provide £1.3bn over the SR21 period to provide employment support for disabled people and people with health conditions.
