THE pay gap between disabled people and other workers is at its widest since records began, the TUC reported today  — while living costs for those with disabilities has spiralled upwards.

Research from the union body found that disabled workers’ average hourly pay was £9.90 last year, £1.50 an hour less than for non-disabled employees.

The disability pay gap is now £2,730 a year, which is the biggest difference since 2013, when official figures started to be published.

Disabled People Against Cuts co-founder Linda Burnip said she didn’t find the report surprising in an era when senior political figures such as Chancellor Phillip Hammond have blamed disabled people for low GDP.

“Obviously this is  totally unacceptable and really something needs to be done urgently to make sure it isn’t happening,” she added.

“Tory MPs have suggested that disabled people should be paid less than non-disabled people as they are ‘not as productive’, but there is no evidence so say that this is true.”

Ms Burnip said that it was a “double whammy” for disabled people to be paid less when they have higher living costs.

“It is yet another barrier for disabled people to stay in employment.

“If they are travelling to work, they may need a personal assistant with them, or hire taxis which are more additional costs,” she added.

The TUC said disabled people are less likely to be in work, and when they are, they are likely to earn less than other employees.

General secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Too many disabled people face lower pay and worse jobs than their non-disabled peers.

“New rules to make bosses reveal gender pay gaps have been successful at shining a light on the problem.

“We’d like the government to consider a similar law requiring employers to publish their disability pay gap, along with the steps they will take to close it.”

Ms O’Grady has also called for the government to reverse cuts to disability benefits which make it harder for disabled people to cover extra costs to get to work.

“Employers should talk to their disabled workers about how to make work more accessible,” she added.

Neil Heslop, chief executive of disability charity Leonard Cheshire, said the TUC’s report “confirms their fears” that disabled workers are even further disadvantaged in the workplace than imagined.

“The findings echo our own research and compound a situation that demands immediate action from the government,” he added.

And Labour’s sShadow disabilities minister Marsha De Cordova MP vowed that the next Labour government would “ensure disabled people get the specialist support they need and expand Access to Work so that many more disabled people can find work and earn equal pay.”
 
She said: “The Tories have failed to tackle the disability employment gap. Disabled people are increasingly being either locked out of work or locked in to low paid work.

“This has happened alongside punitive cuts to social security for disabled people and a callous assessments and sanctions regime.”