A fifth of disabled people had their work requests refused, Scope finds

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BBC: Covid: A fifth of disabled people have work requests refused

One in five disabled employees had their request to work from home, be furloughed or redeployed during the pandemic rejected, research has shown.

Scope found 22% of disabled staff were put in an "impossible position" of having to choose between keeping their job or staying safe.

It wants the government to give people on the clinically extremely vulnerable list the automatic right to furlough.

The government said it was the employer's responsibility.

In a statement, the Treasury said: "Employers must ensure the safety of those with disabilities when considering working arrangements, including whether work can be completed remotely, and it is for employers to decide whether to make use of the furlough scheme."

The survey of 1,004 disabled adults by the charity, found 18% had their request to work from home denied while 11% were refused a request to be furloughed. A further 11% were told they could not be redeployed within their company.

More than half (55%) said they felt disabled people had been "forgotten" in the government's economic recovery plan.

James Taylor, the executive director of strategy at Scope, said the fact it was "down to employer discretion" meant there was currently "no guarantee" disabled people would have their jobs and health protected.

"Furlough is a vital safety net for disabled people who don't feel safe in the workplace, but whose jobs cannot be done from home," he said.

Have you experienced this? What do you think needs to be done?

[Deleted User]

Meh, the government hates the disabled, the 2010 Equality Act isn't worth the paper it's printed on IMO because the government has never and never will enforce it.

For evidence they hate us, look at all the needless deaths that have happened when the DWP finds people who clearly aren't, fit to work, and then sanction the **** out of them, so the people take their own lives! Yup, the DWP has innocent blood on its hands IMO.