Tailored support not negative stereotypes needed to help disabled people - Alexander

Commenting on the publication of the National Audit Office's Gaining and retaining a job: The Department for Work and Pensions' Support for Disabled People, Danny Alexander MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Minister, said:

"Investment in helping the disabled back to work must be a key part of the welfare reform package.This report shows that where individually targeted help and support is available, disabled people can be helped back into work. With 1 million disabled people across the UK wanting to work, there is a need to invest in high quality support and advice across the whole country.

"Mr Blunkett seems more interested in courting dramatic media headlines that denigrate and stereotype many Incapacity Benefit recipients than proposing effective measures to help those people back into work.

"The Government would be better off publicising the Access to Work programme to help employers make adjustments in the workplace. It is a scandal that three quarters of small firms know nothing about this scheme."