Disability Confident scheme to be overhauled

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced its plans to reform the Disability Confident employer scheme as part of the Government’s Plan for Change. Around 19,000 employers are signed up to the scheme, which was set up by the previous government in 2016 to encourage organisations to recruit and retain disabled people.

However, according to the DWP, the scheme has delivered huge variations of support across different UK regions, often overlooking specific local needs and priorities. The scheme also received criticism from Sir Charlie Mayfield in the Keep Britain Working Review, published in November 2025, which concluded that Disability Confident lacks “accountability and ‘teeth’.”

The reforms will be trialled through employers, alongside the work taking place in the Keep Britain Working Review Vanguards, including:

reducing the time employers can remain at the scheme’s entry level from three years to two and removing the option for them to renew at this level to encourage employers to progress up the scheme (the scheme has three levels of commitment)
tailoring support for SMEs to their needs and capabilities
connecting employers together so that they can access peer-to-peer support and share good practice, with practical resources
reflecting the views and voices of disabled people throughout the scheme so that guidance reflects real experiences.

Noting that while the scheme had enormous potential, The Minister for Social Security and Disability, Sir Stephen Timms, said: “For too long, […] it has not delivered enough support for disabled people, or for employers who want to recruit, retain and develop disabled people. That’s why we are improving the scheme, through robust reforms to ensure a better service for all, including through greater support for SMEs and improving access to resources for employers.

“This comes alongside our investment of £1 billion a year in employment support by the end of the decade, and our Connect to Work programme which will help 300,000 sick or disabled people into work by the end of the parliament.”

Loading content...

Disability Confident scheme to be overhauled

Related articles