Our action for disabled people
by The SNP recognise the valuable contribution that disabled people make to Scottish society and Scotland as a whole. Our Disability Delivery Plan sets out the transformational change we want to make in order for disabled people to realise their full potential.
Here’s just some of what we are doing.
We want to halve the disability employment gap in Scotland.
Around 40 per cent of working age disabled adults are in employment, compared with more than 80 per cent of adults with no disability. That needs to change.
In government we have launched a campaign to encourage small and medium sized businesses to recognise the benefits of employing disabled people.
We will provide funding of over £9 million to support employers to recruit young disabled people. We will dedicate £1 million to ensuring our new devolved employment services are joined up with other key areas such as health services, to help disabled people and individuals at risk of long-term unemployment.
And we are committed to increasing the number of young disabled people undertaking Modern Apprenticeships.
We are ensuring the delivery of benefits matches the needs of the people of Scotland.
We are creating a Scottish social security system based on dignity and respect – reforming assessments for disability, extending Winter Fuel Payments to families with severely disabled children, and increasing Carer’s Allowance.
⚖ Legislation to establish Scotland’s first social security system has been introduced to @scotparl. Find out more: https://t.co/zp42HJeG7n pic.twitter.com/DhCKrswU3z
— The SNP (@theSNP) June 21, 2017
We have established a Carers Benefits Expert Advisory Group to provide recommendations and guidance on the assessment process.
We have also announced that profit-making private firms such as Atos and Capita will have no place in Scotland’s new social security system. We put people before profits.
We are supporting disabled people to live their lives with freedom, choice and dignity.
We will continue to fund the Independent Living Fund, which delivers support payments to severely disabled people to enable them to live as independently as possible. And, we will increase funding for the scheme ahead of opening it up to new users.
We will maintain funding for housing adaptations that help disabled tenants live safely and independently at home. And we will continue to fund concessionary travel, which protects household budgets and helps disabled people lead more connected lives.