The Alliance Communities Spokesperson said: "There is a lack of joined up working between key departments, no joint budgeting to invest in programmes and a lack of appropriate consultation with people with disabilities. As a result, future support and opportunities for disabled people will remain limited, leading to more benefit dependency."

 

"Northern Ireland has the highest number of people with disabilities not in work in the UK. The disability employment rate is 38.7%, compared with 54.4% in the UK. Many people with disabilities want to work and the barriers to employment can be dealt with, if the key Ministers focused on solutions instead of silo working.

 

"The Mind the Gap report compiled by NIUSE and KARE highlights how Supported Employment is by far the most effective way to help people with disabilities into work and to sustain those jobs. 

 

"Supported Employment is an internationally recognised, evidence-based intervention to assist disabled people to find, maintain and progress in employment.  Edyth Dunlop, NIUSE speaking at the Mind the Gap Summit (25 June 2025) stressed the need for urgent action to address the employment gap for people with disabilities and to ensure that they receive the right support to help them into employment and during employment.

 

"However, the future of this type of support for people with disabilities hangs in the balance. From 2026 we still don't know if the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be allocated to Northern Ireland to be used on issues relevant to our region. There is no Disability and Work Strategy.

 

"That's why I'm calling on a joint meeting with the Department for Communities and the Department for the Economy to come together to ensure a way forward to improve disability employment rates with strategies that will deliver for disabled people.

 

"Without concerted and synchronised action more people with disabilities will be forced into poverty and financial stress."