How many disabled people are in work?

“I’m pleased to say that what we’ve seen under this government is nearly half a million more disabled people actually in the workplace.”

Theresa May, 2 November 2016

This is correct, comparing now with 2013, although arguably “this government” came into power after the 2015 election.

The number of people in the UK officially classified as disabled and in employment has increased from 3.3 million around the time the Conservative government entered office in 2015 to 3.4 million in April to June this year.

Over the same time the number of people reporting that they had a physical or mental health condition or illness which would last more than 12 months and who were in employment increased from 7.1 million to 7.2 million.

The government told us that the Prime Minister was referring to the increased number of disabled people in work since April-June 2013, when the Coalition government was in power. At this time there were 2.9 million disabled people in work. Using this figure the number has indeed increased by just under half a million.

Why 2013? That’s as far back as comparable figures go, due to changes in how the figures were put together.

These figures don’t give an idea of how many disabled people have entered the workforce or left it. They only show how much the total number has changed over time.

The Prime Minister made her comment in response to Jeremy Corbyn asking what evidence there was that “imposing poverty on people with disabilities actually helps them into work?”

The estimated proportion of disabled people in relative poverty, after housing costs, has increased by 2% since 2010/11. However, there are several other measures of poverty, and on these the proportion of disabled people affected has either fallen or remained flat since 2010.