UK’s TUC Brands 9 November as Disability Pay Gap Day

The TUC has branded today (9th November) as ‘Disability Pay Gap Day’. 

The union body’s latest poll findings published alongside new TUC analysis hows that non-disabled employees earn on average £1.90 an hour – 16.5 % more than disabled employees; or £3,458 more a year (based on a 35-hour week). That means disabled workers effectively stop getting paid today, and work for free for the last 52 days of the year. 

Disabled women face an even bigger pay gap. Non-disabled men are paid on average 32% (£3.50 an hour, or around £6,370 a year) more than disabled women. The £3,458 pay gap is the equivalent of: 

• More than a year (13 months) of the average household expenditure on food and non-alcoholic drinks (£63.70 per week); or 
• Nearly a year (10 months) of the average expenditure on housing, fuel and power (£83.00 per week); or 
• Nearly a year (10 months) of what the average household spends on transport (£81.60 per week). 

DISCRIMINATION AT WORK

Leading global disability charity Leonard Cheshire has also released new research today, which reveals that disabled workers say they have been left behind by the Covid-19 recovery. Its study has found that the vast majority (89%) of disabled young people aged 18-24 years old said that their work had been affected by the pandemic; and that one in five employers (19%) would be less likely to employ a disabled person than a non-disabled person, as reported.

The TUC and Leonard Cheshire are urging the government to act now to close the disability employment and pay gap and ensure disabled people gain and retain quality employment. Click here to read more.