Cathy Jamieson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Cathy Jamieson on 2014-03-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support his Department provides to assist deaf people in seeking employment.

Mike Penning

We do not target our employment support exclusively at individuals with particular impairments. Instead, through a range of programmes, we aim to identify and meet the needs of the individual, including the needs of deaf people.

The Work Programme is the biggest single Welfare to Work programme, which provides personalised back-to-work support for unemployed people, including disabled people. For those that have more complex needs, we have a range of specialist disability employment programmes, including Access to Work, Work Choice and Residential Training Colleges, all of which support deaf people to take up and remain in employment. In particular, Access to Work can provide funding towards tailored support for deaf people such as specialist aids and equipment and British Sign Language Interpreters.

Jobcentre Plus Disability Employment Advisers can provide support and advice for disabled people who need help finding and retaining employment.