The Mencap Manifesto: Employment
The Mencap Manifesto: Employment

Mencap wants more people with a learning disability to have the chance to work.

We also want to employers to understand that many people with a learning disability can do a good job with the right support.

But there is not enough support from
the Department for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions is sometimes called the DWP. It is part of
the government
The Government are the people who run the country. They decide how much
tax
Tax is the money that pays for things like schools, hospitals and the police. There are different types of taxes like
income tax
Income tax is the money that is taken out of the money you earn every month. It helps to pay for things we all need like hospitals and schools.
,
VAT
VAT is also called Value Added Tax. VAT is the extra money you pay when you buy things. The money goes to the government to pay for things like schools and hospitals.
and
council tax
Council
A council is also called a
local authority
A local authority is also called a council. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live like schools,
social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it.
(support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live. These include: schools, social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
Tax is the money that people pay to the
council
A council is also called a
local authority
A local authority is also called a council. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live like schools,
social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it.
(support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live. These include: schools, social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. It helps to pay for things like social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
.
people should pay for things and how things like the National Health
Service
A service gives people what they need, like healthcare services that help people when they are ill, and support services that give people support.
should work.
and manages payments and benefits like Universal Credit,
Personal Independence Payment
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is the name of a benefit that some people with a disability or health condition get. The money is to pay for extra help you might need to look after yourself and to get around. Some people who used to get
Disability Living Allowance
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is the name of a benefit that some people with a disability get. The money is to pay for extra help you might need to look after yourself and to get around. Disability Living Allowance is being replaced by a benefit called Personal
Independence
Independence means doing things on your own. Making your own choices.
Payment (PIP).
(DLA) now get PIP instead.
,
Employment
Employment means having a job.
and Support Allowance, and Income Support.
to help people with a learning disability to move into work.

We want all political parties to work with us to make a new way to support people with a learning disability to find the right job.

This should also include supporting people with a learning disability over the age of 25 and people who will not have an
Education
Education is when you learn things. When you fill in a form to get a job, education means you write where you went to school, college or university.
, Health and Care Plan.
An Education, Health and Care Plan is a document that sets out the support a young person should get until they are 25 years old.

Some employment support comes from a pot of money called the Shared Prosperity Fund.

This is money is given to different projects including employment support.

But this money is going to end in 2025.

We want all political parties to promise to keep giving money to employment support for many years.

Some benefits people get, force them to spend time looking for work.

Sometimes this is not the right thing to do for this person because their disability means they cannot work or can only work for a few hours.

If someone is meant to be looking for work but the Jobcentre Plus says they are not, they could have their benefits stopped.
This is called benefit sanctions.

We think that benefit sanctions should not happen to people with a learning disability.

Getting the right amount of benefit money
The Department for Work and Pensions has not done any work since the 1960’s to work out if the money they give in benefits is right.
We think the benefit money people get now is too low.

We want all the political parties to promise to look at how much money people get paid in their benefits and work out if this is enough for people to live on.