Tories have made “zero progress” on disability pay gap

• Disabled women are now losing out on “whopping” £3,640 a year 

• TUC says Labour’s New Deal for Working People would be a "game changer", introducing mandatory disability pay gap reporting and stronger rights to flexible work 

The disability pay gap has increased under the Conservative government, according to new analysis published today (Thursday) by the TUC. 

The analysis shows that non-disabled employees earned 12.8% (the equivalent of £1.20 an hour, or £42 a week based on a 35-hour working week) more than disabled employees back in 2013, when the pay data was first recorded. 

However, by 2023 that gap had jumped up to 15.1% (£2.10 an hour, or £74 a week). 

The TUC says this is more than what the average household spends on their weekly food shop (£62.20). 

The average non-disabled employee now earns £15.92 an hour, compared to £13.83 an hour for the average disabled employee. 

Disability gender pay gap 

The union body flags that the disabled women experience even worse pay discrimination. 

In 2023, non-disabled men earned £3.90 an hour (30%) more than disabled women – meaning disabled women miss out on a “whopping” £3,640 over the course of a year. 

This is slightly lower than in 2013, when the gap was 33%, but the TUC says far too little has been done to close the pay gap over the decade. 

Causes of the disability pay gap  

Previous TUC analysis has shown that one of the main drivers of the disability pay gap is that disabled workers are more likely to be employed in low-paid occupations like caring and leisure.  

They are also more likely than non-disabled workers to be employed on zero-hours contracts (4.5%, compared to 3.4%). 

And disabled workers are underrepresented in the highest paid occupations, especially managers, directors and senior officials and professional occupations. 

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: 

“We should all be paid fairly for the work we do. But disabled people continue to be valued less in our jobs market. 

“The disability pay gap has rocketed on this Tory government’s watch – and as a result, disabled women are now missing out on a whopping £3,640 a year. 

“It’s shameful ministers have made zero progress on disabled workers’ rights. 

“Instead, they’ve made life even harder for disabled people by proposing sweeping reforms to benefits and slashing Personal Independence Payments. 

“We need urgent action to ensure disabled people are treated fairly at work. 

“Labour’s New Deal for Working People would be a game changer for disabled workers. 

“It would introduce mandatory disability pay gap reporting to shine a light on inequality at work. Without this, millions of disabled workers will be consigned to many more years of lower pay. 

“And we also need ministers to strengthen the benefits system for those who are unable to work or are out of work, so they are not left in poverty.” 

Labour’s New Deal for Working People 

The TUC is calling for urgent government action to end the discrimination disabled workers’ face in the jobs market. 

The union body says it is “shameful” that Conservative ministers have made “zero progress” on making working life fairer for disabled people – and that Labour’s New Deal for Working People would be a “game changer” for workers’ rights. 

Labour has pledged to deliver new rights for working people in an employment bill in its first 100 days. 

Amongst other measures, Labour’s New Deal would: 

• introduce disability and ethnicity pay gap reporting 

• strengthen day one rights to flexible working, and 

• ban zero-hours contracts to help end the scourge of insecure work.