'More needs to be done for disabled' say disability campaigners

Half of disabled workers are concerned about using public transport to commute to work, and one in four worry about losing their jobs because their employer cannot make it safe for them to go to their workplace, said disability equality charity Scope.

Oliver Flitcroft, a disability campaigner from Barrow believes more should be done to ease the concerns of people with disabilities, of which Barrow has the second highest in the county.

"These recent statistics are quite damning but they do not surprise me," he said.

"We need to make sure there is a safety measure put in place for disabled people if they can't get into work.

"If unemployment is going to rise, then that will be a big financial undertaking for the Government in terms of benefits, especially the increased benefits disabled people would get.

"So disabled people should be encouraged to earn an income and government and local authorities should make every effort possible to make that happen."

A survey conducted by Scope of over 870 workers with a health problem or disability found that only one in seven felt safe about going to work.

Scope called on the Prime Minister to "stop forgetting his promise to disabled people", saying its study found that a third of disabled workers felt under pressure to go back to offices, largely because of pressure from employers and the Government.

Chief executive Mark Hodgkinson said: "There are 14 million disabled people in the UK and they have been forgotten and sidelined by the Government throughout the pandemic. We are now hearing reports that millions could soon be asked to shield again, creating even more anxiety and confusion about how people can protect themselves while being able to work.

"In February, Boris Johnson wrote to his cabinet and said he wanted his Government to transform the lives of disabled people. He must stop forgetting his promise to disabled people."