“We’re determined to fix the broken benefits system as part of our Plan for Change by reforming the welfare system and delivering proper support to help people get into work and get on at work, so we can get Britain working.” – Liz Kendall. Well, I’m here to say that nothing is more broken than the Department for Work and Pensions own find a job system. How does the DWP job search fail disabled jobseekers you ask…?
The Reality of Job Searching as a Disabled Person
In October 2023 I wrote a blog for Difference North East all about my challenges in finding suitable employment. At that time, I needed part-time, work from home roles, and I was really struggling to find any. In my blog, I spoke about how the DWP job search function wasn’t working as intended. And how, if the jobs had the words ‘home’ and ‘work’ in the title or description, it was coming up as a work from home job.
These are common barriers to work for many disabled people who are trying to navigate applications and recruitment. The government focus at the moment is on the act of gaining employment. No one is paying attention to the broken systems of applying for employment. Job search functions are using incorrect labels and recruitment websites are often inaccessible and incompatible with assistive technology.
I told the DWP about the error on their job searching system back in 2023 at an in-person consultation, and they assured me they would review it.
It’s now March 2025, Disabled people and employment is very much the topic of conversation. It’s there every time I turn on the news, it dominates my online social media feed, and it is mentioned in nearly every conversation I have at work. Furthermore, it feels like all my value is wrapped up in my capability to work.
Government Promises vs. Broken Systems
A recent DWP report highlighted that 25% of those surveyed couldn’t currently commute to work because of their health but would be able to work at home. So, I decided to see if the DWP job searching website could help me find all the available remote jobs.
My parameters were simple:
- I wanted to find any job in the UK that was remote[1],
- with a disability confident employer,
- posted within 30 days.
My search returned only 104 jobs.
Now, because of my experiences with this system previously, I wanted to check if these jobs were truly remote. So, I took the time and reviewed every job description…
How the DWP Job Search Fails Disabled Jobseekers
Out of the 104 available roles – only 23 were remote positions. And 2 of those were closed to internal applicants.
So, in 30 days, across the UK, the estimated number of remote jobs available on the government system, with a disability confident employer, was 21.
There will be many disabled people across the UK who want to start or return to work, but we must level the playing field. Not only do we need accessible and equitable workplaces where our rights are upheld. We also need accessible and equitable job searching and recruitment practices.
Are ‘Disability Confident Employers’ Really Helping?
What Needs to Change in Disability Employment Support?
So, as a final point, I can’t help but raise the question; what is the point of the disability confident employer scheme? Shouldn’t we just make sure employers are following the duties set out under the Equality Act? Surely, we should have regulation, protections, increased awareness, a commitment to inclusion and inclusive recruitment from all employers; not just the ones who signed up for a scheme.
The Numbers Speak: A Lack of Remote Work Opportunities
In my personal opinion, I don’t think it’s acceptable that in the whole of the UK, there are only 21 remote jobs on the DWPs own find a job service I could be ‘confident’ to apply for as a disabled person.
Kendall is right about one thing – the system has become defined by poor experiences and low trust among many people who use it.
[1] In the DWP job search function, you can choose to filter by 3 location options. On site, hybrid or remote. I reviewed jobs under the assumption that remote is fully remote. No fixed office, no expectation to be based in a certain part of the UK, no regular regional or national travel. Occasional travel to a head office was accepted.
I kept a copy of my full job search. If I’ve learned anything as a disabled person in the UK – it’s that you need all your evidence ready because people rarely believe you. Every incorrectly labelled job was reported to the DWP.
