SMEs (small and medium enterprises) make up 99.9% of the U.K business population. They are an influential force within the U.K. market and workforce, with even more potential waiting for them. At Careers with Disabilities, we want to help educate SMEs on a big opportunity they likely aren’t making the most of.

There is an important and valuable pool of talent often wrongfully overlooked by SMEs: disabled people. In the U.K., there is currently a 28.4% gap in the employment rates of disabled and non-disabled people. This is not due to the rest of the disabled people being unwilling or unable to work. It is often due to stereotyping, prejudice, unconscious bias, and lack of information. Not enough companies actively support the recruitment and employment of disabled people and this is a failure for both sides. 

On this page, we want to tell you more about employing disabled people as an SME. Particularly, we want to help guide you to the resources and avenues that will support you on this journey. Very often, companies want to hire disabled people but they don’t know where to start or they think that this process could even harm their business. We are here to show that this is incorrect and there are, in fact, many benefits to hiring disabled people in your SME in the U.K.

Funding for SMEs Employing Disabled People

Some companies wrongfully worry that employing disabled people will cost them too much money. However, this isn’t the case. Employing someone who is disabled makes you eligible for certain avenues of funding and financial support. Making the most of this support can help you improve your workplace for your current employees and those to come down the line, meaning that this action is beneficial both now and in the future. 

The main sources of funding you can consider include:

  • The Access to Work Scheme: We have an entire blog dedicated to Access to Work and who is eligible for it because we consider it the single most important funding opportunity when it comes to disabled employees. Your employees must make access to Work applications but it is something critical to know about and understand as an employer. This scheme can reimburse SMEs up to £60,700 in disability modification and adjustment costs. This allows you to support your employees in a range of ways, without any financial cost to you or your company. It is a great funding opportunity well worth time and research. 
  • Tax Relief: Any reasonable adjustments that you make for disabled employees can qualify for tax relief as a business expense. Costs such as producing accessible forms of documents, equipment installation, and so on, can be deducted from your yearly tax. To find out more about this, get in touch with HMRC directly. 

For more information on funding, head over to our dedicated page on the topic at Careers with Disabilities. You would often be surprised at the number of opportuntiies available. 

Support for SMEs in Inclusive Hiring

Aside from financial support, other types of support are available for small and medium enterprises wishing to hire and employ disabled people. 

  • Local Assistance: There are a few different avenues of local support for businesses employing disabled people. These are outlined on our local assistance page and include JobCentre Plus and the local council. JobCentre Plus are particularly helpful as they can assist you with Access to Work applications, work trials, mediation, and so on. They are a great contact to have going forward. 
  • Disability Training: To become a more inclusive employer, it is likely that you will need to undertake some extra training for knowledge and awareness. This is a wonderful thing to do and there are many great options out there. Some options include Disability Awareness Training, Mencap, and Disability Matters. Taking on your own learning and training will be hugely important for you and your disabled employees, it can make the whole process better and safer for everyone involved. 
  • Careers with Disabilities: Right here on our own site, we have everything that U.K. SMEs need to hire disabled people and boost their own company through inclusive recruitment. We have guides and pages for every topic you could think of within disabled employment. We also have specific services for employers who want to become more equal, diverse and inclusive. Check those out and get in touch with us directly if you have any more questions. 

Hiring inclusively has benefits for everyone and it is never too late to get started – join us in the inclusive revolution today. 

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