The following details have been supplied by the TUC:

Disabled people hide impairments to stay in work;

More than half of disabled workers have experienced bullying or harassment at work because of their impairments, a study has found.

Nearly six out of 10 (58 per cent) disabled people feel at risk of losing their jobs and one in two (53 per cent) has experienced bullying or harassment at work because of their impairments, according to the research by disability charity Scope. The findings, based on 501 interviews and published ahead of the 17 February end of the consultation period on the government’s green paper on work, health and disability, have highlighted the issues disabled people face in work. Scope discovered one in five (21 per cent) hide their disability from employers and one in four (24 per cent) say their current employer is not supportive of their disability.

Mark Atkinson, chief executive of Scope, said: “These figures demonstrate that employers and government need to be doing much more to support disabled people in the workplace.” He added: “It’s clear that support for disabled people both in and out of workplace need to radically improve. If the government is serious about halving the disability employment gap it must set out reforms which not only lead to a change in employer attitudes but also offer disabled people better access to in work support.”