Disability pay gap needs to be ‘urgent priority’ for government and employers
The NUJ’s Disabled Members' Council has joined calls for stronger legislation to support disabled people at work, as new data reveals a significant disability pay gap still exists.
Trades Union Congress (TUC) analysis published today shows that the earnings gulf between disabled and non-disabled workers is £2.24 an hour (a 15.5% pay gap). This equates to earning £4,000 less annually than non-disabled workers on average.
The pay gap is even wider for disabled women, the research found, with non-disabled men earning over a quarter (27.3%) more than disabled women.
While the 15.5% disability pay gap represents a modest improvement from last year (when the gap stood at 17.2%), this figure is still substantial and requires urgent government intervention.
Disabled people also face higher rates of unemployment, an increased likelihood of being in insecure work, and higher living costs.
According to Scope analysis, disabled people have to fork out an additional £1,224 a month on average to secure the same standard of living as a non-disabled person. This can, for example, include spending more on gas and electricity to keep homes warm or paying for things like home adaptations, hearing or other sensory equipment, and mobility aids.
The Labour government has committed to introducing mandatory disability pay gap reporting for employers - a measure already in place for reporting on gender pay gaps.
Reporting, coupled with mandatory action plans to address any identified gaps, could improve the lives of disabled workers across the UK.
The NUJ’s Disabled Members' Council has called on the UK government to demonstrate joined up thinking to truly support disabled people in the workplace as well as those who are out of work.
The NUJ Disabled Members' Council said:
“The UK disability pay gap is not just a statistic; it is a stark reflection of systemic inequality that leaves disabled people struggling to survive. While the cost-of-living crisis affects everyone, its impact on disabled people is far more severe. We earn less on average, yet face higher expenses for essentials such as assistive technology, accessible transport, and personal care. These additional costs are unavoidable, and they compound the financial strain created by lower wages.
“For freelance journalists, the situation is even more precarious. Irregular income, lack of sick pay, and the absence of a safety net make financial stability almost impossible. Government schemes like Access to Work, which should enable disabled professionals to participate fully in the workforce, are plagued by delays and inefficiencies. Instead of providing support, these failures create barriers that prevent talented individuals from working and contributing to the industry.
“Now, with rumours that social security payments for disabled people could be under threat in the upcoming budget, the pressure is becoming unbearable. These cuts would not only deepen poverty but also push more disabled professionals out of journalism altogether. This is not simply an economic issue; it is a question of fairness, inclusion, and survival. Closing the disability pay gap and fixing broken support systems must be treated as urgent priorities by both government and employers. Anything less risks silencing disabled voices in the media at a time when representation matters more than ever.”
Today’s data on the disability pay gap follows recent analysis by TUC, which found that unemployment among disabled people is now the highest it’s been since before the Covid-19 pandemic.
In response, the TUC set out a five-point plan to support disabled people into work. This includes reforming the Access to Work scheme so that nobody is forced out of a job because of preventable barriers within the system, delivering the promise of disability pay gap reporting and action plans, and supporting good employers to hire and retain disabled people through higher statutory sick pay, and the provision of disability leave.
The plan also includes taking on employers who illegally discriminate against disabled people by strengthening the arm of regulators and retaining PIP eligibility at current levels.