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Disabled entrepreneurs to receive start up support

Disabled entrepreneurs will receive better support to set up in business, the Government announced on Monday.

Minister for Disabled People, Esther McVey announced the scheme, which will see promising, disabled entrepreneurs receive specialist equipment, help from support workers and travel costs through the Access to Work initiative, ran through Jobcentre Plus.

The Government hopes to increase the number of disabled people who are self-employed, which currently stands at half a million people, while 15% of disabled people in work are self-employed, compared with 13% of able-bodied, employed people.

Starting on Monday, qualifying workers will be able to receive Access to Work support if they are enrolled with the New Enterprise Allowance (NEW), which gives advice to jobseekers that have a business idea.

Research published by the Department for Work and Pensions showed that 45% of people using the Access to Work scheme would be out of work if they were not supported by the Government.

Ms McVey, Conservative MP for Wirral West, commented: “If 2013 is the year aspiring disabled people want to set up a business – then Access to Work can help.

“We’ve opened up our flagship programme so that disabled people have the same choice to start up their own business as everyone else - in every sector, from hairdressing to engineering and everything in between.

“Through this scheme I am determined to get more disabled people into mainstream jobs – the same as everyone else.”

In 2011, Access to Work helped more than 30,000 disabled people retain or gain work, with 4,500 of these people working in small businesses.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .