Resolution Foundation Event Recordings

Making Britain work for everyone: How can employers go further to recruit and retain disabled workers?

Boosting employment among people with a health condition or disability is a crucial part of this Government’s agenda; from reaching an employment rate of 80 per cent, to reducing economic inactivity and curbing welfare spending. Yet disabled people continue to face barriers to employment. Encouraging employers to go further in hiring and retaining disabled people is key to shifting the dial on this.

The rising prevalence of ill-health and disability across Britain has been under the spotlight recently; not least the implications for the country’s benefits bill. But the impact on those who are ill or disabled, and the family members who care for them, has been less discussed. Disability and the caring needs that can come with it already disproportionately affect the poorer half of Britain, and many of these families face a severe income penalty as a result.

A timely discussion exploring the profound transformation of global trade, amid rising tariffs and mounting geopolitical tensions.

What are the broader economic implications for the UK, US and wider global landscape?

The discussion will be chaired by Chaired by the Rt Hon Lord David Willetts, joined by an expert panel; Professor Meredith Crowley, Russell Napier and Sherman Robinson.

Brought to you by the Resolution Foundation, Society of Professional Economists and Royal Economic Society.

Britain is racked by pay divides – on gender, race, age and education status. But one of its starkest inequalities centres on geography, which is far more complex than Londoners earning more than everyone else. But while regional pay inequality is widely discussed, what drives these divides is less well understood. And that really matters if we’re to tackle these inequalities.

The Government’s fiscal events have had a shaky start so far. The Autumn Budget unveiled £41 billion of tax rises by 2029-30, while the Spring Statement was dominated by controversial welfare reform that will hit poorer families the hardest. The Spending Review provides a fresh opportunity to focus on growth and living standards, as it sets out the details of over £40 billion additional annual day-to-day public service spending, and over £100 billion worth of infrastructure funding. But with Britain facing the strong headwinds of global economic turbulence and strained public services, will it be third time lucky for the Chancellor?

Has the Government boosted public services across the board, or has the NHS taken the lion’s share of the cash? Has public investment centred on repairing Britain’s fraying social infrastructure – its schools, hospitals and housing stock – or building new economic and energy infrastructure? Have limited resources been effectively prioritised to support growth and improve living standards? And how might the Spending Review shape the upcoming Budget this Autumn?

The effects of Covid-19 and double-digit inflation may have faded, but the cost of living remains a top concern for families. Recent tax increases, coupled with rising utility bills and housing costs, are adding to the pressures that households face. The jobs market is loosening with unemployment rising and real-pay rises shrinking. And these domestic pressures sit aside global economic uncertainty that will inevitably impact families at home.

How has the outlook for living standards changed in light of recent events? What do these developments mean for the experiences of different households?  How might changes in the economic or policy outlook affect households, for better or for worse? And what policies would have the biggest impact for lower-income families?

Where are the Government’s welfare reforms heading?