Stand up for employment without barriers
The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for MS has published a report called ‘Employment without Barriers’. Find out what the report asks from the UK Government and how this affects people living and working with MS.
The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for MS has published a report called ‘Employment without Barriers’.
The report makes recommendations for the UK Government to improve support for people with MS. This will allow people with MS to enter, remain in, and leave work when it’s right for them to do so.
Email your MP with the report and call on them to share our asks with the UK Government
How was the report made?
The APPG for MS is made up of MPs and Peers committed to tackling issues affecting people with MS. It’s conducted an inquiry over the last year to investigate how employment support for people with MS can be improved.
The report was produced in collaboration with a design group including people living with MS. And the findings have been used to make the report's recommendations.
The report launch
On Thursday 24 March, we hosted a virtual event with MPs and Peers to launch the report. The members of parliament who joined the event heard from people living with MS about their experiences in work.
What does the report ask of the UK Government?
The report calls on the UK Government to improve support for people with MS in employment, including:
- Better sick pay so people aren’t punished for being ill
- Making sure employers make reasonable adjustments
- Improve the Access to Work scheme to support disabled people in work
You can read more about our recommendations and findings in the report.
Why is this important?
Most people start to experience MS symptoms in their 20s and 30s when they’re in their prime working years. For people with MS the rate of employment is 41%, compared to 81% for non-disabled people. And for people with progressive MS the rate is even lower at 17%.
Many people with MS say they had to leave work before they wanted to because they weren’t getting the support they needed. This is not fair.
Anastasia Berry, our Policy Manager, says:
“Living with MS can be relentless, painful and disabling. And life is made even more challenging by not receiving the necessary support to find, remain in, and leave work.”
People with MS speaking out
Owen has secondary progressive MS. He’s been with his current employer since he was first diagnosed in 2017.
Owen says:
“People with MS need support to do their role. But that support doesn’t have to be drastic or to give them less hours.
“My employer’s responded to my MS much better than I could have hoped for. They’ll do everything they can to support me to do my role. But if I wasn’t with the employer I’m with now, would I still be working? Would they have been as supportive or would I have had to leave?”
What are we doing?
To help more people with MS stay in work, we’ve recently awarded a grant of £125,000 to a researcher in Nottingham. This will fund a study on vocational rehabilitation – an intervention to help people who have the capacity to work to do so.
Take action now
We want to improve working with MS. Please join us so we’re heard loud and clear.
Email your MP with the report and call on them to share our asks with the UK Government.
