The report compares the income of disabled and non-disabled people, and finds the median pay gap has increased from 11.7% in 2014 to 13.8% in 2021.
The research also shows the pay gap is wider for disabled men (12.4%) than for disabled women (10.5%). The pay gap of people with a disability that affects their day-to-day activities a lot is much wider (19.9%) than that of people with a disability that affects their day-to-day activities a little (12.1%). Participants with autism as their main disability had a median pay gap of 33.5%.
This research is a powerful demonstration of the true impact of disability on earnings. It raises questions around what action employers might take to measure and reduce their pay gaps. The Government has recently consulted on disability workforce reporting. The consultation closed on 8 April 2022 and the Government's response is expected by 17 June. In the interim, some employers have started to measure and report on their disability pay gaps on a voluntary basis as part of their wider diversity and inclusion initiatives.