Young disabled people are finding it harder to find job opportunities. There are fewer jobs for young people and even fewer flexible jobs. Getting reasonable adjustments is difficult. And discrimination is common.
The Milburn Review will soon publish its final report on the growing number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Almost half of these young people are disabled or have a long-term health condition. Ahead of the report release, we spoke to young disabled people in August 2026 aged between 18 and 29 about the barriers they face finding work and the changes they want the Government to make. We have published the full findings online here. This is a summary of what young disabled people told us:
The biggest barrier is finding a job that exists
Young disabled people who can and want to work are held back by barriers outside their control. One of those barriers is there are not enough suitable jobs available for young disabled people to apply for. 82% of 18 to 24-year-olds told us that a difficult job market was a barrier to work. And 47% said public transport makes it hard to reach workplaces.
Employment support can only work if suitable jobs exist. The Government must do more than provide support. It must also work with businesses and employers to create more opportunities for young disabled people.
Jobs that have flexible working options are essential, but they are hard to find
“Often it is not that young people do not want to work, all young people are struggling right now but disabled young people are impacted greatly in particular by the lack of flexible, accessible entry level jobs.”
Many young disabled people need flexible work. This might mean working from home or working a different schedule that works for their condition. But these types of jobs are difficult to find. 65% of 18 to 24-year-olds said there weren't enough remote or hybrid jobs in their local area. Of the disabled people we spoke to who were in work, 72% said it was because they were working flexible or part-time hours.
Employers’ negative attitudes can stop qualified young disabled people getting a job
“When I applied for jobs I would do really well, then when they found out my arm was paralysed I would no longer get the job.”
Negative attitudes from employers also continue to be a barrier, both in getting a job and keeping a job. Our research shows that 2 in 3 young disabled people believe their condition may have played a role in being turned down for a job.
Young disabled people should be able to trust that employers will support them and meet their needs. They should be able to trust that they will be judged on their skills and qualities when they apply for a job, not whether they are disabled or not.
Barriers continue even after getting a job
“When requesting reasonable adjustments I had an employer tell me your disability is always going to be a problem.”
The challenges for young disabled people continue when they are in work.
Our research shows that many young disabled people are not getting the adjustments they need to do their jobs. Only 12% said they had received all the adjustments they needed, and half said their employer did not understand their needs.
Benefits help young disabled people to stay in work
“Managing my disability outside of work (including accessing treatments and support which are enabled through receiving PIP) is the main thing that helps me remain in work.”
Young disabled people see disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) as a lifeline to manage their additional costs. While PIP is not an out of work benefit, it is vital to helping young disabled people stay in work. A third of young disabled people aged 25 to 29 told us that having PIP meant they could afford to go to work, as it helps them manage their extra costs and adjustments.
Cutting disability benefits will push young disabled people into poverty, not jobs.
Scope research finds that nearly half (49%) of households with a young disabled person under 22 receiving the health element of Universal Credit are already in poverty. If this is removed 94% of these households will be in poverty.
What should happen next?
We asked young disabled people what changes would help them move into work. The most popular ideas were the ones that focused on removing barriers.
Overall, young disabled people want the Government to:
There are many young disabled people who can and want to work. But they need better access to suitable opportunities and employers who will provide the support they need to thrive.
At Scope we believe the Milburn review is a chance to remove the barriers that stop young disabled people from working. It should create more accessible and flexible jobs. It should also make it easier for disabled people to get reasonable adjustments. And it should address negative attitudes from employers. Importantly, any new support must not leave disabled young people worse off financially.
