Online version: Supporting Disabled Older Workers Summary Report

• About us
• Foreword
• Executive Summary
• 1. Internalised ableism can make it harder to ask for help
• 2. Disability and age discrimination is often compounded by other forms of inequality
• 3. Stigma and low confidence hold many back from applying for jobs
• 4. Jobcentre Plus currently struggles to provide the tailored support older Disabled individuals need
• 5. Supportive managers and open communication shape early experiences of starting a job
• 6. Remote work is a double-edged sword: a crucial adjustment for many, but sometimes comes with risks
• 7. Good managers make a difference
• 8. Positive workplaces are inclusive and flexible
• 9. Life outside work affects work
• 10. Voices of those with lived experience

Everyone has the right to a good life as they get older and our whole society benefits when people are able to age well. But far too many people face huge barriers, and as a result are living in bad housing, dealing with poverty and poor health and made to feel invisible in their communities and society.

Ageism, including discrimination in employment, stark inequalities in people’s health and financial circumstances, chronic underinvestment in helping people to age well and a lack of political focus – are all contributing to this growing and critical problem.

At the Centre for Ageing Better we are pioneering ways to make ageing better a reality for everyone. We aim to inspire and inform those in power to tackle the inequalities faced by older people, call out and challenge ageism in all its forms and encourage the widespread take-up of brilliant ideas and approaches that help people to age better.

Get it right and more of us can experience good health, financial security and be treated fairly and with respect as we grow older.

Help us make sure everyone can age better.

Authors:

Johnny Runge, Gabrielle McGannon, Megan Liskey, Gabriel Lawson, Aida Weheba, Suzanne Hall (Policy Institute at King’s College London)

Experts by experience steering group:

Roland Brown, Martine Connolly, John Holme, Claudette Jacobs, Saira Malik, Louise Okello, Rohina Oram, Denise Rodgers, Anastasia Tempest

Work can offer us purpose, security and connection with others. Yet for far too many Disabled people and people living with long-term health conditions in their fifties and sixties, unnecessary barriers keep these benefits out of reach.

While older workers with health conditions across much of Europe are making gains, the UK is falling behind (Institute for Employment Studies). Here, only 57% of people aged 50-65 with a long-term health condition are in work, compared with 73% of those aged 35-49. Overall, this means people in this age group are 60% more likely to be out of work, despite being no more likely to say their health limits their ability to work compared to the younger age group.

The perspectives of older Disabled people have not been prominent in the ongoing debates around disability benefit claimants, and Disabled people themselves are all too often positioned as a problem. Our aim in this research is to centre their voices and explore their diverse employment experiences through the lens of the Social Model of Disability. This model highlights how societal barriers – rather than impairments or differences – create disability and thereby limit older Disabled people’s work opportunities.

This research explores some of the human stories behind the numbers we see reported: of people persevering in jobs because they don’t know if a new role would make the same accommodations, of applications going unanswered and interviews clouded by bias, jobs lost because the right support never came, and the pressures of managing health and caring responsibilities around work.

Among these stories are examples that highlight good practice to be built upon. They show what happens when employers look past assumptions and focus on ‘ability, not inability’. They reveal the lifechanging power of timely workplace adjustments, often the difference between being pushed into early retirement and thriving at work. Throughout, they highlight the immense value older Disabled people bring – not in spite of their experiences but because of them – as Disabled people, as carers and as individuals in their fifties and sixties whose expertise strengthens the teams and organisations of which they are part.

At the heart of this project are the voices of lived experience. The Supporting Disabled Older Workers project has been led by a nine member expert steering group, all older Disabled people or those with long-term health conditions. The steering group and peer researchers were crucial in designing and conducting this study. They have shaped every step of the journey – from selecting the Policy Institute as research partners to analysing the findings and pinpointing where real change is needed. Below, some of them of them share their hopes for how the research will influence policy and practice to better support Disabled older people like themselves.

By embracing co-production – doing with, not to – we have uncovered not only some of the barriers but also some areas for positive change. Insights from the steering group, interviews and survey data further highlight the need for an age- and disability-positive, targeted and curious approach – so that more people in their fifties and sixties can find work, stay in work and flourish.

This report was supported by the Columbia Threadneedle Foundation. Established in 2013, the Columbia Threadneedle Foundation is a UK registered charity, which works with charities to improve individual lives while also driving fundamental social change through tackling critical social issues including employment, empowerment, inclusion, opportunity and mental health.

This research explores the working lives of Disabled people aged 50 and over, placing their voices at the heart of the study. The project is co-designed and co-produced with nine people with lived experience. They formed an Experts by Experience Steering Group (EESG) who played a vital role in shaping the research, from developing the research questions and design, to selecting the Policy Institute at King's College London as the research organisation, collecting data, interpreting findings and identifying recommendations.

We conducted 36 semi-structured interviews across England, including nine interviews led by peer researchers from the EESG. Across the interviews, we heard from a diverse group of Disabled older workers across different sectors and backgrounds. Their stories reveal both the systemic barriers and the everyday resilience involved in starting, staying in or returning to work as a Disabled older person. To complement these qualitative insights, we also carried out a nationally representative online survey of 1,017 people aged 50-66, providing a broader picture of how widespread these experiences are among older people, including those who are Disabled.

The report concludes with practical, co-designed recommendations for policy-makers, employers and support providers. Shaped by Disabled older workers themselves, we hope these recommendations will be considered seriously, particularly by government, who has made it a mission to ‘Get Britain Working’, as well as by employers and employment support providers seeking to build a more inclusive and productive labour market.

The UK labour market is failing Disabled older people. Our research highlights how age and disability discrimination often overlap, creating deeper disadvantages for these workers and making it harder to stay in jobs or find new opportunities. According to our survey, 69% of UK adults aged 50-66 feel older age is a disadvantage in the UK job market, while 75% thought people with health conditions are disadvantaged. But such numbers only tell part of the story.

Our interviews show that Disabled older workers are navigating a constant minefield, weighing whether to declare health conditions, how to ask for adjustments and how to present themselves in a labour market that they feel often overlooks them or undervalues them. The daily negotiation takes a toll on confidence, wellbeing and long-term health, which is likely to exacerbate the disadvantages they face.

The stories in this report – alongside our survey findings – tell the story of how stigma, poor support and systemic barriers have contributed to the UK’s growing economic inactivity crisis.

The recommendations below are based on the opportunities for change identified throughout this report. They highlight ways in which both government and employers could take action on policy and practice to better support Disabled older workers. These recommendations are intended as a starting point for further exploration and testing, rather than a definitive set of solutions. They reflect what has emerged from this piece of work so far and provide a framework for continued discussion, collaboration, and learning.

These recommendations have not been presented as a strict checklist for all employers as an acknowledgement that some actions may be harder for smaller organisations. However, we firmly believe that every employer should look at how they can better support Disabled older workers in a way that suits their own situation. This could bring huge benefits - not just for the workers and employers themselves, but for the UK economy as a whole.

Members of the EESG helped create these recommendations through a process of mind-mapping where members analysed emerging findings and, based on these, identified potential ways to improve employment experiences for Disabled older workers. We also discussed the recommendations in a stakeholder workshop with policymakers, academic experts, and employer representatives, as well as representatives from the Centre for Ageing Better, the Policy Institute, and EESG.

Stigma around age, disability, and asking for support prevents many Disabled older workers from accessing the adjustments they’re entitled to. Barriers for participants included feelings of pride, fear of seeming weak, internalised ableism and uncertainty about how and when to speak up. Adjustments must be reframed as rights, not rewards, supporting efforts for a wider shift in attitudes across the workforce.

Intersectionality matters. Workplace policies often fail to reflect the lived realities of ageing and disability, and how these intersect with other social identities such as gender. Participants highlighted a lack of support around menopause and other age-related health issues, alongside a broader absence of lived experience in shaping policy. Employers should be encouraged and supported to improve awareness and ensure those most affected are directly involved in designing the solutions.

Disabled older workers often face barriers before they reach the workplace. Of Disabled people aged 50-66, 44% felt they had experienced negative treatment when applying for jobs or promotions in the past five years, compared to 25% of non-disabled people. Many interview participants suspected discrimination based on age or disability, particularly when faced with vague feedback or repeated rejections. Fear of stigma and uncertainty about how applications would be received left many lacking the confidence to apply. Employers and government have a responsibility to create clear, supportive processes that allow candidates to disclose impairments safely, feel confident in applying, and to trust that any information shared will be treated with care and transparency.

When asked about employment support services, many participants spoke about their experiences with Jobcentre Plus, describing it as frustrating and bureaucratic, with staff lacking in empathy and understanding of specific health conditions or older workers’ needs. When support was provided, for instance through Access to Work, participants described it as critical in supporting them to stay in work, but awareness was low, leading one participant to describe Access to Work as ‘the government’s best kept secret.’ Employment support reform must be guided by lived experience, with a particular focus on Jobcentre Plus as a ‘front door’ for people to access support.

Early support from line managers and good induction can help to set up workers for sustainable employment. Participants stressed the importance of normalising adjustments from day one, starting with inclusive onboarding and induction processes. Despite this, 21% of Disabled people aged 50-66, had not asked for adjustments in the past five years despite needing them. Tools like ‘Adjustment passports’ and clear, timely responses to support requests can help ensure older Disabled workers aren’t left waiting in limbo or left out altogether.

Working from home was seen as a crucial adjustment by many. It helped manage fluctuating health conditions, reduce commuting stress and save energy. But it could also lead to isolation, blurred boundaries between work and home life, and missed development opportunities and conversations in the office. When it comes to remote working, employers must ensure flexibility remains on the table and is treated as part of an inclusive, rights-based approach to employment.

Job satisfaction among Disabled older workers was closely tied to the quality of relationships with managers and colleagues. People thrived when managers or supervisors were supportive and inclusive, but job satisfaction could be undermined when managers lacked understanding of and empathy for participants’ health conditions. Targeted training on disability, age, and inclusive leadership is essential to ensure they lead with confidence, empathy, and fairness.

Interview participants explained that positive workplaces were those with inclusive cultures; visible diversity among staff; inclusive and supportive colleagues, managers and policies; as well as access to both formal and informal adjustments. These environments made Disabled older workers feel respected and supported, ultimately helping them stay in the workplace. Employers having supportive policies on paper is not enough: they need to be clearly communicated, consistently upheld, and embedded in workplace culture.

Many Disabled older workers are balancing employment with caring responsibilities, often for both children and ageing relatives. This meant social activities and family were often sacrificed to prioritise recovering and resting for work, with some likening their experience to being a ‘hamster on a wheel’. Whilst part-time and flexible work helped regain work-life balance for some, not everyone could afford reduced hours. Both employers and government have a role in providing flexibility and broader support, creating conditions that make balancing work and life sustainable for Disabled older workers.

Our research approach demonstrates that people with lived experience can effectively be involved in conducting research, as well as shaping government and workplace policies and practices. Throughout this project, Disabled older people provided crucial insights that shaped our findings, from identifying key issues like worklife balance to influencing how themes were interpreted. We believe it is essential that future policies and practices are developed and shaped in close collaboration with people with lived experience, including those who are Disabled and aged over 50.

Photos used in this report are from the Age Without Limits image library and the Business Disability Forum.