TUC – Disability pay gap means disabled workers effectively stop earning from today  

Disabled workers effectively stop earning from today (Wednesday) because of the disability pay gap, meaning that they’ll effectively work for free from now until the end of the year.  

New analysis published by the TUC shows that earnings gulf between disabled and non-disabled workers remains significant at £2.24 an hour. 

That means disabled employees working 35 hours a week have to get by with over £4,000 less a year compared to non-disabled workers on average.  

This amounts to a 15.5% disability pay gap. While this represents a welcome modest improvement from last year (when the gap was 17.2%), the TUC warns it is still substantial and needs urgent action to tackle.  

Higher unemployment rate 

TUC analysis also shows that the unemployment rate among disabled people is now the highest it has been since before the pandemic - more than double the unemployment rate for non-disabled people. This highlights the failure of attempts by pervious governments to support disabled people into work.  

On top of higher unemployment rates and lower earnings, disabled people also face higher living costs.   

On average, according to Scope analysis disabled people have to fork out an additional £1,224 a month to secure the same standard of living as a non-disabled person.  

The costs disabled people face can include higher gas and electricity bills to keep the homes warm; home adaptations; hearing or other sensory equipment; manual or electric mobility aids; and higher food bills to allow them to meet specific dietary requirements.  

 

Low pay, low rights    

New TUC analysis also shows that disabled workers are significantly more likely to be employed on zero-hours contracts than non-disabled workers (4.3% compared to 3.3%).  

 

The TUC says zero-hours contracts hand the employer total control over workers’ hours and earning power, meaning workers never know how much they will earn each week, and their income is subject to the whims of managers.   

 

The union body argues that this makes it hard for workers to plan their lives, look after their children and get to medical appointments.  

 

And it makes it harder for workers to challenge unacceptable behaviour by bosses because of concerns about whether they will be penalised by not being allocated hours in the future. 

 

The government’s Employment Rights Bill is set to ban zero hours contracts – a welcome measure that will improve the lives of many disabled workers. 

 

Mandatory pay gap reporting and action plans   

The Labour government has also committed to introducing mandatory disability pay gap reporting for employers – a measure already in place for reporting on gender pay gaps.  

Reporting, coupled with mandatory action plans to address any identified gaps, could improve the lives of disabled workers in England, Scotland and Wales.  

 

The TUC is urging the government to press on with delivering its plans to introduce mandatory pay gap reporting. 

 

This needs to sit alongside wider measures including reform of the Access to Work scheme, so that people get the support they need to get into work, and requirements on employers to deliver reasonable adjustments rapidly.  

 

In addition, the Mayfield review, published last Wednesday, recognised that more needs to be done to boost the number of disabled people in work and set out some key steps in the right direction.  

 

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:  

 

“Everyone who works for a living deserves to earn a decent living. But disabled workers are still waiting for pay parity and fair treatment at work. 

“Urgent action is now needed to improve the quality of work and pay for disabled people. 

“The government’s commitment to delivering mandatory pay gap reporting and banning exploitative zero-hours contracts are among some of the measures that will make a real difference in disabled people’s working lives.  

 

“It’s important we now see those plans realised as soon as possible.  

 

“We need an economy that allows disabled people to thrive – not one that traps them in poverty.” 

 

ENDS 

Notes to editors: 

- About the TUC: The Trades Union Congress (TUC) exists to make the working world a better place for everyone. We bring together the 5.5 million working people who make up our 48 member unions. We support unions to grow and thrive, and we stand up for everyone who works for a living. 

- Methodology  

 

TUC disability pay gap analysis, based on Q3 2024-Q2 2025 of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) (disabled workers are categorised according to the Equality Act definition of disabled). Zero-hours contract analysis based on Q2 2025 of LFS. 

 

The annual figure is an estimate for a full-time employee, based on a working week of 35 hours. 

 

Average median hourly pay for disabled and non-disabled workers  

 

 

 

 

Zero-hours contracts prevalence among disabled and non-disabled workers (%) 

 

 

  

- More on the extra costs disabled people face can be found in this report by Scope: Disability Price Tag 2025.