The double prejudice facing Disabled older workers – HR News

Summary

New research from the Centre for Ageing Better, published during National Inclusion Week and produced with The Policy Institute at King’s College London, shows Disabled people aged 50–66 face markedly worse treatment in the labour market than their non-disabled peers. The Supporting Disabled Older Workers report finds 44% of Disabled people in this age group experienced negative treatment when applying for jobs or promotions in the past five years, compared with 25% of non-disabled people.

The study also reports broad perceptions that both age and disability are disadvantages in hiring: 69% of 50–66-year-olds see older age as a disadvantage and 75% say disability or a health condition is a disadvantage. Only small minorities view age (11%) or disability (6%) as advantages. The report quantifies the economic cost of inactivity due to illness among older people and sets out employer and government recommendations, emphasising co-design with Disabled older people through an Experts by Experience steering group.

Key Points

44% of Disabled people aged 50–66 reported negative treatment in job or promotion applications in the last five years versus 25% of non-disabled peers.
69% of adults 50–66 believe older age is a disadvantage in the UK job market; 75% say disability or a health condition is a disadvantage.
Only 6% view disability as a workplace advantage; 11% view being over 50 as an advantage.
Closing the inactivity gap could add around 192,000 older workers — roughly £13 billion to GDP and £2.5 billion in additional tax and NI revenues annually.
Reported workplace barriers include forced retirement due to lack of reasonable adjustments, rejection because of health conditions, hostile cultures around adjustments, and downgrading to lower-paid roles.
Disabled older workers report lower satisfaction on pay/progression (30% vs 40%), training (39% vs 51%), roles/responsibilities (51% vs 62%) and line managers (43% vs 55%).
One in five Disabled workers aged 50–66 did not ask for adjustments despite needing them; around 30% lack confidence to request reasonable adjustments.
Recommendations include involving Disabled older workers in policy co-design, promoting adjustment passports, reforming Jobcentre Plus and National Careers Service culture, and further research on support for sandwich generations.

Context and relevance

This report sits at the intersection of ageing, disability and labour-market policy — a vital area as populations age and businesses face skills and labour shortages. Its findings underline that discrimination is not single-issue: age and disability overlap to create deeper barriers that damage wellbeing, reduce participation and cost the economy. For HR teams, policymakers and employers, the report offers evidence-backed steps to improve retention and inclusion and a clear call to co-design solutions with those affected.

Why should I read this?

Quick and honest: if you hire people, make policy, manage teams or care about fairness, this is worth your five-minute skim. It slams a spotlight on how age and disability double up to shut people out, gives hard numbers on the economic hit, and hands practical fixes employers and government can actually start using. If you want to keep experienced staff and do the right thing (and save money long-term), read it.