Finding a job when you are disabled

You can also get individual support from Scope through our employment support services.

We offer support for disabled adults in England and Wales who are looking for paid work. This includes help with:

• writing CVs
• writing cover letters
• improving interview skills

You can get online, telephone or in-person support depending on where you live and what support you need.

Think about your skills and what you need to thrive at work. Think about your interests and what you enjoy as well. For example, learning new things, being outside or working with the public. This can help you be more specific in your job search and save you time and energy.

If you have never had a job before, you still have lots of relevant skills. Think about what you have learned from school, hobbies or volunteering.

Your experience of disability might have given you skills like:

• adapting to change
• being organised
• managing time
• using technology
• problem solving

If you are a parent or carer, think about the skills you gained from that.

The National Careers Service has a skills assessment to help you work out:

• what your skills are
• what jobs would be a good fit for you

Use the National Careers Service skills assessment

Training, internships and volunteering can help you get more experience and new skills.

We have more information on:

• Training opportunities
• Moving from volunteering to paid work
• Work experience and internships
• Volunteering to develop your skills

It is important to balance the demands of a job with your needs as a disabled person.

Some employers have flexible working arrangements. We have more information on your rights and:

• Flexible and part-time working
• Working from home

These are some of the common abbreviations used in job adverts:

• FT Full-time
• PT Part-time
• WFH Working from home

FTE means Full Time Equivalent. It shows how many hours a part-time employee works compared to a full-time employee. For example, 0.8FTE means 80% of full-time. This would be 4 days a week if a full-time employee works 5 days a week. 0.5FTE means 50% of full time.

Pro rata means ‘in proportion’. If a job is part-time and the salary is pro rata, it means that would be the salary if it was a full-time job. For example, if a job advert says ‘£25,000 pro rata', it means the salary you would get if you worked full-time. But if the job is part-time, you get a proportion of that salary. For example, if the job is 4 days a week, the salary would be £20,000. If the job is 3 days a week, the salary would be £15,000.

The Salary Calculator is an online tool that shows how much you would earn. It looks at tax, pensions, National Insurance and benefits. So, it can tell you how much money you'd take home. And it can help you work out how much you would earn if you worked different part-time hours.

The Salary Calculator

If a job is part-time or flexible, ask the employer what that means. Sometimes it means you work different shifts in the week. And sometimes it means you can choose your own hours.

Some jobs have zero hours contracts. This means that you are not guaranteed to get any work.

Zero hours contracts

Getting a job can affect your benefits.

Work and claiming benefits

Use a free online benefits calculator to:

• find out what you are entitled to
• see how changes would affect your benefits

Some benefits are means-tested. This means you could get less money from your benefits if you start getting paid from a job.

Benefits calculator (Turn2us)

If you need free benefits advice or support in person:

Find an adviser (Advicelocal)

Find a local benefits adviser (Turn2us)

The law says that all employers in the UK need to:

• treat applicants equally including if they are disabled or have a health condition
• make reasonable adjustments to the job or workplace so disabled people can work there

Find out more about asking for adjustments when you apply for a job:

• Disability-friendly employers
• Reasonable adjustments at work
• Finding out if a workplace is accessible
• Disclosing disability to an employer

If a job is not accessible for you

You are entitled to ask for reasonable adjustments so you can do your job.

You can also apply for Access to Work grants. You can use these to pay for things like:

• personal assistants at work
• taxis to work
• British Sign Language interpreters at work
• equipment and technology to help you do your job

Access to Work grant scheme

If your employer does not agree to reasonable adjustments, this could be disability discrimination at work.

Disability discrimination at work

Planning your job search can help you save time and energy.

• Explore job websites.
• Set aside time every day or a few times a week to look for jobs.
• Make a goal like ‘I will apply for 2 jobs a week’. This could be your claimant commitment.

When you’re deciding if you want to apply for a job, think about how it might help you achieve your goals. Even if it’s not your perfect job, it might help you to learn new things to improve your CV.

When you apply for a job, you usually need to write a CV and cover letter. Some jobs ask you to fill in a separate application form. 

If the application form is not accessible, you can ask them to send it in another format.

And you usually have to send references from previous employers, teachers or mentors.

• Writing a CV
• Writing cover letters
• How to get references for jobs

If you find a job you are interested in, there might be a tight deadline to apply. So, it is a good idea to be prepared. You could create a folder on a computer and save:

• your most recent CV
• name and contact details of your referees
• any cover letters you have written before

Most employers will email you when you apply. Consider making a new email account just for job applications and communications. It is best to use an email address that sounds professional. For example, use your first name and last name. Avoid nicknames.

There are lots of websites that advertise job vacancies.

• Guardian Jobs
• Indeed
• Jobsite
• LinkedIn
• Monster
• Reed
• Total Jobs

Some specialist sites share certain types of jobs, such as:

• Charityjob.co.uk for charity sector jobs
• CW Jobs for specialist IT jobs
• Flexible Works for flexible working jobs
• Jobs.ac.uk for academic jobs

Some employers only use certain websites so you might want to look at a few websites regularly.

The government runs a scheme called Disability Confident employers. Disability Confident employers encourage disabled people to apply to work for them. They interview disabled people who meet the essential criteria for the role.

If you wish to complain about a Disability Confident employer, you can get support.

Raise an issue with a Disability Confident employer (GOV.UK)

Public sector jobs involve working in places like your local council, libraries, schools and hospitals. Public sector employers often offer flexible working hours.

Benefits of working in the public sector (jobs.ac.uk)

Find your local council (GOV.UK)

Civil Service job search (GOV.UK)

Follow companies

Follow companies you might want to work for. Many will post links to vacancies.

Search hashtags

Search social media for ‘jobs’ or something more specific like ‘retail jobs’. Refine by your local area.

LinkedIn

Your LinkedIn profile is like your online CV. It should follow the same basic rules as your CV:

• Be clear with your objectives in your personal profile.
• List your most recent job or training first.
• Be professional.
• Be honest.

Get started (LinkedIn)

Take care with your online presence

Potential employers might look at your social media presence so think about what you post. 

Make sure you are comfortable with your privacy settings on your social media profiles.

Picture

Your profile picture is important for a good first impression. This should show you smiling and dressed smartly for the kind of work you want to do.

Use your network

Ask your connections for recommendations.

How to get references for jobs

Registering with recruitment agencies can help you find some kinds of work. Some recruitment agencies can help you look for jobs in your local area. Others specialise in certain sectors or types of employment, like graduate jobs or jobs in IT.

Recruiters can help find roles that might be suitable for your experience. They can also put you forward for interviews with their clients, which can save you time. Some agencies might not have as much understanding about disability at work. Recruitment agencies also have a duty to provide reasonable adjustments to help you register with them and apply for jobs.

If you decide to try a recruitment agency, be specific about what you are looking for in a job. Search online for agencies in the sector you want to work in or agencies nearby.

Recruitment agencies usually make money by charging the employer a fee when they hire someone. But check how they work to make sure they’re not going to charge you any money.

Search for recruitment agencies (Agency Central)

If you get an interview, we have more information on:

• job interviews
• managing stress and anxiety in job interviews
• asking for adjustments at interview

If you are offered an interview, it could be a good time to have an informal chat before the interview. You could:

• talk about any concerns
• ask for any adjustments
• ask for the interview questions in advance