'Disabled workers earn £3,700 less every year - government must close the pay gap'

Rachel Charlton-Dailey writes that the pay gap varies from sector to sector, but is worse in the financial sector where people with disabilities earn on average £5.90 less per hour than non-disabled employees

On average disabled people earn £2.05 less per hour than their non-disabled counterparts (Stock Photo) (

Image: Getty Images)

How much do you expect to make by Christmas? Well, if you are a disabled person, you will earn almost nothing compared to your non-disabled colleagues.

If that sounds a little extreme, I have to make it clear that it's only hypothetical: people with disabilities still get paid, for now.

However, thanks to the wage disparity between disabled and non-disabled people, today is the day the average disabled worker stops being paid for the rest of the year, which is 54 days' wages. less than non-disabled workers.

A new study by the TUC has found that on average people with disabilities earn £2.05 per hour less than their non-disabled counterparts, or £3,731 per year. This is an increase from £1.90 less in 2021.

There is a huge wage disparity between disabled and non-disabled people (Stock Photo) (

Picture:

Getty Images)

This gap widens even more for women with disabilities whose average hourly wage is £11.93, which is £3.93 less than a non-disabled man who earns an average of £15.25 an hour . That's £7,144 less per year.

Disabled workers are also much less likely to work in high-paying positions and sectors. Disabled workers represent 16% of all workers, but only 12% of managers, directors and senior managers.

The pay gap varies widely across sectors, but is worse in the finance sector where people with disabilities earn on average £5.90 less per hour than non-disabled employees.