UK backs new technology to help more disabled people into work

The U.K. government said Oct. 1 that it is putting £60 million into a Pathways to Work Innovation Fund to find new ways of helping disabled people and people with health conditions get into work and stay there.

What's new: The Department for Work and Pensions is inviting bids for approaches such as AI-powered job matching, prosthetics and digital therapies. An expert panel that includes Paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson will help review ideas. Bids opened Sept. 28 and close Oct. 26.

Why it matters: The fund is part of a wider £3.5 billion employment support package. It signals that the U.K. sees technology, alongside employment programs, as part of closing the disability employment gap, a goal shared by governments and service providers worldwide.

Who it affects: Disabled people and people with health conditions looking for work in the U.K., employers, charities, disability service providers, and health and assistive technology companies, including international organizations working with U.K. partners.

Source: GOV.UK, "Call for bold new ideas to support disabled people and those with health conditions into work," Oct. 1, 2026: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/call-for-bold-new-ideas-to-support-disabled-people-and-those-with-health-conditions-into-work