The Department for Work and Pensions has launched a new ‘challenge fund’ to help more people with mental health or musculoskeletal conditions to stay in work.

The £4.2m fund, a joint initiative with the Department of Health and Social Care, will research ways to support disabled people in work by increasing their ability to self-manage their conditions.

It will also help people access advice and support about what sort of work they might be capable of doing.

The fund is part of the Government’s 10-year strategy aimed at seeing one million more disabled people in work by 2027.

‘We know there is a gap between disabled people who want to work and those who have the opportunity to do so,’ said minister for disabled people, health and work Sarah Newton.

‘With 78% of people acquiring their disability or health condition during their adult life, it’s crucial that we support disabled people who want to work to stay in or return to employment.’

The minister for mental health and inequalities, Jackie Doyle-Price, commented: ‘For too long if you had a disability or serious mental health issue the world of work was off limits, potentially affecting the lives of millions of people across the country.

‘This fund will help people overcome the barriers that so many still face when trying to get into and progress in the workplace.’