27 Remploy factories to close

DWP has just announced the closure of 27 Remploy factories, following the recent review of 65 proposals to take factories out of Government control as part of a commercial process . They say that proposals have been scrutinised by a panel, independent of Remploy, established by the Department.

9 sites have had business plans accepted and will now move forward to the “best and final offer” stage where detailed bids will be considered. It is unclear from the statement what the status of the remaining 29 factories is.

They say that the are putting in place £8 million to guarantee tailored support for every single disabled person affected for up to 18 months, including a Personal Case Worker to help individuals with their future choices, as well as access to a personal budget for additional support. They also state that the £320m budget for disability employment services has been protected but “by spending it more effectively we can get thousands more disabled people into work.”

For the full statement, and a list of affected factories, see Future of specialist disability employment