Remploy Farewell

Disability employer Remploy has closed the doors for the last time at three remaining factories. On the upside, however, the organisation has achieved a remarkably successful change of roll and is now helping thousands of disabled people into mainstream employment.

Remploy was first created 67 years ago to provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities.  Although running at a loss, it provided a work-oriented life purpose, sheltered environment and valuable paid employment for generations of disabled people across the UK.

Disability Shutdown

At its peak, Remploy operated a total of 92 factories.  In 2008 the then Labour Government started assessing cost-effectiveness to decide which sites were least commercially viable.  As a result 29 Remploy factories were closed down.

Over the following six years the remaining Remploy factories have gradually ceased operation. In the process an estimated 3,500 people with disabilities have lost their job.

The Government says it is diverting money saved by the factory closures into helping a larger amount of people with disabilities into the wider employment market.  The idea is to increase integration of people with disabilities into mainstream employment.

Disability Minister, Esther McVey, comments: “Disabled people should have exactly the same choices as everyone else in the world of work – from hairdressing to engineering and everything in between.”

McVey points out that although Remploy employed 3,500 people with disabilities, there are more that 6 million people in the UK who require specialist support with regard to employment.

“A fifth of the entire budget for specialist disability employment services was going into failing factories,” comments McVey.

Remploy Reborn

Remploy itself is continuing as an organisation, now focusing on providing support to people with disabillities in order to help them into mainstream work.

The organisation now boasts a network of 64 branches, mostly located in town and city centres. Each branch offers a range of support services, which can be tailored to suit the needs of individual disabled people.

Last year the re-shaped Remploy helped more than 17,500 disabled people into mainstream employment – a fantastic achievement by any standard.