Only three in five disabled people in Cornwall were employed last year, recent figures show, as nearly half of those across the UK remained out of work.

Last year the Government set out its plan to achieve an 80% employment rate, by reducing ill-health related economic inactivity and closing the gap between disabled and non-disabled employment levels.

Figures published by the Department for Work and Pensions show around 59% of the 79,993 working-age disabled people in Cornwall were in employment in the year to March.

Meanwhile the employment rate stood at 84% for non-disabled people, meaning the disability employment gap – the gap between the rate of disabled and non-disabled people in a job – was 25 percentage points.

The gap stood at 41 percentage points the previous year, with 47% of disabled people in a job and 88% of non-disabled people in employment.

Across the UK around 55% of the 10.2 million disabled people were in employment in the year to March, compared to 82% for the 31.4 million non-disabled people.

While it means the disability employment gap stood at 27 percentage points, broadly in line with the year before, it shows the Government remains far from its objective to reduce this gap.

Mikey Erhardt, policy lead at Disability Rights UK, said: "The latest DWP statistics highlight what we all know – that the inflexibility and top-down cultures of employers, their failure to comply with the Equality Act and their inability to create inclusive cultures for disabled employees is holding the economy back for us all.

"These new statistics make clear how the department's current approach of cutting support to push people into employment just doesn't work."

He added disabled people "pushed into work by cuts" are likely to face poor and precarious work conditions, making them likely to leave employment and leading to "a vicious and relenting cycle of sickness and poverty".

The Equality Act 2010 protects disabled people from discrimination in employment, requiring employers to treat them fairly and make reasonable adjustments so they are not disadvantaged in the workplace.

Ahead of the Budget, Mr Erhardt had called for "real change" to "empower disabled people into flexible, rewarding, well-paid jobs by making the law stronger, rather than asking employers nicely whilst handing them our hard-earned money".

The Chancellor announced on Wednesday disabled people claiming out of work benefits will have access to specialist work coaches and tailored support under the Pathways to Work Guarantee.

Reacting to the DWP figures, James Taylor, executive director of strategy at disability equality charity Scope, said: "It's alarming that disabled people are bearing the brunt of the weakening job market.

"It suggests disabled people are facing a double whammy of being hit hardest by job cuts and not getting the opportunities they should.

"With unemployment rising and hiring sluggish, the Government needs to invest in supporting disabled people to get into and stay in work."

A DWP spokesperson said: "We’re determined to get more people off welfare and into work. That’s why we are stepping up our plan to Get Britain Working with the most ambitious employment reforms in a generation.

"This includes modernising jobcentres, providing tailored support through the Connect to Work programme and partnering with more than sixty major and many small employers to reshape how health issues and disabilities are managed in the workplace."