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Government employment support for disabled people is confused and focuses too much on those with lesser needs, MPs said this week.

In a report, the public accounts committee said the distinctions between the six programmes - Access to Work, Job Introduction Scheme, New Deal for Disabled People, Remploy, Work Preparation and Workstep - were unclear to users, and the schemes should be rationalised.

It said service quality varied across the country, with one-third of Workstep providers between 2001 and 2005 failing to find work for a single person.

It called on the Department for Work and Pensions to stipulate minimum standards.

The MPs said support tended to focus on helping people find rather than retain work, even though many people became disabled while in work, and called for a shift towards retention.

Gaining and Retaining a Job