Department for Education: Disability and Mental Illness
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many staff in her Department are recorded as having a (a) mental health condition and (b) physical disability by grade.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The department collects diversity and inclusion data through its internal HR system, and encourages staff to update their data voluntarily to support effective monitoring and inclusion. Whilst the system records whether an individual has declared a disability or permanent/long-term health condition, it does not capture the specific nature of that condition. As a result, it is not possible to provide separate figures for staff declaring a mental health condition and those declaring a physical disability.
The table below shows the number of staff in the department who have declared a disability or permanent/long-term health condition, broken down by grade, as at 30 September 2025. Figures are rounded to the nearest five, and values fewer than five have been withheld to protect anonymity.
Grade | Count of staff that have declared a disability or permanent/long-term health condition |
EA | 10 |
EO | 100 |
HEO | 180 |
SEO | 305 |
Grade 7 | 230 |
Grade 6 | 90 |
SCS | 25 |
Information on the number of people declaring a disability in each government department is published annually as part of Civil Service Statistics 2025, an accredited official statistics publication. The latest published data are as at 31 March 2025 and can be found in Table 29 of the statistical tables at the following web address: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-service-statistics-2025.
Information for 31 March 2026 is due for publication in July 2026.
Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →