Conservative policies will help a greater range of those in need, the shadow minister for disabled people has said.
At a Manchester fringe event, Mark Harper said proposed changes to Treasury rules on spending and new contracts with employment providers meant that there would be assistance for "groups of people who currently have no expectation that they will receive any help".
He said this would mean being able to offer help to those on all out-of-work benefits such as incapacity benefit and employment support allowance, as well as job seeker's allowance.
Harper said that contracts would be designed so that employment providers would work with clients for a longer period to ensure "sustainable" employment.
It is important that proposed programmes are not about "delivering a quick bit of help and then leaving people to sink or swim on their own".
He added that the proposed policies are "at centre of conference and centre of what we want to achieve if we are successful in winning the election next year to get Britain working again".
Stewart Knowles, executive director of employment at the Shaw Trust, expressed support for Conservative policies, but noted that disabled people had suffered greater levels of discrimination in the recession as employers tried to "cut corners to access in order to save money".
He stressed that government would need to be more blunt in ensuring employers play their part in ensuring that diversity of the workforce is maintained.
And Knowles stressed that "workers with disabilities should not bear the brunt of recession or be the last to feel the benefit of recovery".
An incoming government should support the idea that the "right to work is key to getting the UK working again".
He added that in order for this to happen it is important that work is a possibility for everyone and the correct professional support is in place to ensure employment for all.
Policies would be reviewed in detail to identify what scope there is for the third sector and job centres to assist with the delivery of employment programmes, Knowles argued.
And a return to economic growth should not trigger complacency and divert attention from finding people work as the labour market recovery is likely to lag behind the economic recovery.
Knowles pointed to the Shaw Trust's welfare reform manifesto, adding that an incoming government should plan its programmes with "invest to save" in mind.
