Labour Party Policy for Disabled People Discussion paper by Liam Byrne & Anne McGuire asks:
We have to ask how do local councils, the DWP and where needed the NHS, come together to offer one assessment of the health, social care, benefits and back to work support that disabled people might need?
The right to health; to be skilled and knowledgeable; to be able to work if you can; to have a roof over your head; to live free from fear of attack; to have a family; to be part of a community; to be able to move about; to have aspirations for the future.
What are the basic rights of disabled people which this government is putting at risk?
The Right to Work
Labour has said it’ll keep the Work Programme if it’s cost effective and delivering. But it’s clearly not delivering for disabled people.
Do you have experience of current employment support programmes such as the Work Programme, Access to Work, Work Choice, or other support provided by your local authority? What was your experience of these programmes and what are the key changes you would like to see to help more
disabled people into work?
How can disabled people be better supported to take up work experience, volunteering or entrepreneurship? How can disabled adults be supported to access further and higher education?
How would you like to see initiatives like supported employment evolve, and how can disabled people be supported into fulfilling careers, rather than simply jobs?
How do you ensure that the route from benefits to work is more transparent for the disabled person and prospective employer?
It is in employers’ interests to recruit and retain talent from the widest possible pools. What can employers do to help disabled people get into work and stay in work?
How can carers be better supported to stay healthy, and juggle work and care?
What can be done to help narrow the pay gap between disabled and non disabled people?
The Right to live independently Britain’s social care system is in crisis, and disabled people must be included in the debate on how to change it. What support do disabled people need on a day to day basis, and how could they be assessed for this support?
How will government reforms jeopardise disabled people’s ability to live independently?
Could DLA have been successfully reformed or did we need a new benefit? If so, what changes would you like to have seen?
How do you think WCA should be changed?
What is the best way to join up support provided through DLA, ESA and Social Care?
The Right to a home
What changes would make a reality of disabled people’s right to a home?
How can disabled people who want to move into their own home be better supported?
How are disabled people affected by the government’s cuts to Local Housing Allowance?
The Right to a family life
What changes do disabled people need to help them as parents?
What changes do parents of disabled children need to help them?
How should we support disabled children and young people to become involved in decisions about their lives?
Does the focus on purely educational outcomes meet the needs of disabled children and young people?
Right to live free of crime
How can we stop the escalation in hate crime towards disabled people?
How can we tackle stigma experienced by disabled people and carers?
Should ministers be doing more to tackle negative public attitudes towards those genuinely in need?
Are there new safeguards that should be put in place to protect disabled people? If so, what are they?
Please contribute to the debate by responding to the questions, or telling us anything else you think would be valuable at byrnel@parliament.uk.