Thank you for contacting me about the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
I know that the UK Government is firmly committed to the UNCRPD, and to the progressive realisation of rights for disabled people that it sets out. While the UNCRPD is not incorporated into domestic law, the Equality Act 2010 provides protections for people in Great Britain against discrimination, harassment, or victimizations, within domestic legislation. The Act ensures that equality issues, including the rights of disabled people, are integrated into the policies and programmes of Government and other public bodies.
The Government’s most recent response to the UNCRPD is available to read on GOV.UK. More broadly, I am proud to support the Government’s ambition to make this country the most accessible place in the world for disabled people to live, work and thrive. I would now like to take some time to outline some of the steps being taken to make this happen.
It is vital that our welfare system is fit to support those who need it. A record £67 billion was spent in 2022/23 on benefits to support disabled people and those with health conditions, and benefits were increased by 10.1 per cent in line with inflation from April 2023. Indeed, by 2027-28, spending on disability is forecast to be over £39.8 billion more in real terms compared to 2010.
Further, the publication of the Health and disability White Paper set out an ambitious policy reform package that will transform the health and disability benefits system. One of the major changes set out in the Paper is abolishing the Work Capability Assessment so that there will be only one health and disability functional assessment - the PIP assessment.
The UK Disability Action Plan will build on the White Paper, outlining the more immediate actions the Government will take in 2023/24 to transform disabled people’s lives. Ensuring that the voices of disabled people are heard is a priority, and for that reason the Government is currently running a public consultation, to be carefully considered before the Plan is published.
I recognise that the system could be working better for those who depend on it, and therefore welcome that the Government’s social care plans are backed by funding worth £5.4 billion. The Government will make available up to £2.8 billion in 2023-24 in England and £4.7 billion in 2024-25 to help support adult social care and discharge. This includes £1 billion of new grant funding in 2023-24 and £1.7 billion in 2024-25, further flexibility for local authorities on council tax and, having heard the concerns of local government, delaying the rollout of adult social care charging reform until October 2025.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.