Abandon DWP Pathways to Work Green Paper & create National Disability Strategy

The DWP Green Paper Pathways to Work proposes what we think are devastating cuts to disability benefits. We think the Government must drop these proposals and instead begin a process of co-production with disabled peoples representative organisations to create a whole government disability strategy.

1. Abandon the DWP Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper. 2. Establish and resource a disability strategy co-production infrastructure working with Deaf and Disabled People's Organisations (Organisations run by and for disabled people) to create a National Disability Strategy to inform Labour market, Employment rights and Social Security reform that provides an adequate standard of living in line with the UNCRDP. 3. Protect the income of disabled people from further shocks.

The Pathways to Work Green Paper announced a range of plans and proposals to reform health and disability benefits and boost employment support. The reforms are designed to protect the most vulnerable, while supporting those who can work to do so – and to give disabled people the equal choices and chances to work that they deserve. We will not abandon the reform principles set out in the Green Paper or our commitment to improve the system and deliver proper employment support for disabled people.

Many of the proposals were part of the public consultation which invited disabled people to share their views and received over 45,000 responses before closing on the 30 June. We are now carefully reviewing responses as we further develop proposals, alongside facilitating other ways to involve disabled people in the reforms. This includes the Collaboration Committees we launched on the 2 July, which bring together groups of disabled people and other experts for specific work areas to collaborate and provide discussion, challenge, and recommendations.

The Collaboration Committees will cover a range of areas, including the employment support plans outlined in the Green Paper – the biggest investment in employment support for disabled people and people with health conditions in at least a generation. Our new guarantee of support for all disabled people and people with health conditions claiming out of work benefits is backed up by £2.2bn over four years. The Collaboration Committees, alongside consultation responses, will help ensure we get the new employment support offer right. The Disability Advisory Panel announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper, will further ensure the perspectives of disabled people inform our work.