Anger as Sunak scraps dedicated minister for disabled people

Rights campaigners have reacted with anger to the news that Downing Street will not appoint a new dedicated minister for disabled people, describing it as an “appalling and retrograde move”.

The brief would instead be taken on by another minister along with their existing commitments, the government said.

The position had been vacant since Rishi Sunak’s cabinet reshuffle last week, which the disability charity Scope said was the longest gap without a minister in post in the past 30 years.

Its director of director of strategy, James Taylor, who described the move as appalling and retrograde, added: “What kind of message does this give to Britain’s 16 million disabled people? That in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis we are now less important?”

The previous minister for disabled people, Tom Pursglove, was made minister for legal migration this month.

A call was also made by the national disability charity Sense for a dedicated minister to be appointed as soon as possible to ensure the interests of disabled people were represented at a time of crisis.

Sarah White, the head of policy at the charity, said; “Disabled people have been hit hard by cuts to social care and the cost-of-living crisis, and are battling rising prices that have pushed far too many into debt.”

A No 10 spokesperson confirmed the vacant post would be filled by a member of government who already had other responsibilities. He denied that the role was being downgraded, given that the government now had two ministers responsible for migration.

“It’s not right. We will have a minister for disabled people who will lead on that important work,” the prime minister’s official spokesperson said. “What you will continue to see is a government showing strong support for disabled people and for disabled issues.”

Claire Coutinho, Esther McVey and Mark Harper are current cabinet ministers who have previously held the dedicated role, which has been in existence since the 1990s.

Vicky Foxcroft, the Labour MP and shadow minister for disabled people, said it was “shocking” that Sunak had chosen not to appoint a new minister for disabled people, health and work, and linked it to other recent decisions.

“After 13 years of Tory austerity, pandemic and cost of living crisis, disabled people feel their voices are not being heard and represented in government. This confirms it,” she said.

“People with disabilities have felt like an afterthought by this government and that’s all the more clear now at a time when people are really struggling after 13 years of Tory austerity, the impact of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.”

Foxcroft also cited the absence of the publication of a disability action plan, which had been expected before the end of the year, and what she said was a “hardline” approach taken to compel people with disabilities into work without proper support.

There was strong criticism from charities last month when it emerged in the autumn statement that people with mobility and mental health problems would be asked to work from home or lose benefits.

Changes announced by the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, were part of the a £2.5bn back-to-work plan to get more long-term unemployed people and those with health conditions and disabilities to seek employment.

Hunt said it was a “waste of potential” that more than 100,000 people were signed off every year on to benefits, with no requirement to look for work because of sickness or disability.