We seek to influence communities and national policy to meet the needs of disabled people.

Our policy work seeks to influence Government to ensure disabled people have equality, choice and independence in their daily lives.

Papworth Trust’s recent policy work has seen as influencing the social housing rent settlement for 2023-24, the future funding of adult social care and the rising cost of living/energy prices.

As well as our own work; we work in partnership with national umbrella organisations to push for fairer policy outcomes for disabled people including the National Housing Federation and Shaping the Future of Volunteering.

 

Social housing

There is a shortage of accessible housing in the UK with new housebuilding targets missed. We want to increase the availability of accessible homes for disabled people, not only for those who will be living in them but as a common-sense way of future proofing our housing stock.













 

Disability employment:

The disability employment gap, the difference between how many disabled people are in work compared to how many non-disabled people are in work, was 29.8% in July to September 2022. We want to see disabled jobseekers supported to gain and progress within work.












 

Social care:

The social care system is in crisis with chronic under-funding, shortages in the workforce combined with increasing demand for its services. We want to see immediate and sufficient funding for the social care system; and to raise the profile of the social care workforce, giving them the recognition they deserve.  












We have recently responded to:

• The House of Commons Housing, Levelling Up and Communities Select Committee inquiry into 'disabled people in the housing sector' 
• The Disability Unit's consultation: Disability Action Plan 2023-24
• Regulator for Social Housing's consultation: Consumer standards

Currently we are working on:

• Regulator for Social Housing's consultation: Fees