Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about the Health and Disability Green Paper.
I was pleased to see the publication of the Health and Disability Green Paper and the opening of the consultation into shaping future support for disabled people. The consultation ran from 20 July to 11 October 2021 and I look forward to the Government's response in due course, Shaping future support: the health and disability green paper - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The Green Paper considers how to improve the DWP’s current services so they are better and easier to use, explore how extra support can help people navigate the system as well as what can be done to better support disabled people into employment. I welcome the wide range of measures discussed in the Green Paper as part of this three-pronged focus, for example, exploring how to improve the information on GOV.UK in order to help people access the relevant benefits online.
I know that DWP has run workshops across the country where local disability organisations and disabled people have shared their experiences and priorities for future change.
Additionally, I welcome the publication of the National Strategy for Disabled People, which focuses on issues that disabled people say affect them the most across all aspects of daily life.
The Health and Disability Green Paper is an important step towards improving the way Government supports disabled people and people with health conditions. It focuses on issues that disabled people and people with health conditions have said they would like to see improved and reflects the extensive engagement undertaken before publication.
My colleagues at the DWP recognise that it is essential that any changes made to the health and disability benefits system are shaped by disabled people and their representatives. This is why the Department hosted a series of engagement events across the country, to hear about disabled people’s experiences of DWP services and priorities for future changes. This engagement is continuing through the consultation to ensure that disabled people and people with health conditions help inform potential improvements that we can make.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Sincerely,
