Government failing disabled people, human rights watchdog warns

The UK authorities has been accused by a quality rights watchdog of making "slow progress" successful improving the lives of disabled people.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission said immoderate recommendations made by a United Nations enquiry successful 2016 had not been delivered.

The UN called for changes aft investigating the rights of disabled radical successful the UK.

The authorities said it was already making reforms and taking action.

In a caller study submitted to the UN, the EHRC warns that galore disabled radical proceed to look favoritism successful the UK, and the concern continues to worsen, peculiarly successful airy of existent cost-of-living pressures.

The study assesses the grade to which the erstwhile UN recommendations from 2016 person been implemented.

The EHRC said, contempt constricted advancement successful definite areas, "we are disappointed to spot nary advancement against immoderate different recommendations".

"While commitments to code immoderate issues person been made, actions person been delayed oregon don't spell acold enough," the quality rights watchdog says.

The study recovered determination had been nary advancement successful monitoring the interaction of payment reforms oregon entree to justness for disabled people. Its study besides recovered gaps successful "meaningful engagement" betwixt governments and disabled radical crossed galore parts of the UK.

It said determination continued to beryllium a disproportionate fig of disabled radical surviving connected debased incomes oregon successful poorness with immoderate facing agelong waits for decisions connected eligibility for benefits.

Kishwer Falkner, chairwoman of the EHRC, urged the UK and Welsh governments "to code the problems faced by disabled radical and instrumentality enactment to code the UN's recommendations from 2016".

"Disabled radical indispensable beryllium treated with dignity, respect and fairness," Ms Falkner said. "The recommendations made years agone indispensable beryllium addressed if the lives of disabled radical are to improve." A authorities spokesperson said it was reforming the wellness and disablement benefits strategy and was investing £2bn to enactment sick and disabled radical backmost into work.

"Last period we launched a consultation connected our caller Disability Action Plan, which is portion of this government's committedness to make a nine that works for everyone," the spokesperson said.

"Significant enactment is already being taken guardant including reforming the wellness and disablement benefits system, boosting disablement benefits by 10.1%, investing £2bn to enactment sick and disabled radical backmost into work, and helping the astir susceptible with grounds fiscal enactment worthy astir £3,300 per household.

"We stay committed to making our nine a much inclusive and accessible spot for each disabled people."