Boris Johnson has unveiled plans for a new 'National Disability Strategy' which aims to 'build a better and fairer life for disabled people living in in the UK.'
The government has outlined 100 new pledges as part of a £1.6b reform - which includes promises to improve disabled people's access to jobs, housing and transport - as The Daily Record reports.
Parts of the strategy also state that changes may be on the way for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment rules, along with other benefits such as Universal Credit and Employment Support Allowance (ESA).
READ MORE: Labour MP ordered out of chamber for branding Boris Johnson a liar
The report said: " DWP is also exploring options to reduce the frequency of repeat Work Capability Assessments (WCA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments, to avoid assessments where a change of award is unlikely."
The key points from the government's 114 page document include:
- Disabled people to benefit from plans to upgrade job support and opportunities, housing and transport
- Improving accessibility of homes, £300m investment in support for children with special educational needs and disabilities in schools and an online work passport to help disabled students move seamlessly from education to work
- Plans to consult on disability workforce reporting for businesses with more than 250 staff
Every 12 months a document will be published examining progress and outlining fresh commitments - and the Minister for Disabled people has said this now means the UK Government can be held accountable.
Justin Tomlinson told a media briefing: "Crucially, this is a living document."
However, the strategy has been criticised by some disability charities concerned that more details are needed to improve the lives of disabled people.
Disability Rights UK chief executive Kamran Mallick said: "The strategy has insufficient concrete measures to address the current inequalities that disabled people experience in living standards and life chances."
You can read the full National Disability Strategy online at GOV.UK here.
Want to find out the latest news in your area? Enter your postcode on our In Your Area page here
