The main parties’ Election Manifestos 2024
Key points for disabled voters
DPAC are not aligned to any political party nor do we endorse or support any party, leaving us free to criticise (or praise, where it’s due) all parties.
But here is a run down of the manifesto offerings related to disabled people, provided by Merry Cross, with additional information links from Disability News Service articles on each manifesto.
Parties in alphabetical order:
CONSERVATIVES
They would
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Reform disability benefits so they are better targeted and reflect people’s genuine needs, while delivering a step-change in mental health provision.
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We will improve PIP assessments to provide a more objective consideration of people’s needs and stop the number of claims from rising unsustainably.
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Continue the present trajectory of making it harder to get benefits and push more people into work.
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Build 15 new free schools for children with special educational needs.
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[Under the heading of Health and Social Care, there’s no mention whatsoever of Social Care]
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No mention of implementing the UNCRPD into law.
Read more: Conservative manifesto is empty of new policies aimed at improving lives of disabled voters
GREEN PARTY
They would
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Make it mandatory for councils to provide free transport for 16–18-year-old pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.
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They say they will restore the value of disability benefits, with an immediate uplift of 5%.
- Reform intrusive eligibility tests for PIP and the unfair targeting of carers and disabled people on benefits.
- Introduce free personal care along the lines successfully brought in by the Scottish Government, to ensure dignity in old age and for Disabled people.
- An Increase in pay rates and the introduction of a career structure, to rebuild the care workforce.
- An increase to Universal Credit and legacy benefits by £40 a week.
- No mention of implementing the UNCRPD into law.
- They say they will support Assisted Dying.
LABOUR
They would
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Improve inclusivity in mainstream schools and increase provision in ‘special’ schools.
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Protect LGBT+ and disabled people by making all existing strands of hate crime an aggravated offence.
- The emphasis remains on getting disabled people into work, but improving their pay.
- Explore how to improve Social Care.
- They will have a free vote on Assisted Dying.
- No mention of increases to carers allowance or Disability related benefits.
- No mention of implementing the UNCRPD into law.
Read more: Labour manifesto drops key disability rights pledges
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
They would
- Give every child the specialist support they need and have a mental health professional in every school.
- Give local authorities extra funding to reduce the amount that schools pay towards the cost of a child’s Education, Health and Care Plan.
- Establish a new National Body for SEND to fund support for children with very high needs.
- Make the benefits system work better for disabled people by:
- Giving disabled people and organisations representing them a stronger voice in the design of benefits policies and processes.
- Bringing Work Capability Assessments in-house.
- Reforming Personal Independence Payment assessments to make the process more transparent and stop unnecessary reassessments, and end the use of informal assessments
- Improve accessibility at stations through the Access for All programme.
- Make it easier for disabled people to access public life, including the world of work, by [amongst a list of measures]
- Incorporating the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into UK law.
- Building on the British Sign Language Act by increasing the use of BSL in government communications and working collaboratively with the BSL Alliance to promote and facilitate the use of BSL.
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They would give Parliament time to debate and a free vote on Assisted Dying
Read more: Lib Dem manifesto targets care charges, and promises to implement UN disability convention
PLAID CYMRU
They would
- Work to deliver a National Care Service, combining health and social care and make it free at the point of delivery.
- Consult on eliminating profit from children’s services.
- Pay care workers at least £1 above the National Living Wage
- Ensure people who present with neurodiversity, whether self-referred or referred by a professional are supported as soon as possible.
- Press for the full transfer of powers to Wales in the Mental Health Act
- No mention of education at all, let alone for disabled children.
- No mention of Assisted Dying
Read more: Plaid Cymru calls for implementation of UN disability convention into UK law
REFORM
They would
- Withdraw job-seekers’ benefits after either 4 months of unemployment or 2 refused job offers
- Only have face-to-face PIP assessments with emphasis on coaching people back to work
- Reduce or remove a wide range of benefits
- Create a royal commission to tackle social care.
- Leave the European Commission on Human Rights.
- There’s no mention of incorporating the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into UK law.
- No mention of Assisted Dying
SNP
They would
- Scrap proposed punitive welfare reforms (but no mention of changing existing welfare policies)
- Scrap bedroom tax
- No mention of education at all, let alone for disabled children.
- No mention of UNCRPD
- No mention of Assisted Dying
Read more: SNP mentions disabled people just twice in general election manifesto
