Local MP Champions Disability Rights in Parliament

19 April 2021

Wera Hobhouse, MP for Bath, spoke last week in Parliament asking Government to raise the Carer’s Allowance, create a targeted strategy about disability and employment, and invest in the long-term future of social care.

Ms Hobhouse spoke about these issues following the release of the Women and Equalities Select Committee Report on Disability Rights. She fully supported the main finding and concerns of the report, which asked the government to launch an independent inquiry into adverse outcomes for disabled people.

In her speech, Wera Hobhouse referenced the experiences of people in Bath. She highlighted the situation of an ‘extremely vulnerable’ constituent who signed up to receive Government food parcels in March, during the first lockdown, and did not receive anything until mid-June.

Following the debate, Wera Hobhouse said:

“The pandemic has been challenging for everyone but for those who have been asked to shield or have other types of disabilities, this year has been especially painful.

“Research suggests that many in these groups have lost jobs and experienced deteriorating mental health after months and months of isolation. We are only just starting to understand the impact of the past year on those with disabilities in our communities, but from what we can see we know that things have moved backwards.

“We are now 25 years on from when the Disability Discrimination Act came into legislation. Unless we truly recognize the value of the social care sector, we risk going back on the progress we have made towards equality for disabled people.”