RSN Greater London September Notes

Updates from the Disability Unit (NOTE: these are in their words)

The Timms Review steering group is keen to discuss their emerging recommendations with you and would value your insight as they test and refine them. DWP are looking to organise a session on 1 October, 1.30-3pm, for this discussion with RSN Chairs and an invite will come from DWP shortly. It will be attended by some members of the Timms Review steering group, alongside a few DWP officials who will support the logistics of the meeting. DWP will share more information about the emerging recommendations before the meeting.

This session will allow all RSN Chairs to feed in and is separate to the other, longer 'Shaping Recommendations' workshops with the public that some of you or your members may have applied to be part of.

Meeting summaries from Ministerial meetings with the RSN Chairs were published:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-unit-regional-stakeholder-network-meeting-summaries

The next RSN Chairs and DU meeting is 23 September - we have lots to cover as we should be having two guest speakers (including from the Law Commission on transport accessiblity) and to get your initial high levels thoughts on the Access to Work theme please (DWP officials will also be attending). The Minister's Office should also be sending out the invite for October for you to feedback on this theme too please. Just a reminder that on this occasion though, the detailed written feedback would ideally follow by 25 September please so DWP can have this sooner.

This is the press release after the Prime Minister announced today (18 August) that the government will lift time restrictions on concessionary bus passes. From 1 April 2027, people who hold a disabled bus pass can travel on buses for free, no matter the time of day. www.gov.uk/government/news/free-bus-travel-247-for-disabled-people-as-prime-minister-takes-further-action-to-ease-cost-of-living

The Disability Unit is looking into how the RSN can engage on the Casey Commission social care Big Conversation.

Please also find an update from DWP on the query around the reasons why some people have had their PIP reviews extended by 3 years, and the impact on things like Blue Badges:

Since 6 April 2026 we have reduced the frequency of repeated reviews in PIP. For most claimants over 25, their first review will be a minimum of 3 years and, assuming they remain entitled, 5 years for their next review. We want to ensure claimants receive the right level of award while at the same time reducing unnecessary award reviews. This will make the system far more efficient and remove unnecessary pressure from disabled claimants whose needs rarely change at each review. Reducing the frequency of PIP award reviews will enable us to increase the number of WCA reassessments and the proportion of PIP/WCA health assessments conducted face-to-face.
Blue Badge is a devolved matter, but for DfT in England.

Please also find an update from DWP on the query around sole traders and Disability Confident reform:

Testing of initial thinking is expected to conclude late Summer, with findings anticipated in late Autumn 2026.
Development of the new Small and Medium Employer (SME) pathway continues, with testing of selected products currently underway.
Existing members will be informed in advance of any changes, enhancements or new elements introduced to the scheme. We are currently considering implementation approaches and, where appropriate, transition arrangements to support members through any changes.

Find some recently published foresight research (a report by the National Centre for Social Research on how the needs and experiences of disabled people will evolve over the next 5, 10 and 20 years):www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-foresight-research-future-trends-for-disabled-people

RSN Greater London and Other Updates

The Greater London Assembly (GLA) are launching their Action Plan for Disability on Thursday. They have shared an exec summary ahead of time. Headlines are:

Poverty

Work with Disabled Londoners to ensure their voices inform the Mayor’s response to government decisions on disability benefits and income-related issues.
Pilot improvements to accessible advice provision to better integrate the needs of Disabled Londoners in the GLA’s financial hardship programme design and delivery, including by delivering training to staff, venue descriptions for locations with funded advice services and including Disabled Londoners in programme governance structures.
Improve benefit take-up through its income maximisation programme, including a pilot to focus on uptake of disability benefits.

Policing and Safety

Pilot new, more safe and appropriate ways for Disabled Londoners to report crime and improve victim support for Disabled Londoners, this includes working with Disabled victims of crime and exploring ways to simplify reporting.
Embed lived experience in decision making within MOPAC’s oversight and scrutiny of the MPS, including through co-production and advisory groups, and disability hate crime and leadership training.
Work with the London Fire Brigade and local authorities to ensure safe evacuation routes and appropriate support for Disabled Londoners during emergencies.

Housing and Planning

Focus on accessibility throughout the development of the London Plan.
Provide funding to increase the provision of accessible, safe and high-quality accommodation-based support for Disabled survivors of domestic abuse.
Work to ensure that high-quality data is available to partners working on housing access for Disabled Londoners, including through introducing processes to maintain higher quality data moving forward.
Support partners, including boroughs and housing providers, to better understand and meet accessible housing needs of their communities and use available data to inform decision-making and accountability.
Work to improve access to suitable homes across different tenures and better embed lived experience in decision making

Transport

Work to improve uptake of concessionary travel options for Disabled Londoners
Work with partners to ensure Disabled Londoners are engaged in improvements to Taxicard
Work to improve training for frontline staff and ensure they better understand and can meet the needs of Disabled Londoners.

Employment and Skills

Increase our work to tackle employment barriers by embedding lived experience voices in employment support programmes, including through testing new approaches to integrated employment support and embedding lived experiences through employment support programmes
Help create more accessible and inclusive workplaces and continue to learn about the importance of intersectional approaches.
Work to improve access to GLA-funded skills provision and to support increasing Disabled Londoners awareness of available services and identifying the most appropriate services for them.

GLA Ways of Working

Strengthen its engagement with Disabled Londoners including by strengthening the DDPO Forum and embedding more consistent feedback loops, appointing a lived experience co-chair to the forum, and appointing GLA disability commissioners to provide additional resources to support the delivery of the Action Plan.
Strengthen accessibility of GLA services and events and work to ensure that staff will be able to understand the needs of Disabled people and facilitate their involvement.
Strengthen access to relevant GLA programmes including grant funding and procurement processes.

Agenda and Actions

1. Any questions of information to follow up on the updates above?

There's no problem to bring them up in your own time later on, via email or online here.

2. Any further views on Access To Work for the next Minister meeting?

Etherpad Link

3. What would be your top 3 themes to share to the Disability Unit?

We had a few such as: