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Disability Advisory Panel members announced

Details

The DWP published the names of the ten member Disability Advisory Panel (DAP) this week.  The panel, which was first announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper, has been set up to work with ministers across government on policies affecting disabled people. 

The DAP was set up to ensure the voices of deaf and disabled people and people with long-term health conditions are heard by government. Issues they will work on include:

  • Access to Work.
  • Disability Confident.
  • The Keep Britain Working Review recommendations.

Disability minister Stephen Timms said that:

“Far too often, decisions about disabled people have been made without them.

“We are changing this. This Panel brings together years of experience and valuable insight. The voices of disabled people will count because they will be in the room where decisions are made, and where policies are shaped.

“We will listen, we will learn, and together we will build a system that truly works for disabled people.”

The panel is separate from the Timms review, but “expertise and insight will be shared between the two”.

Chair:

Zara Todd, disability equality consultant.

Panel members:

Laura Fulcher (Southwest) - Founder & CEO, Mission Remission.

John Kerr (Scotland) - Employability Development Officer, East Lothian Council.

Jeff Banks (Southeast) - CEO, Lightyear Foundation.

Tracy Lazard (London) - CEO, Inclusion London.

Nabila Gardner (Midlands) - Director/Founder, Ways for Wellbeing UK CIC.

Molly Deakin (Yorkshire) - Policy and Campaigns Officer, Together Trust.

Arun Veerappan (London) - Director of Research, The Disability Policy Centre.

Noor Al-Koky (Southwest) - Senior Commissioning Manager, Gloucestershire County Council & NHS Gloucestershire.

Damian Bridgeman (Wales) - Director, Freedom 365 Limited.

Isaac Samuels OBE (London) - Community Campaigner and Co-production Advisor.

CEOs, directors, managers and founders appear to be well represented on the panel and will undoubtedly offer a great deal of valuable insight.  But currently unemployed, disabled people and those struggling in insecure, minimum wage jobs are harder to identify.  At best, it seems their voices may be heard second-hand.

UPDATE 28.01.2026:  Concerningly, one of the companies detailed in the membership was listed for compulsory strike-off yesterday, having failed to provide its accounts.  Freedom 365 Ltd operates from a virtual office in London and its last published accounts showed it having one employee, no assets and no capital or reserves.  Thanks to readers for highlighting this.   Further info:  the company appears to have transferred its business to the Bridgeman Community Foundation.

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Anon
    · 12 days ago
    It seems like wishful thinking and hoping that 2 organisations on this panel has real people who is the voices of the claimants experiences.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    D
    · 16 days ago
    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/dwp-benefit-pip-wca-assessment-lcwra-timms-b2910935.html#
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Anon78
    · 16 days ago
    I don't see any representatives from organisations representing and advocating for people with mental health and/or energy limiting and related conditions e.g. CFS/ME, Long Covid and other disabilities. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Neil
    · 16 days ago
    If as had been printed the reforms have been at least temporary suspended then what on earth is McFadden banging on about reforms still happening this parliament, doesn't it mean that they won't?   Hopefully...🙏🙏🙏
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Shipwrek
    · 18 days ago
    Too many chiefs, not enough Indians, yet another farce !
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    maggie
    · 18 days ago
    A bit off topic, but it was mentioned in the Times newspaper yesterday, that Kier Starmer will not overhaul welfare system for at least a year. It says he has vetoed plans for a fresh attempt to reform Britain's welfare system, as Downing street seeks to avoid another... (I suppose it would be rebellion), but that's all I can read of the article.
    Anybody else see this ?
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Jonno
      · 16 days ago
      @bronc

      Naivety doesn't come into it. Just reading between the lines and forming an opinion.

      Kicking cans down the road is something all Governments do and this one is no exception.

      If they do as you say in coming after benefit claimants then in my opinion they will lose their core vote to the Greens and if they u-turn under pressure as they have shown several times already they will be seen as weak but they might be able to spin it away,ergo, I think that's what they will do so
      I stand by my prediction.









    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Copycat
      · 16 days ago
      @John Good Analysis.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      bronc
      · 16 days ago
      @Jonno You are incredibly naive. Don't take anything this government of red tories says at face value. At the next GE Labour will be facing a huge election defeat and will pull out all the stops including attacks on benefit claimants to keep its grubby hands on power. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Copycat
      · 17 days ago
      @Neil Neil you should be safe until 2029 when your 56 years old,after that could be tricky if Reform and Conservatives get in as a coalition as the Tories want too shave 23 Billion off the benefits bill.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Neil
      · 17 days ago
      @Jonno You mean beyond 2028/2029?I hope it's delayed for as long as possible I really need some rest and safe and calm times right now because of this whole ruddy debacle of a government 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Jonno
    · 18 days ago
    I see McFadden is on his feet now in the HOC rejecting the Waspi women's compensation scheme.

    Next stop the disabled no doubt.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Phil C
    · 19 days ago
    I see MIND aren't included in this Disability Advisory Panel. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    sara
    · 19 days ago
    This isn't the Timms Review panel then? I was confused there until I read the article more carefully. So do we know who is on the Timms review panel yet?
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      John
      · 19 days ago
      @sara We may never know who is on the Timms review. They were taking of their identiesand their meetings being confidential and covered by non disclosure agreements. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Yorry
    · 19 days ago
    I don't see any representative from organisations that speak & advocate for disabled people.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    robbie
    · 19 days ago
    This whole process was flawed from the moment it was linked to capacity for work.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Martin Gorrie
    · 19 days ago
    I  think too many of the individuals on these advisory panels don’t actually have lived experience of disabilities and might be there for political reasons or their own careers. I hope I’m wrong but experience shows us, there are very little improvements in DWP and very slow, despite introduction of computerised systems. 

    I cared for my late parents, both disabled,  dad had brain haemorrhage and mum had Parkinson’s and thought I understood. However, it wasn’t until I had a haemorrhaging stroke myself and became disabled, did i learn the problems of discrimination, benefit problems, unemployment etc. How many of these people have experienced any of this first hand?
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Heather
    · 19 days ago
    From the list of panel members provided I don’t feel that there is adequate representation from disabled and unemployed people. Those in charge of big organisations are less likely to understand the difficulties disabled people have just trying to exist as everything costs more and is more effort. Maybe some of those panel members are disabled themselves, but surely there needs to be representation from those ‘on the ground’? It seems that most of the decisions made about PIP and welfare payments in general are made ‘from the top down’ and without adequate knowledge of the reality of being disabled. It would have been wonderful to see known names from the disabled world such as Baroness Tanni-Grey Thompson who can speak from first hand experience and who have the respect if those who can influence decisions… 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Duncan
    · 19 days ago
    Ugh , Timms an Iain Duncan Smith Mark two 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Michael
      · 19 days ago
      @Duncan Iain Duncan Smith found out in the hardest and most awful way way possible what government policy does to those with long-term illness when a retired solider with diabetes had a diabetic crisis and died as a result of it. Some say that incident still haunts IDS. Politicians have to realise that they cannot play Russian Roulette with people's health and lives. And the so-called "think tanks" need investigating as to their funding and who is behind them, because it is becoming increasingly more obvious government policy is coming from these think-tanks and not the people. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Chris
    · 19 days ago
    So, absolutely zero representation for the North of England?   Just a swathing gap and then 'Scotland' is it?  Yet somehow the South West and South East both have two representatives? 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Julie
      · 19 days ago
      @Chris My thoughts exactly too!
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Carolasks
      · 19 days ago
      @Chris And it would have been nice to see a Northern Ireland member
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Cheadle Jude
    · 19 days ago
    It seems geographically faulty too. Where is any representation from the north east and north west where both disability incidence is high and job opportunities are fewer? 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    DisabledClaimant
    · 20 days ago
    A national type of Disability charity invited me to join this panel but I had to decline as it would impact my health and wellbeing and impact my benefits that most disabled people reliant on Disability Benefits cannot afford to lose. 

    I hoped those who live with supportive parents who aren't reliant on Benefits to exist and get to live well, would apply so our voices aren't second hand. 

    I don't see the name of the person from that charity listed so perhaps we won't even get to input second hand. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Concerned
      · 19 days ago
      @DisabledClaimant I had a similar opportunity and really wanted to help like you did.

      However, with no guarantee that it wouldn't screw over my benefits, sadly I can't take that risk.

      I hope whoever they have chosen, speaks up for all of us and does us proud.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Moose
    · 20 days ago
    There was no reassurance to disabled people who wanted to apply that any PIP etc they get would be protected and that their involvement in this would not be used against them in the future.
    Anyone else disabled and wanting to apply may not have been able to participate because of their illness or disability.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Laura
      · 19 days ago
      @Moose In other words, those affected by the policy won't have any hand in informing it. They say some disabled people - those fortune enough to be fit enough to work (looking at newspaper article message boards just this week) are some of the worst judges of other disabled people. The attitude very much is - it's difficult, I'm disabled too, but I work, so should you. The fact others simply can't doesn't seem to factor into their mindset. It's very concerning. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    kevin
    · 20 days ago
    All either CEO's, work in government or local councils etc etc, no one from a normal working class background, or everyday people, no voice of those affected as usual be they mentally or physically disabled. None of these so called representatives of us the mentally ill and disabled people who rely on benefits have ever needed to claim benefits as the come from private to start with, another exercise in futility and more money wasted. And they say we a burden on society. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    grenson
    · 20 days ago
    nand picked nodding monkeys it seems

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