MPs Demand National Guidelines for Disabled Travel Rights

Members of Parliament and peers are calling on the UK government to implement national guidelines that guarantee disabled people the right to travel abroad with their personal assistants. The push for standardization follows reports of inconsistent rules across local NHS care boards and councils, which critics describe as a postcode lottery that may breach the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.

Discrepancies in funding have emerged between different regions. In the Cheshire and Merseyside area, a man was barred from using his health budget for personal assistant travel costs, with the local board stating it would not ordinarily pay for holiday expenses. Conversely, a man with the same condition in Greater Manchester secured an annual allocation of £2,370 after challenging his board, though that trust currently lacks a ratified policy on holiday travel.

Debbie Abrahams, chair of the Commons work and pensions select committee, and MP Marsha de Cordova have led the call for reform to prevent local officials from making arbitrary decisions. The Department of Health and Social Care has responded by stating that integrated care boards should continue to examine proposals on a case-by-case basis in accordance with national policy and legislation.