Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment: final report

Note on Terminology

In this report I use the terms ‘disabled people’ and ‘disabled people and people with long-term conditions’ to refer to people who have lived or living experience of Adult Disability Payment. I acknowledge that to be eligible for Adult Disability Payment a person may not necessarily see themselves as a disabled person. They may have a terminal illness, a mental health condition or problem, a condition such as Autism or ADHD.

I welcome consideration of a social rather than a medical model of disability (more on this later in the report) recognising that people are disabled by barriers that arise because society is not designed to accommodate them.

I recognise that not everyone who applies for Adult Disability Payment will see themselves as disabled. For example, wherever possible within my report I have sought to use terminology that people use to refer to themselves, specifically with reference to people who have a mental health problem, rather than condition. This also applies to people who have lived or living experience of a terminal illness. I am grateful to the Advisory Group members for their expertise and representations in ensuring that the terminology used in my report reflects the preferences of people who may apply for or receive Adult Disability Payment.

For the purposes of this report, I use the Equality Act 2010 definition which defines a disabled person as someone who has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities^[2].

I am aware that there are ongoing debates about identity and terminology. Whilst the Review recognises these debates and the importance of language in making people feel included or excluded, it is not for me as Chair of the independent Review to impose any terms or definitions. In the interests of inclusivity, I have opted for the broadest definitions of all equality and diversity-related terms.