The Independent Disability Advisory Panel - first announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper - held its inaugural meeting yesterday and will work directly with ministers on policies affecting disabled people and those with long-term health conditions. This includes Access to Work, Disability Confident and The Keep Britain Working Review recommendations.

Selected from more than 300 applicants, the panel hail from communities across Great Britain and bring expertise in employment support, health services, disability rights and policy research.

The panel members are:

Laura Fulcher (Southwest) - founder and chief executive at Mission Remission

John Kerr (Scotland) - employability development officer at East Lothian Council

Jeff Banks (Southeast) – chief executive at Lightyear Foundation

Tracy Lazard (London) – chief executive at Inclusion London

Nabila Gardner (Midlands) - director/founder at Ways for Wellbeing UK CIC.

Molly Deakin (Yorkshire) - policy and campaigns officer at Together Trust

Arun Veerappan (London) - director of research at The Disability Policy Centre

Noor Al-Koky (Southwest) - senior commissioning manager at Gloucestershire County Council & NHS Gloucestershire

Damian Bridgeman (Wales) - director at Freedom 365 Limited

Isaac Samuels (London) - community campaigner and co-production advisor.  

Chaired by disability rights expert Zara Todd, the panel will put disabled people's needs and voices at the heart of the Government's Plan for Change and help raise living standards.

Minister for social security and disability, Sir Stephen Timms, said: ‘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.'

Chair of the panel, Zara Todd, said: ‘The panel represents a much-needed opportunity for disabled people to shape and influence government policy which affects us.

‘The breadth and diversity of the panel membership will enable us to provide robust, independent and practical advice, all driven by lived experience.'

The panel will run separately to the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment, and will have a wider remit across health and disability policy, but expertise and insight will be shared between the two.