Form

Guidance on the application process and further information on the Independent Disability Advisory Panel

Published 1 September 2025

Summary

Organisation

Disability Advisory Panel

Sponsor department

Department for Work and Pensions

Location

Hybrid

Application deadline

11:59pm on 29 September 2025

Sectors

Employment, Disability and Health

Number of vacancies

10

Time commitment

Up to 1.5 day(s) per month

Remuneration

£200 per day

Length of term

Panel will run until 31 March 2026, with the possibility of extension

Overview

The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. As the UK’s biggest public service department, it administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers.

Our policy includes health and disability employment support initiatives such as Connect to Work, support through the Jobcentre such as Disability Employment Advisors, and broader policy such as Access to Work and Disability Confident.

Our aim is to support Deaf and disabled people and people with long-term health conditions to live independent lives and, where appropriate, to enter and remain in good work, within a flexible and inclusive labour market.

The Department for Work and Pensions is looking to create a Panel to support, advise and connect the department to the wider disability community as part of wider efforts to improve how this government collaborates with Deaf and disabled people and people with long-term health conditions.

Purpose

The purpose of the new Independent Disability Advisory Panel is to convene and connect the expertise of Deaf and disabled people and people with long-term health conditions into our policy design and delivery.

The Panel will connect policy teams with a lived experience advisory panel who will provide a diverse guiding voice to listen to, learn from and collaborate with.

The Panel will focus on all health and disability policy and strategy across the Department for Work and Pensions.

We will work with the appointed Chair and Panel members to finalise the Terms of Reference and working agreement.

How the Panel will operate

Role

The role of Panel members will be to attend monthly workshops to collaborate with policy teams in the department advising on the design and development of policy and strategy through sharing experiences and feedback.

Ahead of the advisory workshops with policy teams, Panel members will attend preparation meetings facilitated by the Chair, to discuss the topic, ask questions and prepare views for the workshop.

Members will be expected to review departmental documents such as communications, publications and guidance provided by policy teams prior to attending workshops. Panel members will also be able to engage with these documents in personal preparation time.

Panel members may also be asked to share questions with their networks and gather wider feedback for the Department.

We will work with Panel members so that their accessibility needs are met.

Membership

The membership will consist of up to 10 individuals who identify as Deaf, disabled or as living with a long-term health condition.

Members will be expected to participate until 31 March 2026, with the possibility of extension.

Members will be expected to dedicate up to 1.5 days per month to the Panel.

Panel Principles

• Participatory 
• Respectful
• Equal
• Inclusive
• Transparent
• Follow the Nolan Principles – The Seven Principles of Public Life

Conduct and Confidentiality

To enable meaningful input into policy design through the Panel, we may need to share sensitive information or information that is not in the public domain during discussions. Therefore, members will need to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), to participate in these discussions.

An NDA is a legally binding contract that establishes a confidential relationship between two or more parties. It ensures that any sensitive information shared between the parties remains private and is not shared with others.

Payment and Expenses

Panel members will be paid a daily fee of £200, for up to 1.5 days of work per month. This payment will be subject to PAYE income tax rates alongside any other income you receive. Travel arrangements will either be booked for participants, or reasonable travel and subsistence expenses incurred on official business will be reimbursed. The secretariat can book travel, including overnight stays, on behalf of Panel members where appropriate.

Panel members will be responsible for submitting an invoice to the Department each month detailing the work undertaken, including any expenses incurred where applicable. Members will be responsible for disclosing this payment to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

Data Protection

We need your permission to use your data so that you can participate as a member of the Disability Advisory Panel.

By ‘your data’ we are referring to your name and email address. We will also collect information about applicants’ characteristics and background, including educational and professional experience, to help ensure we are attracting a diverse range of people and that our selection process is fair and inclusive.

The Department for Work and Pensions will use email as the primary way of communicating with you. Please let us know if another method of communication is preferred.

Inclusion

The Panel is committed to inclusive ways of working and we will collaborate with Panel members so their needs are met, and so they can meaningfully participate.

We also understand that your health condition may fluctuate, and this may impact your availability for some workshops. We will adopt a flexible way of working.

Monitoring and Evaluation

The Panel will run until at least 31 March 2026, after which the model and approach will be reviewed. Throughout this period, Panel members can provide feedback on their experience to help inform the approach. Both Panel members and policy teams will have the chance to complete a survey on their experiences, learning and outcomes.

Expectations

Panel members will be expected to:

• participate in training and induction for the Panel
• sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement, respect confidentiality and not share private information outside the Panel (please refer to the How the Panel Will Operate section)
• develop and agree to the Terms of Reference, which will be finalised and approved by the Chair and Panel members
• attend monthly workshops and preparation meetings. These sessions will be virtual, with occasional in-person workshops. In-person sessions will be held at the department’s main hubs in London, Leeds, and Sheffield. Reasonable adjustments will be made to accommodate both virtual and in-person meetings and workshops
• reflect on information shared and provide strategic advice
• be open to sharing experiences and respect the experiences of other Panel members
• review materials and publications and advise on wider collaboration and engagement
• build a working relationship with the Chair and secretariat and officials
• where appropriate, connect government to wider networks

The secretariat provided by the Department for Work and Pensions will be expected to:

• follow the leadership and approach of the appointed Chair
• share as much information as possible with the Panel
• adjust the Panel’s ways of working and action feedback to ensure it is as accessible as possible
• ensure the Panel have sufficient time and support to engage with workshops
• incorporate Panel advice into departmental strategy and policy wherever possible
• facilitate opportunities for policy teams to report back to the Panel and explain how advice from the Panel will be taken forward

In its work the Panel must recognise it does not have the authority to:

• commit the government to any actions. This is not a decision-making body
• The Department for Work and Pensions will not expect Panel members to endorse government policy publicly

Application and Selection Process

Selection Criteria

Essential Criteria

We are looking for people who identify as Deaf, disabled or as living with a long-term health condition who have the following experience:

• working or volunteering for a Deaf or Disabled People’s Organisation or Charity, or active participation in a health or disability related network, campaign, or research project
• existing experience providing strategic advice on matters related to health and disability
• strong understanding of the barriers faced by Deaf and disabled people and people living with a long-term health condition in relation to employment, unemployment and economic inactivity
• ability to work effectively with a wide range of people

We are committed to fostering diverse voices. We strongly encourage applications from Deaf and disabled people and people with long-term health conditions from all backgrounds, with a range of experiences. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to make sure applicants are not disadvantaged during the application process.

Eligibility

For the purpose of this application, disability is defined under the Equality Act 2010 as a physical or mental impairment that significantly impacts your ability to perform day-to-day activities. This impairment must have lasted, or be expected to last, for at least 12 months.

This application is open to individuals from Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland).

How to Apply

Fill in the application form and send it with your CV.

To apply you will need to:

1. Fill in the expression of interest form which asks candidates to provide:

• your personal details
• a 500-word statement setting out how your experience is relevant to the essential criteria
• a 500-word statement setting out why you would like to be a member of the Panel. Please use this to tell us how your lived experience as a Deaf or disabled person, or as someone with a long-term health condition has shaped your perspective; and
• a diversity monitoring form. Please note answering ‘prefer not to say’ will not disadvantage your application

2. Provide a CV setting out your employment and/or education history, including any volunteering experience, with key responsibilities and achievements listed. Please note, the CV is for information purposes only and will not be part of the assessment process.

Where to send completed applications

Completed applications and CVs should be returned by email to disabilityadvisorypanel.secretariat@dwp.gov.uk by 11.59pm on Monday 29 September 2025.

The expression of interest form is available in Braille. Requests for Braille copies should be sent to disabilityadvisorypanel.secretariat@dwp.gov.uk

Any requests for reasonable adjustments to support your application should also be sent to disabilityadvisorypanel.secretariat@dwp.gov.uk

There is space to discuss reasonable adjustments that will enable candidates to perform the role within the application form.

Candidates are able to present their expression of interest in different formats for example video or audio.

We will contact both successful and unsuccessful applicants about the outcome from this email address.

Additional Information for Candidates

Reasonable Adjustments

The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to making reasonable adjustments to make sure applicants with disabilities, physical or mental health conditions, or other needs are not substantially disadvantaged when submitting applications.

This can include enabling applicants to change aspects of the recruitment process if they request to do so.

Some examples of common changes are:

• ensuring that application forms are available in different or accessible formats
• allowing candidates to present their expression of interest in different formats for example video or audio
• giving detailed information on the selection process in advance to allow candidates time to prepare themselves
• allowing support workers, for example sign language interpreters
• making provision for support animals to attend in person meetings

When you apply you will have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the application process by emailing disabilityadvisorypanel.secretariat@dwp.gov.uk

Equality and Diversity

We encourage applications from Deaf and disabled people and people with long-term health conditions from all backgrounds and across the whole of Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland).

We collect data about applicants’ characteristics and backgrounds, including information about people’s educational and professional backgrounds, so that we can make sure we are attracting a broad range of people to these roles and that our selection processes are fair for everyone. You can select ‘prefer not to say’ to any question you do not wish to answer.