Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason and on what evidential basis is the Department proposing to restrict funded specialist assistive software through the Disabled Students' Allowance to exceptional circumstances only.

The consultation proposals do not seek to restrict all assistive software funded through Disabled Students’ Allowance to exceptional circumstances only. Full details of the proposals can be found in the consultation document, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/assistive-software-funded-through-disabled-students-allowance.

A key purpose of the consultation is to understand the extent to which advances in mainstream functionality can appropriately meet disability-related needs and where specialist software continues to be required. This does not intend to remove support where it is needed, but to ensure provision is appropriately targeted. Decisions would continue to be made on a case-by-case basis.

The department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposals on course completion or graduate employment rates. An initial equality impact assessment is included in the consultation document and will be developed as the department considers consultation responses.

The department has undertaken internal indicative cost modelling on the potential financial impact of the proposals set out in the recent consultation on assistive software funded through Disabled Students’ Allowance, which suggests that any estimates would be highly uncertain. No final decisions have been made.