Disabled people say care rules are blocking them from travelling abroad, prompting MP calls for reform

Disabled people across parts of England have been effectively barred from travelling abroad because of restrictions imposed by local care providers, according to a Guardian investigation reported by columnist Frances Ryan and colleague Patrick Butler.

Ryan wrote that over the past six months she and Butler had spoken to disabled people who said they had been blocked from taking holidays or attending work events overseas because their care arrangements did not extend beyond the UK.

Among the cases cited, Ryan reported that Lucy, a 38-year-old from Oxfordshire who is president of the European Spinal Cord Injury Federation, needs to travel internationally for her role. Chelsea, a 25-year-old from Lancashire who has cerebral palsy, was described as wanting to swim in Spain again. Joel, a 40-year-old identified by a pseudonym who has a muscle-weakening condition and works for a global marketing brand, has reportedly not been able to leave the UK for nine years, according to the article.

According to the Guardian, the restrictions stem from how local care packages are structured, with some providers apparently unwilling or unable to authorise care support outside England, leaving disabled people who rely on such support unable to travel.

The Guardian reported separately that MPs have called for disabled people in the UK to be given a clear right to travel abroad, describing some of the current restrictions as "ridiculous."

Ryan argued in her column that the situation reflects a broader paternalism within disability services, suggesting that some within the system do not expect disabled people to lead full lives, including travelling for leisure or work.

The Guardian's reporting did not name the specific local authorities or care providers involved in each case, and it was not immediately clear what regulatory or policy changes, if any, are being considered by the government in response to the MPs' calls.