Charities have criticised the government’s decision to “downgrade” the role of minister for disabled people.

The role had previously been a minister of state level role in the Department for Work and Pensions held by Tom Pursglove.

However, it had been left vacant since earlier this month when Pursglove moved to the Home Office after a year in the role.

But rather than replace him as minister of state, the government has instead appointed junior minister to the post, the Department’s parliamentary undersecretary of state Mims Davies, whose previous portfolio was ‘social mobility, youth and progression’.

In a joint statement Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), Guide Dogs and Thomas Pocklington Trust said they are “deeply concerned” about the decision by the government to “downgrade the role of minister for disabled people”.

“We need a dedicated champion at a senior level within government to ensure the voices of pope with disabilities are being heard as time and again the needs of people with disabilities are ignored,” they said.

“It is essential that Mims Davies is now given the seniority to take these measures forward and to work across government to break down the barriers that make life harder for disabled people.

“These should be her sole responsibility rather than adding these responsibilities to her existing role in the Department for Work and Pensions.”

We’re deeply concerned about the UK Government’s decision yesterday to downgrade the role of Minister for Disabled People.

Along with @GuideDogs and @PocklingtonHub we’ve issued a statement outlining exactly why we’re worried. Read it here: https://t.co/LZYlgMzUnc pic.twitter.com/3muuP17FPD

— RNIB Campaigns (@RNIB_campaigns) December 15, 2023

Meanwhile, Together for Short Lives said it was “disappointed” by the role’s downgrade.

“It sends completely the wrong message to families of seriously ill children and families,” they added.

Davies, who is a former charities minister for nine months when Theresa May was Prime Minister, said she will “work as hard as I can to ensure disabled people’s voices are heard loud and clear”.

“I’ll continue to champion opportunities, progression & life chances with my new portfolio & look forward to working with the sector and delivering for them,” she said.

At the Home Office Pursglove becomes minister of state for legal migration and the border after former immigration minister Robert Jenrick’s job was divided into two, with Michael Tomlinson appointed as illegal migration minister.

Before Davies was appointed to replace him, disability charities had raised concerns that the post had been left vacant since Pusglove’s move.

Diane Lightfoot and Mark Hodgkinson, co-chairs for the Disability Charities Consortium (DCC), whose members include Scope, Mind and Leonard Cheshire, said at the time: "It begs the question, do the government think disabled people are unimportant?

"Disabled people need representation at the highest level of government.”

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