The decision by government ministers to significantly reduce targets for accessible housing has been criticised as “unprincipled” by disability organisations, despite backing from the social security and disability minister, Sir Stephen Timms.
Accessible housing targets dramatically reduced
The previous Conservative government had planned for 100% of new homes to be built to the M4(2)* accessible housing standard, which includes 16 adaptable features designed to make homes more suitable for disabled people and ageing populations. However, the Labour government announced in August 2026 that it would lower this target to just 40% of new homes. Furthermore, it did not set any minimum requirement for homes designed specifically for wheelchair-users (M4(3) standard).
This move prompted swift criticism from disability rights groups. Disability Rights UK described the shift as “unprincipled”, while Inclusion London previously warned it was “dangerous” and amounted to “encouraging discrimination by design”.
Minister supports government’s approach
Speaking to Disability News Service (DNS) during last month’s Labour Party conference, Sir Stephen Timms defended the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MHCLG) decision. He said the government had concluded that “40 per cent of a large number is better than 100 per cent of a small number”, highlighting the need to prioritise delivering a greater volume of homes nationally.
He explained: “It’s all about can we get the homes that are needed across the country, including homes meeting those accessibility standards.” When asked if the decision might have been influenced by developers wanting to reduce costs, Timms replied, “We need a lot of homes to be built, and 40 per cent of a big number is a better outcome in the view of MHCLG and I think they’re right.”
Disability groups argue for stronger standards
Fazilet Hadi, head of policy at Disability Rights UK, responded to the minister’s comments by insisting that the government should have exercised “principled leadership” by mandating improved accessibility standards for all new homes, including a minimum 10% built for wheelchair users. She said suppliers and builders would have found ways to meet these requirements.
Hadi highlighted the increasing number of older disabled people wishing to live independently at home, rather than moving to residential care, which places pressures on social care budgets. She added that 91% of the current UK housing stock is inaccessible, leaving many disabled people unable to access all parts of their homes, often resulting in long stays in temporary accommodation or homelessness.
“The decision to require only 40% of new build homes to be built to improved accessibility standards definitely doesn’t build a better country for the future,” she emphasised.
Background to changes in policy
In March 2024, a Tory housing minister had pledged to introduce new regulations requiring all new homes to meet the M4(2) standard, except where it was “impractical and unachievable”. This commitment followed years of campaigning from disabled people’s groups.
However, following the general election and a change of government, Labour’s updated National Planning Policy Framework published in August 2026 maintained a much lower minimum target of 40% for M4(2) compliance. The reduced target had first appeared in a draft document in December 2025 and was met with calls of betrayal from disabled activists.
Concerns over future costs and local targets
Laura Vicinanza, senior policy and stakeholder engagement manager at Inclusion London, told DNS that only 13% of UK homes currently allow visitors with mobility impairments, with even fewer offering suitable living access.
She noted that the Conservative government’s earlier pledge to make all new homes compliant with M4(2) standards would have helped to gradually rebalance the housing stock and enable more families to live independently as they age.
Vicinanza warned that the new lower targets allow developers to shift the cost of adaptations onto local authorities and residents already needing modifications to their homes. She referenced research from Habinteg showing that an M4(2) compliant home saves nearly £27,000 in adaptation costs compared to the current M4(1) standard. This saving can be the difference between remaining in one’s family home or having to move due to changing mobility needs.
She urged local authorities to set higher accessibility targets than the national minimum: “Every new-build home should meet M4(2) accessible and adaptable standards, and 10% of new-build homes should meet M4(3) wheelchair-user standards, to help clear the backlog of people waiting years for homes they can live in.”
Understanding M4(2) and M4(3) standards
The M4(2) standard requires 16 accessible or adaptable features, somewhat similar to the Lifetime Homes standard developed in the early 1990s. M4(3) homes are designed to be fully wheelchair accessible, catering specifically to wheelchair users’ needs.
* Homes built to the M4(2) standard have 16 accessible or adaptable features, similar to the Lifetime Homes standard developed in the early 1990s to make homes more easily adaptable for lifetime use, while M4(3) homes are those that are supposed to be fully wheelchair-accessible.
Original source: Read the original article.