These pages do not apply outside the United Kingdom.

Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)

The EHRC took over the role of the Disability Rights Commission from 1st October 2007. It also covers the other grounds of discrimination- sex, race etc - making it a 'single equality commission'. Its website is www.equalityhumanrights.com.

The EHRC took over the former roles of the Disability Rights Commission, the Equal Opportunities Commission (sex discrimination), and the Commission for Racial Equality. As well as disability, it covers discrimination on grounds of age, gender, race, religion and belief, sexual orientation and gender reassignment, and it has a brief to promote human rights.

The EHRC helpline can help on disability discrimination under the Equality Act/DDA - see the link on my Advice page.

The Commission will sometimes help individuals take legal action under the Equality Act or DDA (s.28 Equality Act 2006 (link to legislation.gov.uk)), though it is likely to take on only a fairly small number of cases. See the Commission's legal strategy (link to equalityhumanrights.com).

In creating the EHRC, certain safeguards regarding disability were built into the legislation. The Equality Act 2006 includes:

a requirement that at least one person who has, or has had, a disability be appointed to the EHRC Board (Sch 1 para 2(3)(a)); and
a Disability Committee within the EHRC, with disabled people making up at least half its members (Sch 1 Part 5). This committee is to have wide delegated powers in various areas of the EHRC's work that are unique to disability, and must be consulted as regards disability in the EHRC's cross-cutting work on employment and the new public sector duties. The Disability Committee will be subject to review after five years. (Links: 'Disability Committee' (link to EHRC), and disability work programme (link to EHRC) published Sept 2009).

Text of Equality Act 2006: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/3/contents

The Commission relates to England, Scotland and Wales. The equivalent body in Northern Ireland is the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

EHRC facing major cuts

Following the Government's review of 'quangos' in October 2010, the EHRC is reported to be facing a 60 percent cut in its funding: Cuts will clobber Equality and Human Rights Commission, claim staff (link to guardian.co.uk), 8/2/11.

Proposals for reform - March 2011

In March 2011 the Government issued a consultation document on reforms to EHRC which, says the Government, "will make it a stronger, more focussed and more efficient organisation." The consultation closes on 15th June. Link to the Government consultation on the EHRC (archived Equalities Office website).

The Government believes that the EHRC should focus on its core role as an independent equality regulator, and as a UN-accredited National Human Rights Institution.

One proposal is that the EHRC helpline would no longer be funded after March 2012. However, there would be other arrangements for delivering "high quality and timely information, advice and support on equality and human rights issues". (In December 2012 the Government published New arrangements for information, advice and support on discrimination and human rights (link to homeoffice.gov.uk).

Also the Government proposed that the EHRC would no longer offer its free conciliation services for non-employment cases, though other - not necessarily free - conciliation services should be available.

Generally, the EHRC would focus on strategic cases rather than routine casework.

Top