State of Disability Planning Research Survey

SENDA is a training, research and advocacy organisation dedicated to raising standards in planning for families with a disabled or additional-needs family member. Our mission is to improve how professionals across financial services, legal practice and the charity sector identify, support and guide these families, helping them access the right planning, at the right time. We're currently gathering evidence for a State of UK Disability Planning white paper. By exploring confidence levels, organisational processes, knowledge gaps and opportunities for improvement, we hope to provide evidence that informs professional standards, policy development and ultimately better outcomes for families.

Your responses are anonymous and will contribute directly to this research. The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.

If you would like your company name to be added to the contributors and supporters of this survey, please contact rgogh@senda.org.uk

Section 0 – About You

1.Which best describes your primary role?(Required.)

Other (please specify)

Section A – Exposure & Recognition

4.In the last 12 months, roughly how many families have you supported where planning for children, grandchildren or family succession was discussed (for example wills, trusts, gifting, inheritance or savings)?(Required.)

6.In my work, a family member's disability or additional need has, at least once, materially changed the planning, guidance or support I provided.(Required.)

If you're comfortable sharing, briefly describe what changed.

7.Reflecting on my past work, I think it's likely that a disability or additional need existed in at least one case that wasn't identified or factored into the planning.(Required.)

8.Have you ever been involved in establishing or supporting a trust specifically for a disabled or vulnerable beneficiary (for example a Disabled Person's Trust or discretionary trust)?(Required.)

Yes

No

Not sure

Section B – Process & Practice

9.My organisation's initial enquiry or assessment process actively asks whether a client or family member has a disability or additional need.(Required.)

10.I feel confident recognising when what appears to be a routine case requires a different approach because a family member has a disability or additional need.

11.Learning partway through a case that a family member has a disability would likely change the planning, guidance or support I provided.(Required.)

Section C – Confidence & Self-Assessment

12.How confident are you supporting families where means-tested benefits interact with savings, capital or inheritance?(Required.)

Not at all confident

Slightly confident

Moderately confident

Confident

Extremely confident

13.How confident are you understanding how common savings or investment structures (for example bare trusts or Junior ISAs) interact with means-tested benefits for a disabled beneficiary?(Required.)

Not at all confident

Slightly confident

Moderately confident

Confident

Extremely confident

14.How confident are you that the training or CPD available to you adequately covers disability and additional-needs planning?(Required.)

Not at all confident

Slightly confident

Moderately confident

Confident

Extremely confident

15.Optional: What would improve the training or CPD available?

16.I have, at some point, sought specialist support or referred a family elsewhere because I wasn't confident supporting their circumstances.(Required.)

Optional, briefly, your reasons?

Section D – Organisational Process

17.Does your organisation have a documented process for identifying clients or families with a disability or additional need, separate from general vulnerability guidance?(Required.)

Yes

No

Not sure

18.Does anyone within your organisation hold recognised training or a specialist role in disability or additional-needs planning?(Required.)

Yes

No

Not sure

19.I have access to sufficient guidance, training or specialist support within my organisation to support these families confidently.(Required.)

20.How do you currently keep up to date with planning issues relevant to disability and additional needs? (Select all that apply.)(Required.)

Other (please specify)

Section E – Perceived Risk & Harm

21.How concerned are you that savings, gifting or an inheritance could be structured in a way that unintentionally affects a disabled person's means-tested benefits or social care entitlement?(Required.)

Not at all concerned

Slightly concerned

Moderately concerned

Very concerned

Extremely concerned

22.Are you aware of any cases—your own or others'—where planning or support resulted in an unintended loss of benefits, social care entitlement, or the need to restructure arrangements?(Required.)

23.I believe the industry currently provides sufficient guidance, training and resources to support families with disabled or vulnerable beneficiaries.(Required.)

24.I believe the professional risk of getting planning in this area wrong is higher than for mainstream financial or private client work.(Required.)

25.I am confident that my organisation is doing enough to support these families effectively.(Required.)

Section F – Attitudes to Specialism & Support

26.Supporting families with disabled or vulnerable beneficiaries requires knowledge and skills beyond those covered by mainstream professional qualifications.(Required.)

27.Access to a recognised network of specialist professionals would help me support or refer families whose circumstances fall outside my expertise.(Required.)

28.I believe there are significant opportunities, as well as risks, in developing greater professional expertise in disability planning.(Required.)

29.Is there anything about supporting families with a disabled or additional-needs family member that you believe your profession—or the wider sector—doesn't currently get right?