Disability and LGBT hate crimes set to become aggravated offences

Hate crimes which target people on the grounds of their sexuality or gender identity, or a disability, are set to become aggravated offences under a proposed new law.

An amendment to the Crimes and Policing Bill will mean a crime is aggravated if a victim is targeted because of those characteristics, and will carry a higher penalty.

The LGBT+ anti-abuse charity Galop described the amendment as a "landmark moment" for equality.

The bill, which is currently progressing through the House of Lords and is not yet law, is intended to introduce measures to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour and will apply to England and Wales.

Currently, crimes found to include an element of hostility against a person's LGBT or disability status can be acknowledged with an "uplift", which increases the sentence on a broader charge such as assault.

The new amendment will set them out as defined charges within their own right, which comes with a higher maximum sentencing penalty.

It also brings them in line with race and religion, which already have defined charges, such as racially-aggravated disorderly behaviour.

Jasmine O'Connor, co-chief executive of Galop, said: "At a time when our services are seeing consistent rises in LGBT+ hate crime victims seeking support, this long-overdue change sends a clear message that anti-LGBT+ hate crime is as deserving of justice as crimes motivated by religious or racial hate."

Labour MP Rachel Taylor, who first put forward the amendment, said that between March 2024 and 2025 more than 30,000 hate crimes against people in England and Wales had been recorded by police as linked to their sexual orientation, transgender identity, or disability.

She said she was "absolutely delighted" by the "vital change in the law", adding that "this represents a great stride forward in equality for disabled and LGBT+ people".

The government said it had responded to Taylor's amendment as part of a commitment it made in its manifesto.

Campaign group Stonewall, which had been lobbying for the change to the law, described it as a "powerful message" that showed people "deserve equal access to justice".

Chief executive Simon Blake said Stonewall and other groups had "campaigned hard for this change for many years".

"We welcome that the government is delivering on a manifesto commitment for LGBTQ+ people at a time when many in the community are feeling increasingly under threat," he added.

As well as sexuality, gender identity and disability, the amendment also covers victims targeted because of their sex - something the government says its part of its mission to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade.

The Crimes and Policing Bill is currently at the report stage in the Lords and is yet to be signed into law.