The language of rights is increasingly placed at the centre of the debate around the provision of services for disabled and older people, and permeates government policy in this area. However, it remains unclear how far the focus on rights has translated into improvements in service provision. Across the UK there are fundamental shortcomings in services for older and disabled people, including the rationing of services, chronic underfunding, lack of choice and significant geographical variation in the services provided. This study will examine whether the increasing focus on human rights in both policy and legal cases has been effective in securing improvements in the way disabled and older people using social services are able to live their lives.