By John Pring Disability News Service 15th February 2018 A watchdog is examining the failure of two healthcare regulators to punish nurses, paramedics and physiotherapists who write dishonest benefit assessment reports. The Professional Standards Authority (PSA) is looking at concerns … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service 15th February 2018 A senior opposition MP is to write to the minister for disabled people to ask how she plans to penalise government contractors Atos and Capita, following last week’s “devastating” revelations about … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service 15th February 2018 The disability benefit assessment system is being undermined by a “pervasive culture of mistrust”, fuelled by widespread claims that assessors are deliberately trying to prevent disabled people receiving the support they … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service February 8th 2018 The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is causing “muddle” and “confusion” by refusing to clarify which disabled people will have their claims re-examined through its mammoth programme of disability benefit … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service February 8th 2018 Nearly one in three of the disability benefit assessment reports completed by a private sector contractor were significantly flawed, confidential Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) documents suggest. The figures … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service February 8th 2018 Scores of healthcare professionals may have been able to continue carrying out disability benefit assessments despite being the subject of multiple complaints about their behaviour, competence and honesty, confidential new … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service February 8th 2018 Outsourcing companies have been failing to request vital evidence from GPs and social workers that would help disabled people secure the benefits they are entitled to, confidential Department for Work and … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service 4th Jan 2018 More than one in eight of all decisions to reject claims for personal independence payment (PIP) are eventually being overturned, new figures obtained by Disability News Service (DNS) have revealed. … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service 4th Jan 2018 A nurse carrying out a disability benefit assessment fired questions at a disabled man’s wife while her husband was in the middle of a severe and prolonged series of epileptic … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service December 21st 2017 The body that oversees the UK’s health and care regulators is considering taking action over their failure to punish nurses, paramedics and physiotherapists who write dishonest benefit assessment reports. The Professional … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service December 21st 2017 A court has ruled that a disabled woman should be awarded £5,000 compensation by the government contractor Atos, after a dishonest report by one of its assessors led to her … Continue reading →
Image Courtesy of Winvisible By John Pring Disability News Service 23rd November 2017 A grassroots group has warned MPs that the “terrifying insecurity” caused by the government’s regime of disability benefit assessments is driving disabled women to destitution, and … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service 23rd November 2017 The healthcare professionals who carry out disability benefit assessments on behalf of the government should be held accountable for failing to report what they are told accurately, MPs have been told. … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service September 28th 2017 Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary has called for nurses and other healthcare professionals who write misleading benefit assessment reports to be “held to account”. Debbie Abrahams said there had been … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service August 17th 2017 The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has broken its promises not to harass a traumatised benefit claimant while he waits to give vital evidence in a child abuse trial. … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service August 10th 2017 A Labour MP is to push for a Commons debate on evidence of widespread dishonesty among healthcare professionals who assess disabled people for the government’s new personal independence payment (PIP). Disability … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service August 10th 2017 The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is using lost appointment letters for face-to-face assessments as an excuse for turning down disabled people’s benefit claims, to help it cut … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service August 10th 2017 A nurse failed to mention a disabled woman’s near-fatal asthma attacks, accidental overdoses and repeated blackouts, in one of the clearest examples yet of a dishonest benefits assessment report, secret … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service 3rd August 2017 The government and its private sector contractors are refusing to investigate claims of widespread dishonesty in the benefits assessment industry, despite Disability News Service (DNS) collecting more than 200 such cases. … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service July 13th 2017 Disabled activists are set to lobby MPs this week on the urgency of the social care crisis, as part of a week of action that will take place across the country, … Continue reading →