By John Pring Disability News Service Thursday 5th May 2016 Scottish police are assessing whether to launch a criminal investigation into the failure of two government ministers to address a coroner’s concerns about the safety of the “fitness for … Continue reading →
Leaving the European Union (EU) would put at risk significant improvements that have been made to the lives of disabled people over the last 15 years, according to three of the country’s leading academics working in the disability rights field. … Continue reading →
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is facing claims that it is deliberately misleading benefit claimants into thinking they have no right of appeal if they miss the deadline for applying for the new personal independence payment (PIP). … Continue reading →
The government has appointed a commercial lawyer to chair the equality and human rights watchdog, despite MPs raising serious concerns about a potential conflict of interest caused by his firm’s work for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The … Continue reading →
The government has told the equality watchdog that it plans to slash its budget again, even though the financial year has already started. The planned cuts only emerged after the Government Equalities Office (GEO) told Disability News Service (DNS) that … Continue reading →
A disability charity is set to scrap a team of disabled staff members dedicated to empowering the residents of its care homes, in a bid to cope with a budgetary black hole. Leonard Cheshire Disability (LCD) has told its award-winning, … Continue reading →
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has proposed scrapping two benefit regulations that offer vital protection to disabled people facing the controversial “fitness for work” test. In response to a freedom of information request, DWP has sent Disability News … Continue reading →
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has drawn up secret plans for sweeping reforms that would make it far harder for disabled people to appeal against having their benefit claims turned down. The heavily-redacted document was sent to Disability … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service Thursday 22nd October 2015 The government has rejected three key recommendations by a cross-party committee of MPs that were aimed at improving the safety and transparency of its benefits sanctions regime. In its response … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service Thursday 22 October 2015 The prime minister has had to defend his record on disability rights twice in a minute, after being questioned about both a UN inquiry and the death of a north … Continue reading →
The shocking failings of the work capability assessment system – and the healthcare assessors who are paid to police it – have been exposed by the family of one of its victims.
Continue reading →Disabled Michael O’Sullivan had already tried to take his own life once before because of government attempts to force him back to work
Continue reading →Black Triangle’s List of Deaths Linked to Benefit Loss arising from Welfare Reforms Wednesday 20th October 2015 Please note: Although 68 cases are listed the number of deaths is 70 as two cases involved couples where both took their own … Continue reading →
Friday 25th September 2015 By John Pring Disability News Service Government contractor Atos Healthcare claims it has no idea if a former surgeon whose flawed assessment of a disabled man helped trigger his suicide is still testing people with mental … Continue reading →
Director, Communications Civil Service, Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) March 2014 – Present (1 year 2 months)London, United Kingdom The DWP is implementing the biggest changes to the welfare system in 60 years through the introduction of Universal Credit. … Continue reading →
By Stephen Naysmith Social Affairs Correspondent Herald Scotland Wednesday 22 April 2015 Journalist John Pring is not a household name, but for those affected by benefit cuts, particularly those with disabilities, he is something of a hero. The … Continue reading →
17 April 2015 The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has carried out its threat to stop answering any questions from the country’s only disability news agency. DWP’s chief press officer (disability) had previously warned that he and his staff … Continue reading →
23 April 2015 By John Pring, Disability News Service ELECTION 2015: Labour’s disability manifesto chaos Labour’s launch of its disability manifesto has descended into chaos after major disagreements between a shadow minister and a leading disabled election candidate over … Continue reading →
24 April 2015 By John Pring, Disability News Service The Conservative party are refusing to say which vital protections they would scrap if they win the election and abolish the Human Rights Act (HRA). The party’s manifesto says a Conservative … Continue reading →
23 April 2015 By John Pring, Disability News Service The Scottish National Party (SNP) has pledged to block plans to cut spending on disability benefits by £3 billion by 2017-18, if enough of its MPs are elected. In one of … Continue reading →
