By John Pring Disability News Service 22nd March 2018 The government appears to have scrapped its cross-departmental disability strategy – which was aimed at “improving the lives of disabled people” – and abandoned any idea of replacing it. The Department … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service 15th February 2018 Disabled activists have attacked the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) for hosting a conference on “choice at the end of life” that was little more than a “love fest for euthanasia”. … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service 15th February 2018 A Deaf chief executive has won the right to question the government’s “discriminatory” cap on Access to Work (AtW) payments in the high court, in the latest legal challenge to the … Continue reading →
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 Feburary 2018 Ministers have quietly dumped their promise to test a gentler approach to dealing with claimants who breach strict benefit conditions for the first time. The Department for Work and Pensions … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service 15th February 2018 Disabled campaigners have welcomed a report by MPs on disability benefit assessments, which they say highlights “serious multiple failures”, but many believe it should have done more to highlight the serious … 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 Disabled people will only be protected from online abuse when they have “equal and fair” hate crime laws, a leading disabled campaigner has told MPs. Anne Novis, chair of Inclusion … 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 Disabled people should be concerned that the process of leaving the European Union (EU) could see their rights “lost or watered down”, according to a disabled peer. Baroness [Jane] Campbell … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service February 8th 2018 The head of the government’s national suicide prevention strategy has refused to call on the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to highlight the high risk of suicide faced by … 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 1st 2018 The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has again broken its promise to stop harassing a traumatised benefit claimant while he waits to give vital evidence in a child abuse … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service February 1st 2018 Disabled campaigners have raised concerns that a major conference on “end of life choice” – being organised by the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) – appears to be tilted in favour … Continue reading →
John Pring Disability News Service February 1st 2018 The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has promised that no disabled people will have their benefits reduced because of its decision to review 1.6 million personal independence payment (PIP) claims. … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service February 1st 2018 Two disabled activists have explained why they “clashed” with the minister for disabled people at the end of a parliamentary debate on personal independence payment (PIP). Paula Peters and Keith Walker, … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability New Service February 1st 2018 A mental health charity that refused to criticise the government for ignoring links between claimants of out-of-work disability benefits and suicide attempts is facing criticism after it emerged that more than … Continue reading →
By John Pring Disability News Service 25th January 2018 An award-winning disabled poet, performer and stand-up is hoping that her new show – based on more than 80 interviews with disabled and working-class people and benefit claimants – will … Continue reading →