The government has announced plans to tighten eligibility for a key disability benefit, which looks certain to remove entitlement from at least 360, 000 disabled people with lower support needs. Announcing a consultation on the plans Maria Miller, the minister for […]
Archives for 2010
Green paper could signal end of hate crime sentence outrage
Campaigners hope a new government green paper could finally herald the end of the “outrageous” disparity between sentences for disability and other hate crime murders. Someone found guilty of a race hate murder, or one based on hostility to religion or […]
Blunkett accuses government over Access to Work
The government has been accused of “surreptitiously” introducing new restrictions on how disabled people can claim government funding for vital adjustments in the workplace. The new rules mean that employers or disabled people themselves will now need to fund equipment such […]
Disabled students still face lengthy delays with support grants
Thousands of disabled students are still facing “unacceptable” lengthy delays when they apply for vital support grants, according to a committee of MPs. The Commons public accounts committee said the Student Loans Company (SLC) – set up by the government to […]
Mixed progress on Valuing People Now
The proportion of people with learning difficulties in work in England appears to have fallen, according to a new government report. The report, which summarises progress made on the previous government’s Valuing People Now learning difficulties strategy, also found that the […]
Government ‘must act’ over low wages
The government should do more to force employers to pay a living wage to disabled employees, according to a leading disabled activist. Simone Aspis said she was “sick to death” of big employers paying “shelf-fillers” the minimum wage, while their bosses […]
Questions asked over impartiality of assisted suicide commission
Concerns have been raised over the impartiality of a commission set up to examine possible changes in the law on assisted suicide after it emerged that at least eight of its 12 members have backed legalisation. The commission is chaired by […]
Anger after Duncan Smith ‘blames IB claimants for budget deficit’
Horrified disabled activists have reported the work and pensions secretary to the equality watchdog after he seemed to blame incapacity benefit (IB) claimants for the size of the government’s budget deficit. Iain Duncan Smith said in an interview in the Sun […]
Equality strategy will move away from ‘government knows best’
The government has pledged to make it easier for disabled people to become MPs and to research ways to prevent bullying of disabled children, as part of its new equality strategy. Theresa May, the home secretary and minister for women and […]
RADAR boss to head government work review
A leading disabled campaigner is to head a new government review of the employment support it offers disabled people. Liz Sayce, chief executive of RADAR, will review support services such as those provided through the new Work Choice programme, the government’s […]