John Pring

Employment

April 19, 2018 0

Charities delivering DWP’s work programme ‘must promise not to attack McVey’

Disability charities that sign up to help deliver the government’s new Work and Health Programme must promise to “pay the utmost regard to the standing and reputation” of work and pensions secretary Esther McVey, official documents suggest. The charities, and other organisations, must also promise never to do anything that harms the public’s confidence

Benefits and Poverty

A woman dressed as a crime scene investigator in front of a poster saying universal credit is a crime

April 19, 2018 0

DPAC’s universal credit ‘crime scene’ protest is fresh call for action to disabled people

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Disabled activists are hoping their latest protest in the heart of Westminster will empower other disabled people to follow their lead and fight the government’s social security cuts and reforms. The action by Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), which involved scores of disabled protesters, focused on calls for the government to scrap its new

Independent Living

Baroness Campbell speaking in the House of Lords, with a PA by her side

April 19, 2018 0

Disabled people split over personal health budget expansion plans

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Government plans for a huge expansion of personal health budgets could help to deliver independent living for disabled people, according to a leading disabled peer. Baroness [Jane] Campbell (pictured), who has been receiving a personal health budget herself for more than a year, said the plans also had “huge potential” for “getting to grips”

Benefits and Poverty

Esther McVey giving evidence to the social security committee

April 19, 2018 0

Mother of ESA suicide mum-of-nine praises activist for confronting McVey

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The mother of a woman who killed herself after her disability benefits were sanctioned has praised a disabled activist who confronted work and pensions secretary Esther McVey about her daughter’s death as she gave evidence to Scottish MSPs this week. The activist, David*, had told Joy Dove of his plans to question McVey about

Benefits and Poverty

April 19, 2018 0

Mother of ESA suicide woman pledges to continue fight for justice

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The mother of a woman who killed herself after being wrongly found “fit for work” has pledged to continue her campaign for justice, and for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to admit it was to blame for her daughter’s death. The case of mother-of-nine Jodey Whiting, from Stockton, was highlighted this week

Employment

Robin Christopherson giving evidence in parliamennt, watched by another man

April 19, 2018 0

League table ‘would help government departments improve on assistive technology’

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The government should set up a league table of its departments so it can compare their performance in enabling the use of assistive technology by disabled civil servants, a committee of MPs has suggested. The Commons work and pensions select committee says in its Assistive Technology report that a league table would “incentivise” government

Education

Robert Halfon talking to Sebastian Payne behind a table

April 19, 2018 0

‘Deep concern’ as launch of MPs’ inquiry into SEN support ignores inclusive education

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Campaigners are “deeply concerned” that the launch of a new parliamentary inquiry into the educational support provided for disabled children and young people failed to mention inclusive education. The inquiry by the Commons education select committee will investigate the impact of major reforms to the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system that were

Politics

April 12, 2018 0

Network neglect leaves government ‘closer to coercion than co-production’

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The government’s reputation on disability equality has suffered a further damaging blow, after it admitted that none of the bodies it set up to engage with disabled people and their organisations as part of its disability strategy has met in nearly a year. The Fulfilling Potential Forum, set up “to discuss how disabled people

Benefits and Poverty

April 12, 2018 0

Isle of Man set to scrap its ‘fitness for work’ test

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Ministers on the Isle of Man are to scrap their version of the UK government’s much-criticised “fitness for work” test, prompting calls by disabled activists for the UK government to follow their lead. The decision, announced to members of Tynwald, the Isle of Man* parliament (pictured), follows years of criticism of the assessment on

Politics

Separate picture of David Buxton, Simeon Hart and Emily Brothers campaigning

April 12, 2018 0

Government faces legal action over election access fund

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Three disabled politicians have begun legal action against the government over its failure to reopen a fund that supported Deaf and disabled people with the extra costs of standing for election as MPs. Labour’s Emily Brothers, Liberal Democrat David Buxton and the Green party’s Simeon Hart say the government is breaching the Equality Act

Author John Pring