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The new Conservative minister for disabled people has insisted that his department is right to ignore reports of deaths linked to the loss or non-payment of disability benefits. Mark Harper said he did not accept that the Department for Work and […]
The equality watchdog has appointed two non-disabled people to its disability committee for the first time. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said its seven new committee members had been recruited “on the basis of their understanding of the barriers […]
Disabled activists are celebrating an “amazing campaign win” after London’s mayor announced that all London’s Crossrail stations would now be accessible in time for its opening. Transport for London (TfL) announced this week that Crossrail would be step-free from street-level to […]
A national user-led organisation has become the latest disability charity to be forced to close because of a government failure to provide funding for day-to-day running costs. The closure of Assist UK, which leads the national network of disabled living centres, […]
A disabled campaigner has criticised the government’s failure to apologise for the “discrimination and punishment” she faced on the Work Programme. Catherine Hale warned that Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) decision-makers appeared to be adopting a “sanction first, ask questions […]
Conservative ministers and MPs have attempted to persuade visitors to their annual conference that the party’s sweeping welfare reforms are helping to support disabled people back into work. Welfare reform minister Lord [David] Freud even bragged at one fringe event that […]
A disabled Conservative campaigner who is battling to save the Independent Living Fund (ILF) has accused her own party of avoiding the “hot potato” issue of social care. ILF-user Mary Laver travelled from her home on the edge of Newcastle-upon-Tyne to […]
A disabled charity boss has described the “uphill battle” she has faced in trying to persuade the NHS to improve its wheelchair services for disabled children. Ruth Owen, chief executive of Whizz-Kidz, told her charity’s fringe meeting at this week’s Conservative […]
A Tory MP has accused independent living equipment providers of “profiteering” by charging “eye-watering” prices, and described his frustration at failing to persuade Asda – a previous employer – to launch a range of cut-price disability aids. Philip Davies told a […]
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has admitted making no effort to collect – or learn the lessons from – reports of disabled people whose deaths have been linked to the withdrawal or non-payment of disability benefits. The admission came […]