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You are here: Home / Archives for independent living

independent living

Free social care is coming… but only if you’re over 65, government confirms after Burnham speech

By John Pring on 1st October 2026 Category: Independent Living

Free social care is coming… but only if you’re over 65, government confirms after Burnham speech
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Andy Burnham’s announcement of free personal care as part of a new National Care Service will only apply to those over 65, and not to working-age disabled people, No 10 has confirmed, sparking shock and concern among disabled people’s organisations. The […]

Casey refuses to apologise after ‘harmful’ comments stir up more hostility towards disabled benefit claimants

By John Pring on 6th August 2026 Category: Independent Living

Casey refuses to apologise after ‘harmful’ comments stir up more hostility towards disabled benefit claimants
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The former civil servant leading a commission on adult social care in England has refused to apologise after making “uninformed” and “harmful” comments in two radio interviews that fuelled hostility towards disabled people who receive benefits. Baroness [Louise] Casey was being […]

Burnham wins praise from disabled people’s organisations after pledge to fix ‘broken’ social care

By John Pring on 30th July 2026 Category: Independent Living

Burnham wins praise from disabled people’s organisations after pledge to fix ‘broken’ social care
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Disabled people’s organisations have welcomed the new prime minister’s pledge that he will face the challenge of fixing the “broken” social care system “head on”, ending decades of “political drift”. Although Andy Burnham has previously described social care charges as an […]

Coalition maps out new route to independent living in England

By John Pring on 23rd April 2026 Category: Independent Living

Coalition maps out new route to independent living in England
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A coalition of disabled people and allies who were “fed up” with years of failed attempts to produce change in social care have united around a new “road map” that lays out a path to a right to independent living in […]

Peer warns of ‘backward slide to dependency’ after disabled woman’s forced move to nursing home

By John Pring on 12th March 2026 Category: Independent Living

Peer warns of ‘backward slide to dependency’ after disabled woman’s forced move to nursing home
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A disabled peer has used a debate celebrating International Women’s Day to highlight how a disabled woman was placed in a nursing home against her will after treatment for pneumonia, rather than being returned to her own home. Baroness [Jane] Campbell […]

Government announces £400 care charges ‘cash boost’, while quietly snatching funds from savings

By John Pring on 19th February 2026 Category: Independent Living

Government announces £400 care charges ‘cash boost’, while quietly snatching funds from savings
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The government has announced a £400 “cash boost” for disabled people who rely on social care in their own homes, while failing to point out that another ministerial decision will drag thousands of them into paying higher care charges. Care minister […]

Safeguarding probe launched after veteran disabled activist reports ‘terrifying’ care home experience

By John Pring on 6th November 2025 Category: Independent Living

Safeguarding probe launched after veteran disabled activist reports ‘terrifying’ care home experience
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A veteran activist, who has spent her life campaigning for disability rights, has called on the government to fix the “rotten to the core” social care system, after experiencing “terrifying” treatment during a short stay in a care home. Rachel Hurst, […]

New film celebrates 10 years since ‘moment in time’ victory over care charges in London borough

By John Pring on 9th October 2025 Category: Independent Living

New film celebrates 10 years since ‘moment in time’ victory over care charges in London borough
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A new film released to celebrate 10 years since activists won a campaign to stop their local council charging for care shows how disabled people can achieve important victories by taking collective action, say campaigners who fought for that success. The […]

Lib Dems insist they are still focused on social care, despite leader concentrating again on carers

By John Pring on 25th September 2025 Category: Independent Living

Lib Dems insist they are still focused on social care, despite leader concentrating again on carers
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Senior Liberal Democrat MPs have insisted they are still committed to social care reform and want to move towards eliminating all care charges, despite the party saying little or nothing about the issue during its annual conference this week. Liberal Democrat […]

Payments company’s tech failure leaves thousands of disabled people struggling to pay their care workers

By John Pring on 24th July 2025 Category: Independent Living

Payments company’s tech failure leaves thousands of disabled people struggling to pay their care workers
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A catastrophic technology failure has left thousands of disabled people across the country who rely on social care struggling to pay their personal assistants (PAs). The failure has hit people who use direct payments to arrange council-funded care and support in […]

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Free social care is coming… but only if you’re over 65, government confirms after Burnham speech

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Image of front cover of The Department, showing a crinkled memo with the words 'Restricted - Policy. The Department. How a Violent Government Bureaucracy Killed Hundreds and Hid the Evidence. John Pring.' Next to the image is a red box with the following words in white: 'A very interesting book... a very important contribution to this whole debate' - Sir Stephen Timms, minister for social security and disability. plutobooks.com and the Pluto Press logo.

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