Disability News Service

A disabled campaigner claims the disability charity RNIB has “washed its hands” of those with the most significant levels of visual impairment, after scrapping its long-established free braille transcription service. Connor Scott-Gardner (pictured), a blind campaigner from Leeds, has accused RNIB of […]

The company that runs Motability has repeatedly refused to say how much money the four high street banks that own the business are making from the £7 billion-a-year disabled people’s vehicle leasing scheme. Motability Operations, which is owned by Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest […]

At least three legal firms are examining ways in which they could support disabled people and their organisations to challenge some of the government’s proposed cuts to disability benefits in the courts. Public Law Project (PLP), Leigh Day and Bhatt Murphy – […]

Leading disabled people’s organisations (DPO) have written to work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall to express “serious concerns” about the human rights implications of her “incredibly dangerous” plans to cut spending on disability benefits. They say in the letter that her consultation […]

Disabled activists have delivered an angry and dismissive response to a government minister who has tried to justify dropping plans to put accessibility at the heart of rail reforms from a critically-important public consultation. In a letter to the Commons transport committee, […]

The prime minister has been forced to face the fears of disabled people who are unable to work and have been left feeling “full of panic” and “physically sick” at the thought of benefit cuts that could leave future claimants £3,000 a […]

The prime minister has been warned by a senior MP that his decision to delay reform of adult social care in England risks Labour’s plans being “kiboshed” at the next general election. Sir Keir Starmer was appearing in front of the Commons […]

Conservative councillors responsible for housing, social care, public health and safeguarding have all refused to comment on the death of a disabled man who was found dead in distressing conditions after the wrongful removal of his disability benefits. David*, from Salisbury, was […]

A widower has said he will never forgive the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for its failings in dealing with his wife’s disability benefits, after an ombudsman ruled those failures were a “significant contributing factor” in her suicide. His wife’s mental […]

The chancellor has raised worrying questions about the government’s planned cuts to personal independence payment (PIP), after she repeatedly linked the disability benefit to employment when giving evidence to a committee of MPs. Rachel Reeves was being questioned by MPs on the […]

Some of England’s leading disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) are considering halting all engagement with the minister for disabled people over the government’s “brutal cuts” to disability benefits. Disability News Service (DNS) has been told that members of the DPO Forum England are […]

An influential Labour MP has called on her government to take urgent action to safeguard benefit claimants, after a disabled man was found dead in distressing conditions weeks after the wrongful removal of his disability benefits. It is believed that David*, from […]

The House of Lords is “aeons ahead” of the Commons when it comes to providing an accessible working environment for parliamentarians, a disabled MP has told an inquiry. Labour’s Dr Marie Tidball was one of four disabled MPs, and a disabled former […]

The broadcasting watchdog has failed millions of disabled people by clearing two television programmes of disability discrimination and causing offence, including one in which some young people on disability benefits were described as “parasites”. One disabled activist warned that Ofcom’s decisions had […]

New figures show that disabled people are waiting nearly 100 days for their Access to Work claims to be “reconsidered” by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), just as the government has released its plans to increase disability employment. The figures, […]

The body of a disabled man was found in his flat in distressing, squalid conditions, just weeks after the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) wrongly removed his disability benefits because he had failed to return a claim form. His sister, his […]

The government’s decision to tighten eligibility for personal independence payment (PIP) will drag a quarter of a million working-age people into absolute poverty* by 2030, official documents have revealed. Although the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has for some reason failed […]

Disabled people have spoken of their anger, frustration and fear – and sense of betrayal by the Labour government – over plans to cut billions of pounds from disability benefits, as they protested outside Downing Street yesterday (Wednesday). Estimates suggest more than […]

Hundreds of “forgotten” and “abandoned” young disabled people across the country have taken part in peaceful protests against government cuts to disability benefits, as part of a new movement of activists powered by social media. The Crips Against Cuts (CAC) collective has […]

Disabled people with progressive and terminal conditions have come to parliament to “plead for our lives” in front of MPs and peers, as a bill to legalise assisted suicide in England and Wales finishes a key stage in the Commons. They told […]