Disability News Service

The information commissioner has dismissed attempts by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to describe a disabled journalist as “vengeful” and “vexatious” after he tried to obtain information about its years of safeguarding failings. Disability News Service (DNS) editor John Pring […]

Labour ministers considered the possibility of means-testing personal independence payment (PIP) last year, but then ruled out the option, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has admitted. A decision notice issued by the information commissioner reveals that ministers considered means-testing PIP […]

The much-anticipated disability rights plan for Wales has left it to the next Welsh government to come up with a strategy to tackle the long-term barriers disabled people face in their daily lives. When the Welsh government published its long-awaited plan on […]

The Labour peer trying to steer the assisted suicide bill through the House of Lords has rejected attempts to remove eligibility from disabled people who are homeless, in prison or pregnant, and from many young disabled people. Lord Falconer rejected amendments – […]

The government’s housing and regeneration agency has failed to explain why its new five-year strategy fails to mention disabled people, or the need to address the accessible housing crisis. Homes England published its five-year strategic plan last week. It came just days […]

Disabled campaigners have dismissed a watchdog’s “misleading” new league table that claims to show the best performers in assisting disabled rail passengers. The “benchmarking” report by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) claims that two of the best-performing train companies for […]

The government has dismissed pleas by disabled peers for ministers to introduce a national strategy to address the “untenable” state of wheelchair and community equipment services. A trio of disabled peers told ministers in the House of Lords how the current state […]

The work and pensions secretary has bragged about cutting disabled people’s support, three days after launching a child poverty strategy which warned that more than a million children in families where someone was disabled were living in “deep material poverty”. Pat McFadden […]

The disability minister has refused to apologise after misleading MPs about concerns over nearly £2 billion in new cuts to disability benefits. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has added to these transparency concerns by itself providing misleading information about the […]

A statutory duty in the new railways bill to ensure ministers and public bodies promote the needs of disabled passengers is “too vague” and must be strengthened as the legislation passes through parliament, MPs were told yesterday (Wednesday). The transport select committee […]

Peers have been urged to “err on the side of caution” and raise the minimum age limit for an assisted death from 18 to 25, as part of a controversial bill that aims to legalise the practice. As the House of Lords […]

The Scottish and UK governments are both failing to uphold the rights of disabled people in key areas, according to an annual report by Scotland’s human rights watchdog. Two of the 10 areas of “urgent concern” highlighted by the Scottish Human Rights […]

Hundreds, or even thousands, of service-users in Kent should benefit from a legal case taken by a disabled woman who spent years over-paying care charges because the county council failed to tell her about crucial rules. Kent County Council – which is […]

The government has refused to explain the impact that last week’s budget will have on disabled people who receive benefits, despite repeated requests for clarity over cuts of up to £580 million a year. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and […]

Ministers have been forced to admit that the proportion of Access to Work claims they are rejecting has leapt by more than a fifth this year, with disabled campaigners describing the figures as “unacceptable” and “clearly worrying”. The figures, provided through a […]

The government’s “independent” spending watchdog has refused to explain why it removed figures from its crucial budget forecast report that proved spending on social security is not spiralling out of control. The move by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will help […]

The national body for disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) in Wales has issued five major demands to political parties ahead of next spring’s elections to the Welsh Senedd. The Disabled People’s Manifesto, published by Disability Wales, includes a call for the UN Convention […]

Deaf people who use British Sign Language (BSL) face “entrenched” and “systemic” exclusion from health and social care services across Britain, according to a new report by government advisers. The report* found that Deaf and Deafblind people’s lack of access to services […]

Years of scapegoating rhetoric and politicians casting disabled people as “scroungers” have reinforced prejudices about the blue badge parking scheme and led to “envy and resentment” instead of equal access, according to a four-year research project. Half-hearted implementation of the scheme has […]

“Devastating” and “punitive” tax changes to the Motability scheme that will add hundreds of pounds to upfront payments to lease cars are “baffling” and “unjust” and threaten to “lock disabled people out of daily life”, say campaigners. They spoke out after chancellor […]