Disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) from across England and Wales have united to warn of the grave risks of proposed new legislation that would allow assisted suicide for people with a terminal illness. Not Dead Yet UK, Disability Rights UK, All Wales People […]
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Anger and confusion over Kendall’s comments on sending work coaches into mental health hospitals
Disabled activists have reacted angrily to “horrific” government plans that could see work coaches being sent into mental health hospitals to help push people in severe mental distress off benefits and into work. Liz Kendall made the comments in an interview with […]
Badenoch’s ‘sinister’ comments on mental health and autism raise fears about future Tory disability policies
Disabled people have reacted with alarm to “stigmatising”, “damaging” and “inaccurate” comments about mental health and autism by Kemi Badenoch, the right-wing Conservative MP who could soon be the next leader of her party. The comments were made in a pamphlet (PDF) […]
Disabled artists ‘facing Access to Work cuts, backlogs and inflexibility’
Disabled people working in the creative and cultural sectors are increasingly seeing cuts to the support they receive through the Access to Work (AtW) scheme, campaigners have warned. Disabled artists have reported payments being stopped, cut or suspended by the Department for […]
‘Major concern’ as disability hate crime prosecutions fall again, although recorded offences also drop
The number of disability hate crimes recorded by police has fallen by nearly 20 per cent in a year, Home Office figures have revealed, but the number of prosecutions has also continued to drop. The figures show the number of disability hate […]
‘Urgent need’ for rapid turnaround in how care regulator is run, after review finds significant failings
A review ordered by the last government has found “significant failings” within England’s care and health regulator. The final report into the effectiveness of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) was published this week, and it found an “urgent need” for a rapid […]
Equality watchdog was told six years ago to launch inquiry into benefit deaths, but ignored advice
The equality watchdog was first told by a senior member of staff six years ago that it needed to launch an inquiry into deaths linked to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Disability News Service (DNS) can reveal. But despite being […]
Labour minister refuses to release three documents linked to DWP deaths, despite transparency pledge
A minister is refusing to release three documents that link the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) with the deaths of benefit claimants, despite criticising DWP only last month for “absurdly” refusing to comply with similar freedom of information requests. Sir Stephen […]
Disabled activists raise serious concerns over ‘toxic’ assisted suicide plans
Disabled activists have raised serious concerns about “toxic” and “outrageously cruel” plans to bring forward a bill to legalise assisted suicide in England and Wales. Labour MP Kim Leadbeater announced that she would soon be introducing a bill to the House of […]
Tories silent on why their ministers ‘sat on’ DWP research for six years
The Conservative party has refused to explain why its former ministers “sat on” vital research papers for up to six years while running the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Labour’s new work and pensions secretary, Liz Kendall, this week published 31 […]
Research ‘sat on’ by DWP exposed how ‘degrading’ PIP system left disabled people ‘numb’ and ‘broken’
Research suppressed by the last government exposed how the “degrading” personal independence payment (PIP) system and its dishonest and unfair assessments left disabled people “broken”, “numb” and “fuming”. The research, commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), examined the in-depth […]
Kendall’s comments show new bill to order banks to ‘spy’ on benefit claimants will be based on Tory plans
Comments by Labour’s work and pensions secretary have confirmed that “farcical” and “prejudicial” plans for a new fraud bill – ordering banks to “spy” on the bank accounts of benefit claimants – will be based on draft laws prepared by the last […]
DaDa’s 40th anniversary arts festival will be ‘rage-filled’ demonstration of battle for disability equality
A disability arts organisation that became an “international game-changer” is to celebrate its 40th anniversary with a “rage”-filled international festival programme, to demonstrate how disabled people still often face neglect and discrimination. DaDa has chosen “RAGE” as the theme for next year’s DaDaFest […]
DWP sets strict April 2025 universal credit deadline for all disabled people receiving tax credits
Disabled people who receive any kind of tax credits will only have until next April to transfer onto universal credit, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirmed this week. The department announced this week that all claimants of “legacy” income-related benefits […]
Labour silence over PM’s work search comments, as Tory ex-DWP minister says: ‘You’d never have heard that from me’
The government has refused to clarify comments by the prime minister which suggested that all claimants of long-term sickness benefits will be expected to look for work under Labour’s social security reforms. The refusal came as Mims Davies, the last Conservative minister […]
Last Tory minister for disabled people dodges questions on fatal flaws in universal credit
The last Conservative minister for disabled people has dodged questions on whether her government failed to address flaws in the universal credit system that led to the deaths of disabled claimants. There have been increasing concerns about universal credit, including by coroners […]
Tory leadership hopefuls ignore disabled people in pitch to MPs and party members
All four of the candidates to be the next Conservative leader have ignored disabled people in their pitches to party members. None of the quartet – Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, and Tom Tugendhat – discussed how they would address any […]
Government ‘was slapdash and chaotic’ in response to requests for accessible versions of key planning paper
The new government has been accused of a “slapdash and chaotic” response to a request from disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) to provide a vital consultation document on planning policy in accessible formats. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) had […]
Five-year delay in publishing accessible transport report was due to pandemic, claims government
A government department has blamed the pandemic for a five-year delay in publishing a report that suggested major changes to the public transport system would be needed to address the barriers faced by disabled people with invisible impairments. The report by Ipsos […]
Disabled activist seeks to lead union, and promises to fight discriminatory reporting if she wins
A disabled journalist has called on the trade union movement to do more for disability rights and has promised to fight discrimination across the media, if she is elected to be the next leader of her union. Dr Natasha Hirst said she […]
Former minister calls for access improvements to ‘appalling’ House of Commons facilities
One of the few disabled MPs in the last parliament has called for significant access improvements to the House of Commons. Robert Halfon, who was Conservative MP for Harlow for 14 years and served as an education minister, stepped down before July’s […]