Disability News Service

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

The minister for social security has admitted there are serious safety concerns with universal credit, following coroners’ reports that linked the working-age benefits system with the suicides of two disabled claimants. Sir Stephen Timms is the first minister of any political party […]

The prime minister has suggested that all claimants of long-term sickness benefits will be expected to look for work under his government’s plans to reform social security. Sir Keir Starmer made his comments in a BBC interview that was broadcast yesterday (Wednesday), […]

Disabled campaigners have warned that plans to give the government sweeping powers to carry out financial surveillance on benefit claimants are “a recipe for abuse and miscarriages of justice”. Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer told the Labour conference in Liverpool on Tuesday […]

Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall has ignored a question on why she shared a platform at her party’s annual conference with an outsourcing giant linked to the deaths of disabled benefit claimants. Kendall was speaking at the fringe event on “the […]

Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting has refused to say when the new Labour government will address the care charging crisis that is leading disabled people to face unlawful discrimination and inequality on an “unparalleled” scale. Despite being asked several times […]

Disabled campaigners say they want more than a “part-time minister” for disabled people under the new Labour government. A fringe meeting at Labour’s annual party conference in Liverpool heard of concerns that Sir Stephen Timms had too many responsibilities as the minister […]

A disabled Labour MP has delivered a passionate call for action over the number of autistic people and people with learning difficulties who are “imprisoned” in inpatient mental health units. Jen Craft told a fringe meeting at Labour’s annual party conference in […]

Labour ministers have again failed to make any commitment to toughening standards on accessible homes, despite announcing a string of new housing measures at their annual party conference. Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, who is also the housing secretary, told the conference […]

Labour has been accused of treating one of its own disabled delegates like a “third-class citizen”, after refusing to allow her to enter its party conference with her assistance dog. It is the latest example of years of disability discrimination by Labour, […]

A minister has failed to explain why his boss set up a board of experts to examine “economic inactivity” without appointing a single representative of a disabled people’s organisation (DPO). Sir Stephen Timms was asked about the decision of his boss, Liz […]

Disabled activists say Labour’s plans to means-test winter fuel payments will leave many current recipients having to decide “whether to starve or freeze”, after the government admitted that 1.6 million disabled people were likely to lose their entitlement. Government figures showed that […]

One of parliament’s new disabled MPs has suggested that the government should consider criminalising disability discrimination, because of the difficulty disabled people face in enforcing the Equality Act. Liberal Democrat Steve Darling was speaking to Disability News Service (DNS) at his party’s […]

Campaigners have criticised the Labour government’s “hugely disappointing” and “exclusionary” decision to set up a board of experts to examine “economic inactivity” without appointing a single representative of a disabled people’s organisation. Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall appears to have failed […]

The leading disabled people’s organisation (DPO) in Wales has warned the Welsh and UK governments that co-production of policy with disabled people will not be possible if they fail to provide the funding that they and other DPOs need to survive. Disability […]