Disabled people who receive direct payments to pay for their support have been forced to close their bank accounts and transfer their funding to new accounts controlled by their local council. York council is now able to spy on every spending […]
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Government’s new workfare scheme is ‘unethical’ and ‘unworkable’
New government plans to force long-term unemployed people to attend their local jobcentre for 35 hours a week in exchange for their benefits have been branded “unworkable”, “unethical” and “cranky” by disabled campaigners. The plans were announced by the chancellor, George […]
McGuire to quit Labour’s frontbench
Labour’s shadow minister for disabled people has told Disability News Service (DNS) that she is resigning from the party’s frontbench. Anne McGuire has been shadow minister since October 2011, and was previously a well-regarded minister for disabled people for three years […]
Motability to hand £2,000 to every customer who falls foul of PIP
The Motability car scheme has won praise after announcing that it will hand £2, 000 to every disabled person who has their vehicle taken away after being reassessed for the government’s new personal independence payment (PIP). It is one of a […]
Universities ‘still failing disabled students’
Universities are still putting significant barriers before disabled students and failing to provide them with the support they need on campus, according to new research carried out by young campaigners. Four years on from another study that exposed access problems at […]
Conservative conference: Hoban clueless on IB job figures
The minister responsible for supporting disabled people into work has admitted he has no idea how many former incapacity benefit (IB) claimants have found jobs as a result of his government’s reforms. Mark Hoban the Conservative employment minister, is in charge […]
Conservative conference: McVey takes aim at Miller over disability employment
The minister for disabled people has attacked her predecessor – a fellow Conservative and a senior government colleague – for failing to do more to persuade employers to provide jobs for disabled people. Esther McVey was speaking at an early morning […]
Conservative conference: No regrets for Tory architect of ‘fit for work’ test
The former Conservative minister who laid the groundwork nearly 20 years ago for the much-criticised work capability assessment (WCA) has defended the role he played in developing the “fitness for work” system. Peter Lilley MP, who was social security secretary in […]
Conservative conference: Minister ‘would not rule out’ scrapping WCA
The minister for disabled people would not rule out scrapping the government’s controversial “fitness for work” test, she has told Disability News Service (DNS). In an interview at the Conservative party conference in Manchester, Esther McVey said that the work capability […]
Conservative conference: McVey stays silent over ‘cuts’ to DLA
The minister for disabled people has refused 21 times to say whether spending on a key disability benefit will be cut next year. In an interview with Disability News Service at the Conservative party conference in Manchester Esther McVey declined 21 […]