Two influential Liberal Democrats have claimed that the coalition’s disability living allowance reforms (DLA) will have a far less serious impact on disabled people than the government has predicted. One senior Liberal Democrat peer told Disability News Service (DNS) at this […]
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Lib Dem conference: Party adopts call for BSL to be given legal status
Liberal Democrats have unanimously backed calls for British Sign Language (BSL) to be given legal status by the UK government. It is now party policy to ask Liberal Democrat ministers to press within government for BSL – which can trace its […]
Lib Dem conference: Replacement for WCA wins cautious backing
A Liberal Democrat minister has joined other influential party figures in cautiously backing efforts by user-led campaign groups to design a replacement for the government’s hated “fitness for work” test. Disabled activists from various user-led organisations announced last week that they […]
Lib Dem conference: Lloyd’s anger over disabled people failed by Work Programme
The government’s failure to devise a strategy to cope with disabled people and others who have been failed by the Work Programme has left a disabled MP so angry he wants to “chuck someone through a window”. Stephen Lloyd, the MP […]
Lib Dem conference: Clegg wrestles with his conscience, while rising stars spark hope on disability
The irony of the access problems at this year’s Liberal Democrat conference in Glasgow did not escape Kelly-Marie Blundell, vice-chair of the Liberal Democrat Disability Association. While disabled campaigners have been fighting the government’s move to cut the moving around criteria […]
UN expert says disabled people feel ‘targeted’ by bedroom tax
A UN human rights expert who has called on the government to suspend its controversial “bedroom tax” – because of its impact on disabled people and other “vulnerable” groups – could also recommend that it scraps its new benefit cap. Raquel […]
Meeting with minister sparks plan to build replacement for ‘fit for work’ test
User-led campaign groups have come together to design a replacement for the government’s “fitness for work” test, following a long-awaited meeting with a work and pensions minister. Mark Hoban, the Conservative employment minister, met on Tuesday with three leading disabled campaigners, […]
Capita’s Duckworth clams up after comments on benefit claimants
The disabled executive leading work on the new disability assessment for the out-sourcing giant Capita has refused to explain controversial comments he made about benefit claimants in a national newspaper. Dr Stephen Duckworth is chief executive of Capita’s personal independence payment […]
PIP delay raises questions over government’s 20 metres decision
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been forced to delay plans to start reassessing claimants of disability living allowance (DLA) for its replacement benefit following legal action taken by disabled campaigners. The government had been due to start reassessing […]
National Paralympic Day: Artists’ anger as Liberty is reduced to ‘sub-heading’
Leading disabled artists say London’s mayor has relegated their high-profile, annual disability arts festival to a mere “sub-heading” of National Paralympic Day. The Liberty festival was celebrating its tenth anniversary on Saturday (7 September), but many of those taking part in […]