Labour’s new shadow work and pensions secretary has backed large sections of the coalition government’s welfare reforms, but has criticised some of its cuts to disability benefits as “not compassionate”. In a speech to the Institute for Public Policy Research, Liam […]
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Government ‘caused misleading stories’ with DLA information
The government has been accused of causing disabled people “significant alarm” after releasing information about disability living allowance (DLA) that led to “misleading” media coverage. The complaint came in a letter from the Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC) – a coalition of […]
Miller’s online DLA answers spark fury
Disabled people have reacted furiously to the minister for disabled people after she took part in an online question and answer session about the government’s disability living allowance (DLA) reforms. Maria Miller answered just seven of scores of questions posted by […]
Council delivers death blow to leading self-advocacy organisation
One of the country’s leading self-advocacy organisations will be forced to close next month, after a council withdrew its funding without any warning. Members of People First Lambeth (PFL), run by people with learning difficulties and set up in 1985, said […]
Maynard faced disablist abuse from Labour MPs ‘more than once’
A disabled MP who claimed he was mocked over his impairment by Labour MPs in a Commons debate believes similar abuse has taken place on several occasions. The Conservative MP Paul Maynard, who has cerebral palsy, revealed in a newspaper interview […]
EHRC boss calls for government to take equality action on recovery
The head of the equality watchdog has called on the government to ensure that the recovery from recession does not leave disabled people and other minority groups behind. Trevor Phillips, chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), said in […]
Spending cuts ‘risk reversing decades of progress’
Government spending cuts risk reversing decades of progress towards more independence and control for people with learning difficulties, according to leading members of the self-advocacy movement. Two prominent activists with learning difficulties spoke out this week as they backed a new […]
Funding cuts cast shadow over new mental health strategy
User-led groups have welcomed a new government mental health strategy, but fear that spending cuts put its success in doubt. The new cross-government strategy, No Health Without Mental Health, pledges “parity of esteem between mental and physical health services”, with a […]
Court tells councils to think again on cuts after equality failure
A judge has told councils to rethink plans to slash spending on a London-wide grants programme because they failed to carry out a proper assessment of how the cuts would affect disabled people and other minority groups. The high court ruling […]
Court concludes that disabled volunteers have no rights
A court ruling that disabled volunteers are not entitled to protection under discrimination at work laws has sparked serious concerns over their rights. The Court of Appeal ruled that a disabled volunteer for Mid Sussex Citizens Advice Bureau was not entitled […]