A sharp drop in inspections by the social care regulator has raised concerns that the impact of public sector spending cuts could make it harder to detect abuse in disabled people’s homes and residential facilities. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried […]
EHRC staff walk out over threats to jobs and budget cuts
Staff at the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) took part in the first of two one-hour strikes this week, in protest over threatened redundancies and cuts to its budget. They claim the commission’s failure to consult properly over its future […]
Canal mapping scheme aims to pinpoint barriers to access
The public body that cares for Britain’s waterways has launched a scheme to map the barriers that prevent disabled people accessing the country’s 2, 000-mile network of canal towpaths. British Waterways (BW) wants to build an accurate picture of the condition […]
Activists postpone protest after EHRC’s meeting pledge
Disabled activists planning to occupy the equality watchdog’s offices in protest at its failure to stand up for the rights of disabled people hit by government spending cuts have agreed to postpone their action. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) […]
Protesters call on Daily Mail to ‘stop the lies’ about benefits claimants
Disabled activists have demonstrated outside the offices of the Daily Mail to protest about the newspaper’s “disablist” and “defamatory” coverage of the government’s push to force people off incapacity benefits. More than 70 people – including members of Disabled People Against […]
Care funding commission report raises concerns on portability
A new report by the commission set up to examine the long-term funding of care and support in England has raised concerns that the independent body could be set to ignore key demands of disabled people and their organisations. The report […]
Another council faces court action over cuts to support
A disabled woman and the families of two disabled children have launched High Court legal actions against their local council over its plans to make multi-million pound cuts to vital support services. The court actions are the latest in a series […]
Staff of equality watchdog set to strike over cuts
Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) staff are set to stage a one-hour walkout over drastic cuts to the organisation’s budget, after voting in favour of strike action. The strike by members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCSU) is […]
Disabled people facing ‘rocketing’ charges for support
New evidence suggests disabled people across England are facing “rocketing” fees for the support they receive at home from their council. The “snapshot study” of 15 councils – carried out by Disability Alliance for the Coalition on Charging – also found […]
Outrage over government’s ‘scrap the Equality Act’ suggestion
A government suggestion that the entire Equality Act could be scrapped has sparked outrage among disabled people’s organisations. The proposal appears on the Cabinet Office’s new “Red Tape Challenge” website which was set up to seek ideas from the public on […]