John Pring

Benefits and Poverty

August 16, 2018 0

Disability charity’s appointment of Unum boss as new chair ‘is truly disgraceful’

A disability charity’s decision to choose as its new chair the head of a company closely linked with the government’s hated “fitness for work” test has been branded “a betrayal” of disabled people and “a truly disgraceful appointment”. United Response, which provides a range of support services to about 3,000 disabled people across England

Education

A room with rows of empty seats and a set of steps leading up to a platform with a whiteboard, a podium, and a microphone

August 16, 2018 0

Union backs claims of widespread discrimination by ‘hostile’ university

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A “Disability Confident” university is facing claims that it forced a disabled member of staff to scour the campus for accessible rooms in which she could deliver her lectures. The University of Liverpool also told Dr Kay Inckle that it might be considered “reasonable” for her to go down stairs on her bottom in

Benefits and Poverty

August 16, 2018 0

DWP repeatedly breaches FoI laws ‘in bid to hide secret jobcentre reports’

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has repeatedly breached freedom of information laws in an apparent attempt to prevent the release of secret reports written by disabled people recruited to work within its jobcentres. Two years ago, DWP published a work, health and disability green paper, Improving Lives, in which it revealed plans

Housing

A beautiful manor house set back behind a low stone wall

August 16, 2018 0

Deaths and hospital admissions follow short-notice closure of Leonard Cheshire home

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At least two disabled people have died while others have been admitted to hospital following the short-notice closure of a residential home by a disability charity. Leonard Cheshire faced allegations of “insensitive and abusive” behaviour in May over the way its executives told disabled residents that they were about to close their care home

Human Rights

Lots of people sit around circular tables

August 16, 2018 0

User-led alliance set to raise concerns for second time with Mental Health Act Review

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User-led groups and service-users are set to raise grave concerns about the work of the team reviewing mental health laws on behalf of the government, including its refusal to take a “full human rights-based approach” to reform. An alliance of user-led organisations, mental health service-users and survivors, and their allies, are to write for

Education

Michelle Daley speaking into a microphone as someone holds up a large piece of paper in front of her

August 16, 2018 0

Legal ruling secures new protection for autistic pupils

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Thousands of disabled children have won new protection from being unfairly excluded from school after a judge ruled that the government’s equality laws were unlawful. The upper tribunal ruled last week that a 13-year-old pupil, known as “L” for legal reasons, should not have been excluded from his school because his behaviour was linked

Independent Living

Mike Adams talking to a group of people in a retail setting

August 16, 2018 0

Retailers back UK’s first ‘accessible shopping day’

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Major retailers have backed the launch of the UK’s first “accessible shopping day”, which will see businesses promise to introduce new measures to benefit their disabled customers. Purple Tuesday, to be held on 13 November, is being led by Purple, the social enterprise formerly known as Essex Coalition of Disabled People. It has secured

Benefits and Poverty

August 9, 2018 0

DWP figures provide fresh evidence to explain PIP claim rejections

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New figures show that Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) civil servants are questioning only a tiny proportion of the benefit assessment reports written by discredited government contractors Atos and Capita. Campaigners have been trying for months to secure evidence that would explain why such a high proportion of personal independence payment (PIP) claims

Employment

Sarah Newton speaking in the House of Commons

August 9, 2018 0

DWP refuses to pay £125 to discover number of disabled people in full-time jobs

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Ministers are refusing to commission work that would cost just £125 and would show how many disabled people are in full-time paid employment, and how that number has changed under successive Tory-led governments. Ministers, including the current work and pensions secretary Esther McVey, have repeatedly boasted of how their policies have led to an

Author John Pring