John Pring

Benefits and Poverty

The outside of the Royal Courts of Justice

June 14, 2018 0

DWP in disarray as fresh legal defeat could mean fourth trawl through its records

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) looks set to carry out a fourth major search through its records to find disabled people who have been unfairly deprived of benefits, following the latest in a series of damaging legal defeats. Today (Thursday), the high court ruled that DWP had unlawfully discriminated against two disabled

Activism and Campaigning

June 14, 2018 0

Call for national research as fears grow over loss of DPOs

Listen

There is an “urgent” need for research into the hidden issue of disabled people’s organisations across the country that are being forced to close because of funding problems, say campaigners. Shaping Our Lives (SOL), the national network of service users and disabled people, spoke out this week after further “worrying” figures showing the falling

Employment

Eight women sit around a long wooden table

June 14, 2018 0

Disabled lawyers face widespread discrimination, say researchers

Listen

Disabled people in the legal profession are facing widespread discrimination, with outdated working practices and a failure to provide them with the support they need, according to early results from a ground-breaking piece of research. The initial findings of the Legally Disabled? research project show that disabled people seeking jobs or working in the

Transport

June 14, 2018 0

TransPennine performs sharp U-turn on train access after protest threat

Listen

A train operator that planned to run mainline rail services that wheelchair-users would not have been able to access has been forced to abandon its plans after it faced threats of a protest by disabled activists. Disability News Service revealed last month that TransPennine Express (TPE) was planning to introduce two extra trains, each with four

Independent Living

James Plummer sitting in his wheelchair in front of some trees

June 14, 2018 0

Landmark court ruling over leisure club’s inaccessible swimming pool

Listen

A company that runs a leisure club on a luxury housing estate discriminated against a disabled man by repeatedly refusing to make the adjustments that would allow him to use the swimming pool, according to a court’s “landmark” judgement. James Plummer (pictured) has secured the legal judgement after an “epic struggle” that has lasted

Benefits and Poverty

June 7, 2018 0

Atos and Capita win PIP contract extension ‘because DWP is chained to a corpse’

Listen

The government’s decision to extend the contracts of two discredited companies that carry out disability benefit assessments has been branded “appalling”, “shocking” and “a complete con”. The move has also been criticised by the Scottish government. Sarah Newton, the minister for disabled people, told MPs in a written statement this week that she planned

Benefits and Poverty

Sarah Newton speaking in the House of Commons

June 7, 2018 0

Confidentiality concerns over DWP’s pledge to videotape PIP assessments

Listen

Campaigners have raised serious concerns about government plans to video-record all face-to-face assessments for personal independence payment (PIP). The move, which will begin with a pilot project, before being rolled out across the country, was announced this week by the minister for disabled people, Sarah Newton. Newton also announced that the government was planning

Transport

June 7, 2018 0

Protest planned over rail company’s ‘terrible step backwards’ on access

Listen

Disabled activists are preparing a protest action over a train operator’s plans to run mainline rail services that wheelchair-users will not be able to access. Disability News Service revealed last week that TransPennine Express (TPE) is to introduce two extra trains, each with four carriages – all of which will be inaccessible to wheelchair-users

Benefits and Poverty

Esther McVey speaking in the House of Commons

June 7, 2018 0

DWP silence over new PIP backdating call

Listen

Work and pensions secretary Esther McVey has refused to say how many disabled claimants are likely to receive backdated benefit payments, following the latest in a series of serious legal errors by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). McVey (pictured) has withdrawn appeals against two tribunal findings that her department wrongly deprived people

Human Rights

June 7, 2018 0

Memorial and procession will highlight need for reform after brutal murder

Listen

Campaigners will take part in a procession later this month to mark the murder of a disabled asylum-seeker and highlight the need for sweeping changes to the system that failed him. Disabled asylum-seekers and activists, grassroots groups, academics and policy-makers will come together for the event in Bristol, nearly two years after Kamil Ahmad’s

Author John Pring