The government has confirmed it is to close the Independent Living Fund (ILF) in April 2015, and has admitted the decision will have a “potential negative impact” on disabled people supported by the fund. Outraged campaigners say the move comes despite […]
Survivors say government’s £80m grant ‘is huge relief to thalidomiders’
Thalidomide survivors have welcomed a 10-year, £80 million government grant that will help fund the increasing support needs they face as they grow older. The grant will enable additional financial support for England’s 325 surviving “thalidomiders”, who have impairments caused by […]
London 2012 council bans disabled actors from performing Atos play
A council has been accused of “censorship” after banning disabled actors from performing a play that highlights the harm caused by the government’s much-criticised “fitness for work” contractor Atos Healthcare. The play was to be performed as part of a Christmas […]
Paralympic success breeds golden funding settlement
Britain’s Paralympians have been rewarded for their success at London 2012 with a huge leap in funding to take them through to the next Paralympic Games in Rio in four years’ time. UK Sport announced the 43 per cent increase in […]
IPC decision gives athletes a chance to repeat their London 2012 exploits in 2017
Britain’s track and field Paralympians will have the chance to recreate this summer’s golden exploits, after the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced that London would host the 2017 IPC World Athletics Championships in the Olympic Stadium. The championships will be held […]
Experts fear ‘red tape’ review is threat to accessible housing
Experts fear vital accessibility standards could be under threat because of a government assault on housing red tape. Don Foster, the Liberal Democrat communities minister, commissioned the review of building regulations and housing standards two months ago, and pledged that “essential […]
Law Commission review brings tougher hate crime laws closer
The prospect of tougher laws on disability hate crime has moved a step closer, after the government’s advisers on law reform launched a review of how current legislation was working. The Law Commission will look at two possible changes both mentioned […]
Law Commission review brings tougher hate crime laws closer
The prospect of tougher laws on disability hate crime has moved a step closer, after the government’s advisers on law reform launched a review of how current legislation was working. The Law Commission will look at two possible changes, both mentioned […]
Government makes ‘significant changes’ to PIP assessment criteria
The government has made “significant changes” to the criteria it will use to assess disabled people’s eligibility for the new personal independence payment (PIP) but early analysis of the alterations suggests key concerns remain. The Department for Work and Pensions today […]
McVey postpones hundreds of thousands of PIP reassessments
Hundreds of thousands of disabled people who claim disability living allowance (DLA) will not have to be reassessed for at least two years, after the coalition announced a major retreat on its reform timetable. Esther McVey, the Conservative minister for disabled […]