Local authorities have admitted that government plans to close the Independent Living Fund (ILF) in 2015 will probably see a cut to the support received by most of its users, with some forced to rely on relatives or charities. Plans to […]
Conservative conference: Cameron criticised for using disabled relatives in speech
David Cameron has been heavily criticised for appearing to use his disabled son and father in his main party conference speech in a bid to justify cuts to disability benefits. Cameron spent part of his speech to the annual Conservative party […]
Conservative conference: McVey creates impression by listening, not ignoring
The new minister for disabled people has laid out three ways in which she hopes to support more disabled people into employment, less than a month into her new job. In one of her first appearances as a minister, the Conservative […]
Conservative conference: Hunt hints at more delays on care funding
The new health secretary has suggested there could be further delays to reform of the funding of long-term care and support. Speaking at the annual Conservative party conference in Birmingham this week, Jeremy Hunt said he wanted to transform care for […]
Conservative conference: Charity sets trio of activists loose on party conferences
A disability charity has supported and sponsored a trio of disabled activists to take their campaigning work to the three main party conferences. The three activists – Kaliya Franklin, Pat Onions and Carlene Evans – have all been campaigning on their […]
Tribunal win could plug legal gap for disabled agency workers
A disabled woman sacked by a council from her temporary post after taking time off with depression has won an employment tribunal case – after a three-year legal battle – that should help other agency workers fight discrimination. Camden council in […]
Conservative conference: Osborne’s speech risks ‘collateral damage’, says Tory
A disabled Conservative parliamentary candidate has admitted that comments by George Osborne in a speech to his party conference risked causing “collateral damage” to disabled benefits claimants. Osborne, the chancellor, caused alarm and anger when he talked about the unfairness of […]
New EHRC chair faces tough task to repair watchdog’s ‘damaged house’
The government’s choice to be the new chair of the equality watchdog faces a tough task to repair an organisation that is damaged almost beyond repair, according to the former chair of the Disability Rights Commission (DRC). The government announced this […]
Motability is ‘treating disabled people like criminals’ by fitting trackers
Motability has been accused of treating disabled people like criminals, after it began fixing tracking devices to their cars. The organisation says it has introduced the new measure in a bid to detect “misuse” of its disabled people’s car scheme. All […]
Labour conference: Miliband’s welfare reference ‘was clumsy not offensive’
The Labour leader has again used his main conference speech – for the second year running – to suggest that many disabled benefits claimants were choosing a life on welfare rather than finding jobs. Ed Miliband’s speech, in which he described […]