Benefits and Poverty

A protester in a crime scene outfit crouches by a sign saying universal credit is a crime

June 21, 2018 0

DWP is failing ‘vulnerable’ claimants of universal credit, says watchdog

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is failing to support “vulnerable” claimants and is unable to monitor how they are being treated under its new universal credit benefit system, according to an investigation by the public spending watchdog. The report by the National Audit Office (NAO) raises a string of serious concerns about

Benefits and Poverty

Front entrance of Maximus offices in London

June 21, 2018 0

‘Fit for work’ assessor suspended for describing examination that did not take place

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An occupational therapist who carried out a “misleading” benefit assessment has been suspended for a year after regulators found she reported carrying out a physical examination of a disabled man that did not take place. Paru Vekaria has shown no remorse over the incident, in which she stated in a written report for government

Benefits and Poverty

Jenny Morris sitting at a table in a conference

June 21, 2018 0

PIP announcement ‘shows replacing DLA was waste of time and money’

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The government’s decision to stop regular benefit reassessments for some people with “the most severe, lifelong conditions” shows that replacing disability living allowance (DLA) with personal independence payment (PIP) was a waste of time and money, it has been claimed. Sarah Newton, the minister for disabled people, confirmed this week that claimants with such

Benefits and Poverty

June 14, 2018 0

Atos assessor told gay man he was ‘defective’ and needed to be cured by God

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A doctor working for the government contractor Atos told a gay disabled man she was assessing for his entitlement to disability benefits that his sexuality meant he was “defective” and that God needed to fix him like a “broken” car. Atos was forced to pay Keith Morgan compensation after he was subjected to an

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

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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

Benefits and Poverty

June 7, 2018 0

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

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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

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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

Benefits and Poverty

Esther McVey speaking in the House of Commons

June 7, 2018 0

DWP silence over new PIP backdating call

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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

Benefits and Poverty

Paul Litchfield giving evidence to a Commons committee

May 31, 2018 0

DWP ‘has no record’ of whether it showed WCA death documents to reviewer

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) claims it has no record of whether it showed vital documents linking its “fitness for work” test with the deaths of benefit claimants to the expert it hired to review the assessment. Even though DWP possesses the documents, it is claiming it holds no information in its

Benefits and Poverty

People coming out of the Bournemouth International Centre

May 31, 2018 0

TUC Disabled Workers’ Conference: ‘Critically-flawed universal credit must be scrapped’

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Disabled trade unionists have voted overwhelmingly in favour of scrapping the government’s much-criticised universal credit benefits system. A series of speakers at the TUC Disabled Workers’ Conference in Bournemouth (pictured) – attended by disabled delegates from 22 unions – spoke of the damage caused by the rollout of universal credit (UC). And after passing

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