Benefits and Poverty

Sign at entrance to Department for Work and Pensions

October 19, 2017 0

Advisor says 30 local claimants with terminal cancer had PIP rejections overturned

A welfare rights advisor has described how at least 30 local benefit claimants with terminal cancer have had their claims rejected in the last year, with every one of the decisions later overturned by an appeal tribunal. In every case, the claimant has been terminally-ill with cancer but has been told by the Department

Benefits and Poverty

October 12, 2017 0

Mum and new baby face Christmas eviction after WCA ‘nightmare’

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A disabled woman with a new baby is set to be evicted a fortnight before Christmas because the Department for Work and Pensions stopped her benefits when she failed to attend a “fitness for work” test she had not been told about. Jacqui Madonia was left “in despair” as she was told to survive

Benefits and Poverty

October 12, 2017 0

Concerns over criteria for ‘fitness for work’ reassessment exemptions

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Disabled campaigners have criticised new Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) rules that explain which benefit claimants will no longer have to be repeatedly put through the much-criticised “fitness for work” test. DWP announced last month, on the eve of the Conservative party conference in Manchester, that some claimants in the support group of

Benefits and Poverty

October 5, 2017 0

Tory conference: Gauke admits sanctions can harm mental health claimants

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Work and pensions secretary David Gauke has admitted that the system of benefit sanctions often fails to work and can instead cause harm to claimants, particularly those with mental health conditions. The long-awaited admission was yesterday described by one leading disabled campaigner as a “significant step forward” in the battle to scrap sanctions. Gauke,

Benefits and Poverty

Ellen Clifford speaking into a microphone, watched by three other panel members

October 5, 2017 0

Tory conference: Silence on eligibility means WCA announcement is ‘meaningless’

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Changes that mean some sick and disabled benefit claimants will no longer need to face repeated assessments of their capability for work are “meaningless” because the government has refused to say which people will be affected, say campaigners. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced last week, on the eve of the Conservative

Benefits and Poverty

David Gauke speaking to the party conference, with his picture on the screen behind him

October 5, 2017 0

Tory conference: Gauke’s universal credit silence on debt-ridden disabled people

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The work and pensions secretary has refused to say what he will do to help the hundreds of thousands of disabled people and other benefit claimants left in rent arrears and other debt by the botched introduction of universal credit. Campaigners have been warning David Gauke that the rollout of universal credit is leaving

Benefits and Poverty

October 5, 2017 0

MPs’ inquiry set to look at PIP assessment dishonesty claims

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MPs have launched an inquiry into why so many disability benefit decisions are being overturned on appeal, and look set to examine claims of widespread dishonesty among the healthcare professionals who carry out assessments on behalf of the government. The investigation by the Commons work and pensions select committee follows a previous inquiry into

Benefits and Poverty

Mark Serwotka and two other panellists listen to Debbie Abrahams speaking

September 28, 2017 0

Labour conference: Call for union action over DWP staff who ‘take pleasure in sanctions’

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A leading disabled activist has asked the head of one of the country’s largest unions to take action over jobcentre staff who appear to enjoy handing out sanctions to benefit claimants. The exchange took place at a fringe meeting organised by the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union – which represents most jobcentre workers

Benefits and Poverty

Debbie Abrahams and two other panellists listen to a woman speaking

September 28, 2017 0

Labour conference: Benefit assessment nurses must be held to account, says Abrahams

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Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary has called for nurses and other healthcare professionals who write misleading benefit assessment reports to be “held to account”. Debbie Abrahams said there had been “too many times” when healthcare professionals had written reports that did not “marry” with the evidence they had been given by disabled benefit

Benefits and Poverty

Debbie Abrahams speaking at a podium watched by panel members

September 28, 2017 0

Labour conference: Abrahams pledges ‘supportive and enabling’ social security system

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Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary has pledged to transform the social security system from one that “demonises” benefit claimants to one that is “supportive and enabling”. Debbie Abrahams told Labour’s annual conference in Brighton that the social security system was failing sick and disabled people, and she reminded her party that the UN’s

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