Benefits and Poverty

Two women and two men stand outside the Houses of Parliament. One of the women holds a report

October 18, 2018 0

Account of sanctions desperation leaves disabled peer in tears at WRAG research launch

A benefit claimant left a disabled peer in tears after describing to a parliamentary meeting how the application of the government’s brutal sanctions regime by a jobcentre adviser had left him so desperate that he attempted to take his own life. Baroness [Tanni] Grey-Thompson was chairing the meeting, which was held to launch a

Benefits and Poverty

Gordon Henderson speaking in the House of Commons

October 18, 2018 0

Labour resists ‘scrap universal credit’ call, as Tory blames ‘fecklessness’ for food bank use

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Labour has failed in a bid to force the government to publish secret papers that would show the true financial impact of universal credit on benefit claimants. In a debate lasting nearly four hours yesterday (Wednesday), Labour and SNP MPs lined up to highlight the negative impact of the new benefit system on disabled

Benefits and Poverty

October 11, 2018 0

Anger and dismay after Labour back-tracks on pledge to scrap universal credit

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Labour has infuriated its own disabled members by backtracking on a public pledge by the shadow chancellor that the party would scrap universal credit if it won the next general election. John McDonnell drew widespread praise when he told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday that universal credit was a “shambles” and “iniquitous” and added:

Benefits and Poverty

Mik Scarlet doing yoga in his wheelchair

October 11, 2018 0

DWP ignores concerns from disabled people who shun activity over benefit fraud fears

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has refused to offer a solution to disabled people who say they are fearful of taking more exercise in case they have their support cut or are branded benefit cheats. A new report by the disability sports organisation Activity Alliance found that four-fifths (83 per cent) of

Benefits and Poverty

Esther McVey speaking in the House of Commons

October 4, 2018 0

Tory conference: Charity’s silence on universal credit deaths, hours after minister announces £51m funding

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A charity has refused to criticise the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) over four deaths linked to universal credit, hours after a minister announced it would receive tens of millions of pounds to support claimants on the new benefit system. Work and pensions secretary Esther McVey (pictured) told the Conservative party conference on

Benefits and Poverty

October 4, 2018 0

Tory conference: Newton admits DWP needs to improve

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The minister for disabled people has admitted that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) needs to “make improvements” in order to increase disabled people’s “confidence” in the social security system. Sarah Newton told a fringe event at her party’s annual conference in Birmingham that “for lots of reasons” too many people were worried

Benefits and Poverty

September 27, 2018 0

WCA tragedy woman’s mum vows to fight on for justice despite No 10 letter snub

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A disabled woman whose daughter took her own life after being wrongly found “fit for work” has vowed to continue her fight for justice, despite the prime minister’s office brushing off her request for a meeting. Joy Dove wrote in July to ask for a meeting with Theresa May to discuss the tragic death

Benefits and Poverty

Conference delegates watch a speech, with big screens showing the speaker

September 27, 2018 0

Labour conference: Members call on party to ‘stop and scrap’ universal credit

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Disabled Labour members have used the annual conference to demand that their party calls on the government to scrap its “toxic” universal credit benefit system. Labour’s position has been to call on the government to stop the rollout of universal credit – which merges six working-age benefits into one – and to “fix” it.

Benefits and Poverty

September 27, 2018 0

DWP ‘dispute with contractor’ led to ‘months of delays’ with alternative format letters

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Disabled people who need to receive letters from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in alternative formats have been facing lengthy delays with their benefit claims, apparently because of a dispute between DWP and private sector contractors. It has been claimed that a dispute between DWP and the US print services giant Xerox,

Benefits and Poverty

A banner showing the deaths of people due to sanctions and benefit cuts

September 20, 2018 0

DWP’s secret benefit deaths reviews: Investigations into deaths double in two years

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The number of secret reviews carried out by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) into deaths linked to benefit claims appears to have doubled in the last two years, according to figures the information watchdog has forced the government to release. The figures relate to the number of internal process reviews (IPRs), investigations

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