The prospect of a discredited US outsourcing giant achieving a near-monopoly of employment support and assessment services for disabled people has caused alarm, after it emerged that it is bidding to buy what remains of Remploy from the government. Only two […]
Employment
Most Access to Work recipients ‘have their support cut after reviews’
Nearly all of the disabled people whose Access to Work (AtW) entitlement is reviewed by the government are having their support cut, according to evidence being compiled by disability organisations. The evidence suggests that the government is only managing to increase […]
Access to Work crisis: Claimants face court action over unpaid bills
Disabled people are being threatened with legal action by a company exasperated by the government’s failure to pay invoices agreed through its Access to Work (AtW) scheme. One self-employed AtW claimant, Jane*, has told how ergonomic office furniture suppliers Back Care […]
Access to Work crisis: Campaigners secure first legal victory
The government has agreed to publish secret guidance that shows who is eligible for support under its under-fire Access to Work (AtW) scheme, after it was threatened with legal action by Deaf and disabled campaigners. Lawyers for the Stop Changes to […]
Concern over DWP plans to scrap specialist work adviser roles
New moves to scrap the role of specialist disability employment advisers (DEAs) in some jobcentres risk “dismantling” the support available to help disabled people into work, campaigners fear. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirmed this week that a pilot […]
Work Programme provider A4E ‘put lives at risk’ with cost-cutting move
One of the companies at the heart of the government’s welfare-to-work programme is facing allegations that it introduced an “incredibly dangerous” cost-cutting move that could put the lives of many disabled benefit claimants at risk. Earlier this year A4E allegedly introduced […]
Access to Work crisis: Scheme must improve, say MPs
The Access to Work (AtW) scheme is only helping a minority of the disabled people it should be supporting in the workplace, according to a committee of MPs. The work and pensions select committee report also warns that a new rule […]
Government adviser criticises lack of ‘true’ disability employment strategy
Ministers have been criticised by one of their own disabled advisers for their failure to produce a genuine disability employment strategy. Liz Sayce, who produced a report on employment support for disabled people for the government three years ago, spoke out […]
Access to Work crisis: DWP faces legal action over secret guidance
Disabled people are taking legal action in a bid to force the government to publish secret guidance that decides who is eligible for employment support under its under-fire Access to Work (AtW) scheme. Disability News Service (DNS) has run a string […]
Access to Work crisis: Advice worker could lose her job over ‘ridiculous’ ruling
A Deaf advice worker could lose her job because of a “ridiculous” ruling by Access to Work advisers, who rejected her application because they claimed the interpreters who helped her communicate with clients were “doing the work” for her. Lottie Powell […]