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The future of the government’s Access to Work (AtW) disability employment scheme is in jeopardy because of “bureaucratic incompetence” and a cost-cutting drive to reduce people’s support packages, according to new research. The report, commissioned by Inclusion London, found that “shocking […]
A parliamentary ombudsman took more than three-and-a-half years to complete an investigation into the government’s Access to Work (AtW) scheme, and then failed to make any recommendations for improvements, despite upholding more than 40 complaints. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman […]
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been accused of manipulating statistics in an attempt to hide the ongoing barriers, cuts and harassment experienced by disabled people seeking support from a key disability employment programme. The claims followed the release […]
Anti-cuts activists have produced four films that show the impact of austerity on disabled people, in a bid to boost Labour’s chances in 50 marginal constituencies in the run-up to election day. Each of the short films being used by Disabled […]
The newly-appointed Deaf chief executive of a leading disabled people’s organisation has been told the government will only provide him with enough support to pay for interpreters three days every week. David Buxton, a British Sign Language-user, began his full-time job […]
Three disabled entrepreneurs have told MPs that the government should make it easier for people with impairments to move into self-employment. Jane Cordell, Sara McKee and Robert Winstanley were giving evidence to an inquiry by the Commons work and pensions select […]
The arts sector appears to be making gradual progress on increasing the proportion of disabled people in its workforce, although many leading companies have admitted employing no disabled staff at all, a new report by the Arts Council has revealed. The […]
The government is facing calls for a “fundamental rethink” of its approach to Access to Work (AtW), after new figures showed the number of disabled people receiving support through the employment scheme fell last year. At its peak, in 2009-10, under […]
Disabled entrepreneurs have told the government’s business department that it is not doing enough to make its programmes accessible. In a meeting of the all-party parliamentary disability group, a senior civil servant listened as disabled entrepreneurs lined up to express their […]
A disabled Conservative MP has warned the government not to underestimate the difficulty of achieving its aim of halving the disability employment gap because of the extent of “prejudice” faced by disabled people. Paul Maynard, MP for Blackpool North and Cleveleys […]