The first death was on New Year’s Eve 2011, a divorced woman in her early 50s who was found dead at her home in Scotland after taking her own life. She would later become known as Ms DE. She has never […]
DWP: The case for the prosecution
benefit deaths
Election 2019: Labour pledges inquiry into seven years of DWP benefit deaths
A Labour government would set up an independent inquiry into the deaths of disabled benefit claimants linked to the actions of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and its private sector contractors, the party has told Disability News Service. The […]
Equality watchdog ‘considering action’ on benefits discrimination
The equality watchdog is considering taking action to tackle discrimination in the way decisions are made in the social security system, it revealed this morning. Although the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has not provided any further details, it released […]
NAO action on suicides ‘could be long-awaited recognition of deaths caused by DWP’
A watchdog’s decision to question the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about the information it holds on benefit-related suicides could be a long-awaited recognition of the damage caused by the government’s policies, say disabled activists. They spoke out after the […]
Tomlinson dodges questions over serious case panel
The minister for disabled people has refused to provide MPs with any details of government plans to set up an independent panel to examine cases where his department’s failings have led to the deaths of benefit claimants. The spending round document published […]
Will new ‘serious case panel’ probe benefit-related deaths? DWP stays silent
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) appears to have secured funding to set up an independent panel to examine cases where its own failings have led to the deaths of benefit claimants. Although DWP refused to provide any details on […]
Anger over Unum sponsorship of ‘Superhero’ triathlon event
A retired Paralympian organising a mass participation disability sports event has defended accepting sponsorship from a company that spent years lobbying the government to make the out-of-work disability benefits regime harsher and more stressful. Unum has signed up as one of […]
Tomlinson misleads Abrahams over cover-up as MPs debate DWP deaths cover-up
The minister for disabled people is today (Thursday) facing questions over why he misled a senior Labour MP about his department’s cover-up of links between its “fitness for work” test and the deaths of disabled people. The failure by Justin Tomlinson […]
Disability charities reject request to back Jodey Whiting deaths petition
Many of the country’s biggest disability charities have refused to back a petition that calls for an inquiry into the links between the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the deaths of disabled benefit claimants. The charities – none of […]
Author backs Justice for Jodey and calls for urgent DWP deaths inquiry
The disabled author of an acclaimed new investigation into the impact of austerity on disabled people has backed calls for an independent inquiry into links between the government’s policies and the deaths of benefit claimants. Frances Ryan (pictured) said there was […]