benefit deaths

Benefits and Poverty

February 9, 2017

7

Mother of ‘fit for work’ victim calls for ministers to face criminal charges

The mother of a disabled man who starved to death after he was found “fit for work” and lost his out-of-work disability benefits has called for ministers to face criminal charges. Jill Gant says work and pensions ministers should be tried for misconduct in public office for failing to take action that could have

Human Rights

Hundreds of white flowers lying on grass

February 9, 2017

1

National DPOs forced to withdraw report sent to UN over benefit deaths evidence

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Three national disabled people’s organisations have withdrawn a report they submitted to the United Nations, after admitting that it failed to speak out strongly enough on links between the government’s welfare reforms and the deaths of benefit claimants. The report will now be toughened up and resubmitted to the UN’s committee on the rights

Benefits and Poverty

September 8, 2016

2

Benefit claimants die as DWP staff keep failing to follow suicide guidelines

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has refused to consider an inquiry into its repeated failure to prevent the deaths of benefit claimants, despite the release of damning new information from nine secret reviews. Key information from reviews into the deaths of nine benefit claimants had been requested by Disability News Service (DNS)

Benefits and Poverty

August 25, 2016

3

DWP hides seven secret benefit suicide reviews

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is refusing to publish nine secret reviews into the deaths of benefit claimants, despite finally admitting that seven of them relate to people who took their own lives. DWP only released the information after Disability News Service (DNS) lodged a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Benefits and Poverty

Head and shoulders of Justin Tomlinson giving evidence to a parliamentary committee

June 23, 2016

9

Tomlinson faces call to resign over PIP harassment of child abuse survivor

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A minister has been urged to resign, after he threatened a traumatised child abuse survivor – who is waiting to give evidence about the abuse in court – that his benefits would be stopped if he failed to co-operate with an Atos reassessment. David* is a key witness in the trial and has been

Benefits and Poverty

A wheelchair-user sits in front of a stage, while the grass is covered by white flowers

June 16, 2016

3

Ministers ‘breach FoI laws’ by delaying release of fresh benefit deaths reviews

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Ministers are delaying the release of nine secret reviews into the deaths of benefit claimants, even though civil servants apparently prepared them for release three weeks ago under freedom of information laws. A response to a request to release redacted versions of the documents was completed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

Benefits and Poverty

August 28, 2015

2

Long-awaited deaths stats ‘do not tell the whole story’

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The long-delayed release of government figures on the deaths of benefit claimants has added fuel to years of concerns about the impact of aggressive welfare reform on sick and disabled people. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) released two sets of data today (Thursday), one showing mortality statistics for out-of-work disability benefit claimants,

Benefits and Poverty

A sign pointing to Parliament Street and Whitehall

February 21, 2015

0

Government opts again for secrecy on benefit deaths

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has refused to publish secret reviews that should reveal whether the government’s welfare reforms were to blame for any of the deaths of 49 benefit claimants. Disability News Service (DNS) has been waiting since last November for DWP to decide whether it will release details of the

Benefits and Poverty

November 21, 2014 0

Disabled peer warns DWP that tighter benefit rules could cause more deaths

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A disabled peer has warned her own government that tightening social security rules even further could lead to more deaths of benefit claimants, days after Disability News Service (DNS) revealed there had been 60 secret reviews into such tragedies. Last week’s DNS story – that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) had carried

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