Black Triangle

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

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

Benefits and Poverty

Hundreds of white flowers lying on grass

September 20, 2018 0

DWP’s secret benefit deaths reviews: Universal credit death linked to claimant commitment ‘threats’

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A secret Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) review into the death of a claimant of universal credit (UC) has criticised the “overtly threatening” nature of the conditions they had to accept when signing up to the new benefit system. The conclusion by a panel of civil servants relates to just one of 33

Activism and Campaigning

A group of about 20 people stand sit together behind a table

September 13, 2018 0

Hope for major social security ‘brutality’ campaign after ‘breakthrough’ Labour meeting

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Many of the disabled activists who have played a key role in exposing the harm caused by the government’s social security cuts and reforms have come together for a “breakthrough” campaign meeting attended by five Labour shadow ministers. Labour’s shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who chaired the meeting, said afterwards that he believed that it

Benefits and Poverty

Paul Litchfield giving evidence to a Commons committee

June 28, 2018 0

DWP’s ‘fitness for work’ reviewer handed CBE after refusing to speak out on benefit deaths evidence

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An occupational health expert has been recognised with a high-ranking honour just weeks after refusing to say if he was shown vital documents linking the government’s “fitness for work” test with the deaths of benefit claimants. Dr Paul Litchfield was asked in early April if the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) had shown

Benefits and Poverty

May 31, 2018 0

DWP ‘has no record’ of whether it showed WCA death documents to reviewer

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) claims it has no record of whether it showed vital documents linking its “fitness for work” test with the deaths of benefit claimants to the expert it hired to review the assessment. Even though DWP possesses the documents, it is claiming it holds no information in its

Benefits and Poverty

Esther McVey giving evidence to the social security committee

April 19, 2018 0

Mother of ESA suicide mum-of-nine praises activist for confronting McVey

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The mother of a woman who killed herself after her disability benefits were sanctioned has praised a disabled activist who confronted work and pensions secretary Esther McVey about her daughter’s death as she gave evidence to Scottish MSPs this week. The activist, David*, had told Joy Dove of his plans to question McVey about

Benefits and Poverty

April 12, 2018 0

Isle of Man set to scrap its ‘fitness for work’ test

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Ministers on the Isle of Man are to scrap their version of the UK government’s much-criticised “fitness for work” test, prompting calls by disabled activists for the UK government to follow their lead. The decision, announced to members of Tynwald, the Isle of Man* parliament (pictured), follows years of criticism of the assessment on

Benefits and Poverty

Tracey Lazard sitting behind a table and holding a microphone

February 15, 2018 0

Benefit assessment report welcomed, but concern over ‘preventable harm’ failings

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Disabled campaigners have welcomed a report by MPs on disability benefit assessments, which they say highlights “serious multiple failures”, but many believe it should have done more to highlight the serious “preventable harm” caused by the system. The report by the Commons work and pensions committee concludes that there is a “pervasive culture of

Benefits and Poverty

December 14, 2017 0

‘Staggering’ ESA suicide figures prompt calls for inquiry and prosecution of ministers

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“Staggering” new figures show that the proportion of people claiming the main out-of-work disability benefit who have attempted suicide doubled between 2007 and 2014. The new analysis of NHS statistics, being published for the first time by Disability News Service (DNS), shows that in 2007 – a year before the introduction of the much-criticised

Benefits and Poverty

November 30, 2017 0

‘Shocking’ NHS stats show nearly half ESA claimants have attempted suicide

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“Shocking” NHS statistics have revealed that almost half of the people claiming the main out-of-work disability benefit in England have attempted suicide at some point in their life. The figures, showing rates of self-harm among claimants of employment and support allowance (ESA), were published by NHS Digital in September 2016, but have apparently never

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