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You are here: Home / Archives for conditionality

conditionality

McFadden refuses to explain why he misled MPs over back-to-work benefits system

By John Pring on 20th November 2025 Category: Benefits and Poverty

McFadden refuses to explain why he misled MPs over back-to-work benefits system
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Work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden has failed to apologise after he misled MPs about his department’s system for pushing sick and disabled people into work. McFadden yesterday (Wednesday) exaggerated the flaws in the current system, as he attempted to persuade […]

Chair of government’s ‘economic inactivity’ board says he wants to ‘ramp down’ use of benefit sanctions and strict conditions on sick and disabled people

By John Pring on 24th October 2024 Category: Benefits and Poverty

Chair of government’s ‘economic inactivity’ board says he wants to ‘ramp down’ use of benefit sanctions and strict conditions on sick and disabled people
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The academic tasked by ministers with leading efforts to tackle “spiralling” levels of “economic inactivity” has said he wants to “rethink welfare” by “ramping down” the use of strict conditions and sanctions on sick and disabled people. The comments by Professor […]

Known harm caused by benefits system ‘just the tip of the iceberg’, MPs hear

By John Pring on 16th November 2023 Category: Benefits and Poverty

Known harm caused by benefits system ‘just the tip of the iceberg’, MPs hear
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What is known publicly about the harm caused by the benefits system – including deaths by suicide linked to the actions of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – is just “the tip of the iceberg”, MPs have been told. […]

DWP white paper offers mix of ‘human catastrophe’ and overdue reforms

By John Pring on 16th March 2023 Category: Benefits and Poverty

DWP white paper offers mix of ‘human catastrophe’ and overdue reforms
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Nearly four years after announcing plans to reform support for disabled people, work and pensions ministers have published proposals for sweeping changes to disability benefits and employment support. Some of the proposals – including plans to scrap the work capability assessment […]

Coronavirus: Return of benefit sanctions in middle of pandemic ‘is barbaric’

By John Pring on 2nd July 2020 Category: Benefits and Poverty

Coronavirus: Return of benefit sanctions in middle of pandemic ‘is barbaric’
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Disabled campaigners have described the government’s decision to reintroduce benefit sanctions – in the middle of a pandemic – as “barbaric” and “life threatening”. The decision meant an end to the three-month suspension of benefit sanctions and conditionality* in England, Scotland […]

Minister says stopping benefit sanctions would do disabled people ‘a great disservice’

By John Pring on 8th November 2018 Category: Benefits and Poverty

Minister says stopping benefit sanctions would do disabled people ‘a great disservice’
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A minister has suggested that the government would be doing a “great disservice” to disabled people if it stopped sanctioning their out-of-work benefits. The comment by Alok Sharma, the employment minister, came in correspondence with the Commons work and pensions committee […]

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Image of front cover of The Department, showing a crinkled memo with the words 'Restricted - Policy. The Department. How a Violent Government Bureaucracy Killed Hundreds and Hid the Evidence. John Pring.' Next to the image is a red box with the following words in white: 'A very interesting book... a very important contribution to this whole debate' - Sir Stephen Timms, minister for social security and disability. plutobooks.com and the Pluto Press logo.

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Latest Stories

Scores of DWP failings linked to deaths were kept from MPs voting on benefit cuts, secret reports reveal

DWP staff ignored rules on how to respond to claimants who report suicidal thoughts, secret reports reveal

New official figures disprove claims that social security spending is ‘spiralling out of control’

Changes to energy bill discount scheme will discriminate against many disabled people, campaigners warn

Disabled peer hits back at claims of ‘filibustering’ over ‘vague’ and ‘poorly drafted’ assisted suicide bill

Government-owned train company has been failing on disability awareness training for more than four years

Government’s ‘generational’ SEND reforms will leave more children in segregated settings

SEND reforms ‘are a missed opportunity’ to dismantle the barriers driving disabled pupils from mainstream

Disabled activists call on Clooney to abandon movie that is set to paint Alzheimer’s as ‘fate worse than death’

Government’s advisers warn DWP minister he may need to ‘shift entrenched concerns’ over work reforms

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Image of front cover of The Department, showing a crinkled memo with the words 'Restricted - Policy. The Department. How a Violent Government Bureaucracy Killed Hundreds and Hid the Evidence. John Pring.' Next to the image is a red box with the following words in white: 'A very interesting book... a very important contribution to this whole debate' - Sir Stephen Timms, minister for social security and disability. plutobooks.com and the Pluto Press logo.

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The International Standard Serial Number for Disability News Service is: ISSN 2398-8924

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