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You are here: Home / Archives for Direct payments

Direct payments

Disabled people still struggling to pay care workers, a month after payment company’s tech failure

By John Pring on 14th August 2025 Category: Independent Living

Disabled people still struggling to pay care workers, a month after payment company’s tech failure
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Disabled people who rely on social care are still struggling to pay their personal assistants (PAs), more than a month after a catastrophic technology failure. The failure struck on 13 July and hit people who use direct payments to arrange council-funded […]

Payments company’s tech failure leaves thousands of disabled people struggling to pay their care workers

By John Pring on 24th July 2025 Category: Independent Living

Payments company’s tech failure leaves thousands of disabled people struggling to pay their care workers
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A catastrophic technology failure has left thousands of disabled people across the country who rely on social care struggling to pay their personal assistants (PAs). The failure has hit people who use direct payments to arrange council-funded care and support in […]

John Evans: Death of independent living pioneer leaves ‘massive gap’ and vital legacy

By John Pring on 16th January 2025 Category: Activism and Campaigning

John Evans: Death of independent living pioneer leaves ‘massive gap’ and vital legacy
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One of the founders of the UK’s independent living movement, John Evans, who was driven by a determination to ensure that disabled people could take control of their own lives, has died. Since he became disabled in an accident at the […]

National network will provide new voice for disabled people battling councils over social care

By John Pring on 15th August 2024 Category: Independent Living

National network will provide new voice for disabled people battling councils over social care
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Disabled people and allies are hoping that a new national network will support service-users who are constantly battling their local authority over their social care packages. The Care Net is particularly focusing on disabled people who use direct payments to arrange […]

DWP’s bank snooping laws ‘would create trap’ for claimants with social care accounts

By John Pring on 22nd February 2024 Category: Independent Living

DWP’s bank snooping laws ‘would create trap’ for claimants with social care accounts
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New laws that would give the government sweeping powers to carry out financial surveillance on benefit claimants would also pose a serious risk to disabled people who have set up bank accounts to pay for their social care, campaigners warn. Measures […]

Council stops activist using care funding for first holiday in 20 years

By John Pring on 25th January 2024 Category: Independent Living

Council stops activist using care funding for first holiday in 20 years
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A disabled campaigner is fighting his local council for the right to use some of his social care funding to take his first holiday in more than 20 years. Nathan Lee Davies, who has a life-limiting condition, has not been away […]

Recruitment of PAs is growing ever harder, survey finds

By John Pring on 14th July 2022 Category: Independent Living

Recruitment of PAs is growing ever harder, survey finds
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Recruiting a personal assistant (PA) has become harder since the start of the pandemic, with many disabled people giving up hope of ever finding someone suitable to provide their care and support, according to a new survey. The survey, which was […]

Change of mindset is needed on adult social care, DPO boss tells peers

By John Pring on 14th April 2022 Category: Independent Living

Change of mindset is needed on adult social care, DPO boss tells peers
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The boss of a leading disabled people’s organisation has told peers of the need for a change in “mindset” about adult social care provision that appears automatically to view disabled people as “dependent”. Ian Loynes, chief executive of Spectrum Centre for […]

Activist’s exposé of social care system shows some ‘live in state of fear’

By John Pring on 12th August 2021 Category: Activism and Campaigning

Activist’s exposé of social care system shows some ‘live in state of fear’
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A disabled activist has used his 35 years of experience as a service-user to write a detailed exposé of England’s social care system. Donald O’Neal’s book – The Lack of Care Act 2014 – combines detailed research, knowledge built up as […]

Government’s pandemic failings caused us ‘horrendous’ challenges, say DPOs

By John Pring on 23rd December 2020 Category: Activism and Campaigning

Government’s pandemic failings caused us ‘horrendous’ challenges, say DPOs
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Disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) from across England have described the “horrendous” and “relentless” challenges they faced during the early months of the pandemic because of the failures of the UK government and local authorities. The DPOs told researchers of the lack […]

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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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