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You are here: Home / Archives for economic inactivity

economic inactivity

Secrecy of DWP’s board of experts set up to examine ‘economic inactivity’ and long-term sickness

By John Pring on 19th February 2026 Category: Employment

Secrecy of DWP’s board of experts set up to examine ‘economic inactivity’ and long-term sickness
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The government has refused to explain why it has failed to publish any minutes from a board of experts set up 17 months ago to examine “economic inactivity” and particularly to focus on people not working due to “long-term sickness”. The […]

Government review calls for ‘safer, more supportive’ workplaces for disabled people

By John Pring on 6th November 2025 Category: Employment

Government review calls for ‘safer, more supportive’ workplaces for disabled people
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A government review has called for action by employers and ministers to ensure “safer, more supportive, inclusive workplaces” and to address the barriers faced by sick and disabled people in and out of work. The final report of the Keep Britain […]

Davey stirs up hostility towards disabled claimants, as Lib Dem spokesperson links similar attacks to far right

By John Pring on 25th September 2025 Category: Politics

Davey stirs up hostility towards disabled claimants, as Lib Dem spokesperson links similar attacks to far right
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Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has whipped up hostility towards disabled people by suggesting there is widespread fraud among claimants of personal independence payment (PIP), despite his own work and pensions spokesperson linking similar unfounded attacks to the far right. […]

Government report casts doubt on political rhetoric over ‘spiralling’ inactivity among disabled people

By John Pring on 18th September 2025 Category: Benefits and Poverty

Government report casts doubt on political rhetoric over ‘spiralling’ inactivity among disabled people
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The proportion of working-age disabled people in England who are “economically inactive” is not “spiralling” and may even have fallen over the last nine years, new official government statistics suggest. Although it is impossible to draw firm conclusions from the figures, […]

Lords committee led by Tory banker calls for stricter assessments and conditions for disabled benefit claimants

By John Pring on 23rd January 2025 Category: Benefits and Poverty

Lords committee led by Tory banker calls for stricter assessments and conditions for disabled benefit claimants
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Disabled activists have questioned the “draconian” conclusions of a Lords committee that has told the government to impose stricter conditions, more assessments, and a more “rigorous” work capability assessment on claimants of out-of-work disability benefits. The calls by the economic affairs […]

New government figures show key policy at heart of disability employment strategy ‘will not work’

By John Pring on 19th December 2024 Category: Employment

New government figures show key policy at heart of disability employment strategy ‘will not work’
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A key treatment that ministers have placed at the heart of their strategy for pushing people with mental distress and ill-health into paid work has only a tiny impact on the probability of them securing jobs, government figures have shown. Disabled […]

Young disabled people will ‘earn or learn’ or lose their benefits, Kendall’s unpublished comments suggest

By John Pring on 5th December 2024 Category: Employment

Young disabled people will ‘earn or learn’ or lose their benefits, Kendall’s unpublished comments suggest
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Young disabled people – including those with significant mental ill-health – will lose their benefits if they do not accept offers of education or employment, according to previously unpublished comments made by work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall. The comments, made […]

Kendall strongly hints there will be no PIP vouchers, but twice fails to make that promise

By John Pring on 14th November 2024 Category: Benefits and Poverty

Kendall strongly hints there will be no PIP vouchers, but twice fails to make that promise
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Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall has strongly hinted that she will not implement the last government’s proposal to replace disability benefits with vouchers, but she twice failed to make a promise to that effect to MPs. A public consultation that […]

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 […]

DWP minister dodges question on Kendall’s ‘exclusionary’ decision to sideline disabled people

By John Pring on 26th September 2024 Category: Politics

DWP minister dodges question on Kendall’s ‘exclusionary’ decision to sideline disabled people
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A minister has failed to explain why his boss set up a board of experts to examine “economic inactivity” without appointing a single representative of a disabled people’s organisation (DPO). Sir Stephen Timms was asked about the decision of his boss, […]

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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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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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