the country's only news agency specialising in disability issues
The government has been accused of a “totally reprehensible failure” after its new Disability Unit failed to make a single announcement in more than three months, while more than 20,000 disabled people were dying from COVID-19. The unit was set up […]
Work and pensions secretary Dr Therese Coffey has shown “active contempt for disability rights” by refusing to sign up to her own flagship disability employment scheme, information released by the government has confirmed. Disability News Service (DNS) has been trying since […]
Government announcements on how it is engaging with disabled people have been dismissed as “business as usual” and proof that it is continuing to breach the UN disability convention. Days after Disability News Service reported concerns about the failure to engage […]
Disabled people are raising concerns about the way the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is running its Access to Work disability employment scheme during the coronavirus crisis. The scheme – which funds support such as personal assistants, travel costs and […]
The government is facing claims that its continuing and repeated refusal to consult with disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) has contributed to its failure to protect disabled people’s rights in responding to the coronavirus crisis. Successive governments since 2012 have been criticised […]
Disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) have asked the minister for disabled people to explain why the government is failing to consult with them on the development of its new cross-government disability strategy. The Reclaiming Our Futures Alliance (ROFA) said it had not […]
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has halted all face-to-face assessments for sickness and disability benefits for the next three months, in a “precautionary” measure it says will protect disabled people from unnecessary risk of exposure to coronavirus. The move […]
Jobcentre staff have told a Conservative MP of their “grave concern” about the healthcare professionals who carry out disability benefit assessments on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Anthony Mangnall, the MP for Totnes, learned of the concerns […]
The minister for disabled people has refused to apologise for his “heartless” response to the deaths of two disabled people that have been closely linked to the failings of his own department. Justin Tomlinson was asked in the House of Commons […]
The government lied when it said that a new panel set up to examine deaths linked to the actions of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) would be “independent”, it has been forced to admit. The proposal was first announced […]