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You are here: Home / Archives for Mark Harper

Mark Harper

ELECTION 2015: Harper suggests backing for mental health treatment sanctions

By John Pring on 1st May 2015 Category: Benefits and Poverty

ELECTION 2015: Harper suggests backing for mental health treatment sanctions
Listen

The Tory minister for disabled people appears to have accidentally admitted what many disabled activists feared: that a Conservative government would cut the out-of-work benefits of people with mental health conditions if they refused treatment. In a debate broadcast on local […]

Election 2015: Tories dodge election hustings on disability

By John Pring on 10th April 2015 Category: Politics

Election 2015: Tories dodge election hustings on disability
Listen

The Conservative party is refusing to defend its record in government on disability issues, after declining invitations to take part in three national, disability-related election hustings. While the Tories’ coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats, have put up leading politicians to defend […]

Harper stays silent over his “totally unacceptable” office access measures

By John Pring on 20th March 2015 Category: Politics

Harper stays silent over his “totally unacceptable” office access measures
Listen

The minister for disabled people has been heavily criticised for failing to ensure that his constituency office is accessible to disabled people, after Disability News Service (DNS) confirmed that a ramp used by his staff is potentially unsafe. One leading disabled […]

Access to Work: Plan for new cap on awards ‘is huge concern’

By John Pring on 13th March 2015 Category: Employment

Access to Work: Plan for new cap on awards ‘is huge concern’
Listen

Government plans to restrict how much support any individual can receive through the Access to Work (AtW) scheme are a “huge concern” and will damage efforts to encourage Deaf people to become teachers, lawyers and politicians, campaigners have warned. They spoke […]

Harper accused of hypocrisy after handing out access awards

By John Pring on 13th March 2015 Category: Politics

Harper accused of hypocrisy after handing out access awards
Listen

The minister for disabled people has been accused of hypocrisy, after announcing the winners of his Accessible Britain awards, despite his own access failings. A leading disabled people’s organisation, Equal Lives, said that Mark Harper should “put his own house in […]

Harper caught out again after claiming proof of ‘jobs miracle’

By John Pring on 28th February 2015 Category: Employment

Harper caught out again after claiming proof of ‘jobs miracle’
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A minister has been accused of trying to cover up an embarrassing fall in the number of disabled people in work, after he issued a misleading press release about the government’s “jobs miracle”. Mark Harper, the Conservative minister for disabled people, […]

Government opts again for secrecy on benefit deaths

By John Pring on 21st February 2015 Category: Benefits and Poverty

Government opts again for secrecy on benefit deaths
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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has refused to publish secret reviews that should reveal whether the government’s welfare reforms were to blame for any of the deaths of 49 benefit claimants. Disability News Service (DNS) has been waiting since […]

Life in the PIP queue: Woman’s ‘wicked’ 14-month wait… just to be assessed

By John Pring on 21st February 2015 Category: Benefits and Poverty

Life in the PIP queue: Woman’s ‘wicked’ 14-month wait… just to be assessed
Listen

A disabled woman has told how she has been forced to wait more than 14 months to be assessed for the government’s new disability benefit just days after a Tory minister praised his own performance in cutting waiting-times. Hannah Wells, from […]

IDS breaks pledge on PIP waiting-times, as tens of thousands still queue for months

By John Pring on 30th January 2015 Category: Benefits and Poverty, News Archive, Politics

Listen

Government ministers have broken their high-profile promise to slash all waiting-times for the new disability benefit to less than four months. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) refused to comment yesterday (Thursday) on the broken promise that – by the […]

Miliband causes chaos with answer on ILF closure

By John Pring on 30th January 2015 Category: Benefits and Poverty, News Archive, Politics

Miliband causes chaos with answer on ILF closure
Listen

Labour leader Ed Miliband caused chaos this week after he was asked if he would save the Independent Living Fund (ILF) if Labour won power at May’s general election. Miliband told the audience that the government “should not be getting rid […]

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‘Disastrous’ cuts bill that leaves legacy of distrust and distress ‘must be dropped’

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SEND inspections find services in just one in four areas usually lead to ‘positive’ outcomes for disabled children

Disabled MP who quit government over benefit cuts tells DNS: ‘The consequences will be devastating’

Disabled peers plan to ‘amend, amend, amend, amend, amend’ after assisted dying bill reaches Lords

Minister finally admits that working-age benefits spending is stable, despite months of ‘spiralling’ claims

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