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You are here: Home / Archives for mental health

mental health

New Mental Health Act ‘offers no solution’ to abuse, exclusion and racism in mental health system

By John Pring on 6th January 2026 Category: Human Rights

New Mental Health Act ‘offers no solution’ to abuse, exclusion and racism in mental health system
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Controversial government legislation that has now become law provides no solution to the culture of abuse, neglect and exclusion within the mental health system, or its continued structural racism, say disabled campaigners. The mental health bill received royal assent on 18 […]

UN asks serious questions of ministers after activists highlight ‘discriminatory’ mental health bill

By John Pring on 31st July 2025 Category: Human Rights

UN asks serious questions of ministers after activists highlight ‘discriminatory’ mental health bill
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A UN committee has raised serious concerns that the UK government’s mental health bill is breaching the international disability rights convention, with the legislation set to complete its passage through parliament when MPs return from their summer holidays. The bill – […]

DWP helped cause mental distress of poverty-stricken benefit claimant who took her own life, says coroner

By John Pring on 8th May 2025 Category: Benefits and Poverty

DWP helped cause mental distress of poverty-stricken benefit claimant who took her own life, says coroner
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Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) failings contributed to the mental distress of a disabled woman who took her own life after being left with less than three pounds in her bank accounts, a coroner has concluded. An inquest in Stockport […]

Research links increase in ill-health to rising benefit claims, just as government prepares ‘catastrophic’ cuts

By John Pring on 13th March 2025 Category: Benefits and Poverty

Research links increase in ill-health to rising benefit claims, just as government prepares ‘catastrophic’ cuts
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New research links a significant rise in sickness and mental ill-health since the start of the pandemic to an increase in the number of people claiming disability benefits, just as ministers prepare to announce significant cuts to that support. The research […]

Extra costs evidence from grassroots group provides stark warning to ministers set to cut disability benefits

By John Pring on 6th March 2025 Category: Benefits and Poverty

Extra costs evidence from grassroots group provides stark warning to ministers set to cut disability benefits
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New research from disabled activists has shown the huge variety of ways in which mental health impairments can cause significant extra daily living costs, just as the government appears set to announce fresh cuts to disability benefits. The grassroots, user-led mental […]

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 […]

The truth about Liz Kendall’s BBC mental health wards work coach claim

By John Pring on 5th December 2024 Category: Benefits and Poverty

The truth about Liz Kendall’s BBC mental health wards work coach claim
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Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall had to ask the BBC to alter a news story that suggested she wanted to send employment advisers onto mental health wards, after she failed to dismiss the idea during an interview. Disability News Service […]

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 […]

Mental health bill ‘will not stop us being locked up’, say disabled activists

By John Pring on 7th November 2024 Category: Human Rights

Mental health bill ‘will not stop us being locked up’, say disabled activists
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A long-awaited new mental health bill falls far short of the fundamental reforms needed to ensure full human rights for disabled people, and will not stop them being subjected to forcible detention and degrading treatment, activists have warned. The government yesterday […]

Government failure on mental health detentions ‘is scandalous’ 

By John Pring on 23rd May 2024 Category: Human Rights

Government failure on mental health detentions ‘is scandalous’ 
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The government has “fallen short” on its promise to halve the number of people with learning difficulties* and autistic people detained in mental health hospitals, a committee of MPs has warned.  The number of autistic people in such settings is even […]

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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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