the country's only news agency specialising in disability issues
A Conservative MP has branded government plans to scrap the work capability assessment (WCA) and hand jobcentre work coaches responsibility for deciding if someone is fit for work “a crazy idea”. Nigel Mills (pictured) made the comments as the Commons work […]
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has completely dismissed a coroner’s call for action to prevent flaws in its benefits systems leading to further deaths, following the suicide of a disabled man who became overwhelmed by the application process. Kirsty […]
The head of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has dismissed evidence from scores of his own employees that his department is experiencing a “staffing crisis” and a “mental ill-health epidemic”. The “devastating” dossier was compiled by the Public and […]
The actions of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are having a significant “debilitating” impact on service-users, particularly those trying to claim universal credit, senior mental health figures have told an inquest. One witness said service-users at a mental health […]
A coroner has warned work and pensions secretary Mel Stride he needs to act to prevent flaws in the universal credit system leading to further deaths, following the suicide of a disabled man who became overwhelmed by the application process. It […]
The human rights watchdog has failed to follow through on threats to take legal action against the government over its efforts to cut the number of disabled people inappropriately detained in secure hospitals in England. The Equality and Human Rights Commission […]
Whistleblowers have raised serious concerns about safeguarding failures by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that put the lives of benefit claimants at risk. Disability News Service (DNS) reported last week how conditions at Oxford jobcentre became so stressful that […]
More than a third of the work coaches on a single floor of a jobcentre experienced a mental health crisis in less than a year, due to the “dysfunctional” Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and its “toxic” policies, whistleblowers have […]
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) twice refused to launch an investigation into serious concerns that multiple work coaches on the same floor of a city centre jobcentre had experienced “mental breakdowns” because of work-related stress. The agency was told in […]
A new national agreement that will limit how often police respond to incidents involving people in mental health crisis has caused “deep concern” because of the lack of funding to support the changes, according to a user-led organisation. The national agreement […]