November 25, 2024 Members of Parliament are voting on Friday about whether to legalise assisted suicide. As disabled people, the reason we want to defeat this bill is not a matter of principle, or so that we win the argument. We are fighting for our lives. As people who often interact with health and other … Continue reading “CAN WE DEFEAT THE LEADBEATER ASSISTED SUICIDE BILL?”
Author: Anne Pridmore
Five reasons why the Mental Health Bill won’t stop the detention of autistic people and people with learning disabilities
Lucy Series / 1 day ago The Mental Health Bill reaches its second reading in the House of Lords tonight. This is a quick post to explain why it won’t stop the detention of autistic people and people with learning disabilities. If you want all the footnotes and references, then please take a look at … Continue reading “Five reasons why the Mental Health Bill won’t stop the detention of autistic people and people with learning disabilities”
Will assisted dying vote pass? It’s far from clear by Chris Mason BBC correspondent
An extraordinary week stands ahead of us at Westminster. A week in which MPs will be asked to make a decision that could have consequences for decades. If the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill for England and Wales becomes law, it would give people, in certain circumstances, the right to die at a … Continue reading “Will assisted dying vote pass? It’s far from clear by Chris Mason BBC correspondent”
DWP to review £300 benefit application after facing accusations over 200-question form Story by James Rodger & William Morgan
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is revisiting a complex form that pensioners have to wade through to claim the £300 Winter Fuel Allowance; there are worries it’s too convoluted, creating quite a puzzle. Set aside just for older folks on Pension Credit this year, the benefit could slip through the fingers of some … Continue reading “DWP to review £300 benefit application after facing accusations over 200-question form Story by James Rodger & William Morgan”
Benefits uprating amounts for 2025 to 2026
PUBLISHED: 04 NOVEMBER 2024 The chancellor confirmed in the October budget that working age benefits will be uprated by 1.7% from April 2025, in line with the September 2024 consumer Price Index. Liz Kendall later confirmed this in a written statement, making clear that the same uprating would apply to all disability benefits and to … Continue reading “Benefits uprating amounts for 2025 to 2026”
Judge FORCES DWP to disclose key documents about “dehumanising” WCA reforms
During a court hearing about the “rushed and disingenuous” consultation used to justify proposals to tighten the Work Capability Assessment (WCA), the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was ordered by a judge to disclose key internal documents to Ellen Clifford, a disabled activist bringing a legal challenge over the consultation. DWP WCA reforms: a … Continue reading “Judge FORCES DWP to disclose key documents about “dehumanising” WCA reforms”
Connecting to Survive. The Necessity of Smartphones for UK Benefit Claimants
Some people view smartphones as luxuries, symbols of status, wealth and connectivity. However, for many benefit claimants in the UK, owning a smartphone is not just a nice-to-have; it is an absolute necessity. The notion that people on Universal Credit (UC) shouldn’t complain while using a smartphone stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of how these … Continue reading “Connecting to Survive. The Necessity of Smartphones for UK Benefit Claimants”
Work and Pensions Secretary says that powers in Fraud, Error and Debt Bill will not give DWP access to claimants’ bank accounts or information on how they spend their money
However, Eligibility Verification measure will require banks and financial institutions to examine their own data sets to highlight where someone may not be eligible for the benefits they are being paid Powers introduced by the new Fraud, Error and Debt Bill will not give DWP access to bank accounts or information on how claimants spend … Continue reading “Work and Pensions Secretary says that powers in Fraud, Error and Debt Bill will not give DWP access to claimants’ bank accounts or information on how they spend their money”
One in five Britons with disabilities have their rights violated, UN told
One in five British people are suffering erosion of their rights because they are disabled, the government-backed Equality and Human Rights Commission has said in a damning report to the United Nations. The body cites “deeply concerning” evidence that despite government pledges to improve conditions for the nearly 14 million disabled Britons, their situation is … Continue reading “One in five Britons with disabilities have their rights violated, UN told”
Council plans £33m cuts it ‘does not want to make’
Norfolk County Council is planning more than £33m of cuts as it tries to balance its budget. Almost half of the savings would come from adult social services, with the authority looking to save money by cutting spending on care home places. Children’s services would face cuts of £7m, while other proposed savings would include … Continue reading “Council plans £33m cuts it ‘does not want to make’”