People are told that everyone has to have a face-to-face interview for PIP. This is not true. Official DWP guidance sets out exemption from the interview, where there is enough evidence on paper to establish your daily living needs and mobility needs, and/or where the face-to-face interview is likely to be stressful to you. (The guidance also covers the negative situation where they look at your form and think you don’t qualify for PIP, so won’t call you in. Make sure you are using the parts of the guidance which support you getting PIP.) See … Read more
At a film and TV awards ceremony, Ken Loach, director of “I, Daniel Blake” condemns government policies which make people destitute in his BAFTA speech.
PRESS RELEASE . . . PRESS RELEASE . . . PRESS RELEASE . . . Gill Thompson’s legal case for her brother David, who was diabetic and died in 2013 after his Jobseekers Allowance was sanctioned, has just been launched. Gill’s legal team wrote to the Hertfordshire Coroner setting out why there should be an investigation, including of breach of the right to life and of DWP procedure sanctioning claimants (see Leigh Day press release). David’s death was put down to “natural causes” and there was no inquest. Public support through CrowdJustice fundraising has enabled … Read more
Click on link to read our history of six years of benefit actions by the disability movement and bereaved relatives, up to the resignation of Work and Pensions Minister Iain Duncan Smith in March 2016. actions-that-led-to-resignation-of-ids-latest-5-april-2016
Daily Mirror Article, 3 March In Feb/March 2016, bedroom tax cases on disability discrimination, carers and a single mother fleeing domestic violence came to the Supreme Court. WinVisible called a daily vigil supported by many groups, individuals and the people in the cases.
Watch 4-minute interview on London Live here. Bradford to Wrexham 30 protests UK-wide.
First check that you do really owe the money. Mistakes are common and it is possible that your debts have been miscalculated. If you do owe it, check if you can get any discounts. Your debts can be cancelled or reduced to smaller repayments. And check you get all the help available to maximise your income. To challenge charges for homecare (by your council) send in detailed information about your disability-related expenses. People’s individual situations vary widely, and there is no limit on what is or is not a disability-related expense – only examples. Get back-up, as before. UK-wide … Read more
Sanctions to your Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) mean that your benefits are stopped or reduced as a punishment. Jobcentre staff are brutally stopping benefits for trivial reasons, saying that claimants have not kept to what they must do, whether they are jobseekers or sick and disabled people on ESA. Sanctions are a major reason for destitution, see the report Feeding Britain. Work conditions for ESA only apply to the Work-Related Activity Group. Search exemption on this blog for info on how to apply for exemption from work conditions. In the … Read more
Almost 40% of the annual £25bn housing benefit bill is paid to private landlords, who often get away with charging extortionate rents for poor quality housing. Tenants asking for repairs or furniture have been threatened with eviction or harassed, so it is important to know your rights. Groups that support tenants and also campaign, are: Renters’ Rights (London). Borough info on advice and local campaigns. Generation Rent (UK-wide) Councils are increasingly placing people in private rented accommodation. The Focus E15 mums and many others are campaigning to keep social housing, so people are not forced into … Read more