WinVisible and the Disabled Mothers’ Rights Campaign are part of a campaign by 40 disability organisations across England, co-ordinated by Inclusion London. Together, we have put out a joint statement, Austerity Kills, ahead of the government’s financial announcement by chancellor Jeremy Hunt this Thursday. Take action today! Write to your MP to call on them to speak out and press for increased benefits and support services – use model letter which emails direct to your MP. See the press release: https://www.inclusionlondon.org.uk/campaigns-and-policy/act-now/austerity-kills-press-release/ Facts and figures: https://www.inclusionlondon.org.uk/campaigns-and-policy/act-now/austerity-kills-policy-briefing/ Contact WinVisible for more info. We remember: Lillian Oluk and … Read more
WinVisible has been attending the Disability Poverty Campaign Group. Here is the Open Letter sent to Liz Truss by the Disability Poverty Campaign Group and Disability Benefits Consortium. Our input has helped to highlight the cost of living “disproportionate negative impact falling on disabled women (particularly single mothers), disabled children, disabled people of colour, disabled people with complex needs, in rural areas and the elderly.” Read the news report from Money Saving Expert website MSE News Open letter urges Government to increase disability benefits and widen eligibility criteria to prevent ‘devastating humanitarian crisis’ Sophie King | … Read more
People feared that the cost of living payments were going to be taken by Councils for care charges, as they take our disability benefits without caring whether we can afford it. Now, the government Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has confirmed that cost of living payments under the Social Security (Additional Payments) Bill 2022 can’t be included in the financial assessment for care charges. They have changed the Care and Support charging regulations accordingly. For anyone who needs to use it officially to fight charges from the payments, the regulation is called The … Read more
The government will make extra payments to people getting means-tested benefits, tax credits, and disability benefits (including DLA for children), under pressure to respond to the cost of living crisis. Cost of living payments People getting low-income means-tested benefits will get a cost of living payment of £650. This will be split into two instalments of £326 and £324. The first instalment will be paid between 14 July to end of July 2022. The second instalment in autumn 2022. This will be paid the usual way you get your benefit, there is no need to … Read more
On Wednesday 25 May, the disability benefit assessment companies – Atos (Independent Assessment Services), Capita and Maximus (Health Assessment Advisory Service) – are called to answer questions from MPs on the all-party Work and Pensions Committee inquiry into disability benefit assessments. Disabled women and men will be watching closely. ** Watch online Wednesday at 9.15am here or anytime later on. Debbie Abrahams MP’s questions to Capita and Atos were at 10:05:28 onwards on the video. Report by John Pring, Disability News Service here Our evidence to the MPs’ inquiry documented how: · The assessment system … Read more
Disabled claimants forced to move onto Universal Credit have won their legal challenge against loss of the full severe disability premium amount again, and also disabled child element. The solicitors Leigh Day said: “In a scathing judgment handed down [on 21 January], the DWP is found to have discriminated against [the claimants TP and AR] when it didn’t compensate them the full circa £180 a month difference in the payments they received on legacy benefits and the payments they received on UC when they moved into an area where UC had already been rolled out. … Read more
In October 2021, disabled claimants were back in court for the third time to challenge benefit losses under Universal Credit compared to previous benefits. We have been supporting the two disabled men, anonymously called TP and AR. This time, Disability News Service reported that a disabled mother and her family who have joined the case, were losing nearly £400 a month (report below). Solicitor Rachel Lovell from Southwark Law Centre, who represents the family, has kindly explained it to us more: The mum, anonymously called “AB”, has a disabled partner “CD”. As they are both … Read more