The inquest in Nottingham into the death of Philippa Day has concluded. Her sister, Imogen Day says: “Support from her community psychiatric nurse and from her family kept her going. But the constant cold and unsympathetic wall of resistance that she met at Capita and the DWP was more than she could endure. The refusal of a home assessment by Capita was just too much for Pip to cope with. We believe she just couldn’t take any more.” At WinVisible, we are battling the brutal benefits system automatically churning out reassessments and interviews by the … Read more
On 12 & 13 January, a judicial review regarding Errol Graham, who tragically starved to death after his disability benefits were cut off, will be heard at the High Court online. His son’s fiancée, Alison Turner, is courageously bringing the case, with Leigh Day solicitors. The hearing will consider why Mr Graham’s Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) was stopped by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) when they knew he had severe mental distress. This legal case against the DWP is even more urgent during the lockdowns while it’s harder to access support and … Read more
News shared from Leigh Day solicitors, Joy Dove’s lawyers: Jodey Whiting’s family given permission to apply for second inquest into her death The family of Jodey Whiting has been granted permission to apply to the High Court for a fresh inquest into her death after new evidence was submitted about the effect on her of a Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) decision to halt the benefits on which she was entirely dependent. 11 November 2020 “Jodey’s mother, Joy Dove, was granted permission by the office of the Attorney General following her submission that the … Read more
Dear friends, Your views and support are needed on new proposals for the benefits system from the Commission on Social Security, a claimants’ panel. Please share this with your friends and networks. Responses to the questionnaire needed by 31 October Disabled mothers and family carers on the Commission, including us, pressed for proposals to include a living wage for carers of disabled people. And to extend this to mothers. A living wage would recognise the unwaged work which mothers and other carers do, including disabled women ourselves, to ensure the survival and welfare of people … Read more
This Friday morning, WinVisible is speaking at an online event for the Right to Food, held on UN World Food Day. Webinar 10am to 11am. Free registration here This webinar is organised by the Right to Food project at Sustain: the Alliance for Better Food and Farming and HEAR the pan-equality London network, as part of London Challenge Poverty Week. Info below from the joint organisers: “We will hear from speakers about what they believe needs to happen in order to ensure that all Londoners have their right to food respected.“ About this Event “On this webinar we will hear from … Read more
Shared from Disability News Service, with thanks DWP ignored coroner’s call to take action to save claimants from suicide By John Pring on 16th July 2020 The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) rejected a coroner’s call to act to prevent benefit claimants taking their own lives, following the suicide of a young woman who had told her work coach that she intended to kill herself. Documents released this week under the Freedom of Information Act show that the DWP dismissed both the coroner’s plea to take action, and the findings of an inquest jury which … Read more
We’re sharing the 17 June update from our friends at Benefits and Work welfare rights site. Opinions are by Benefits and Work, we’ve added comments below. “MINISTER REFUSES TO CONFIRM FACE-TO-FACE ASSESSMENT BAN WILL CONTINUE” Mystery surrounds how long telephone assessments for PIP and ESA are to continue after a government minister refused to give an answer today, as the ban on face-to-face assessments expires. Face-to-face assessments were banned for a period of three months from 17 March to June 17 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic began to grip. Instead they were replaced by paper … Read more