Winning “thanks to WinVisible lifeline”

For two years, WinVisible has peer-supported disabled single mum Maria (not her real name) in South London, and provided her with information to secure benefits which the family needs: • She used our blog about the Personal Independence Payments (PIP) legal challenge on mobility needs and mental distress, to brief Merton Centre for Independent Living … Read more

PIP reviews — press your case!

Reviews are happening now of people’s PIP claims.  This follows several legal wins challenging benefits discrimination, including Ms R F, whom we supported at court in 2017 (see the report by Public Law Project).  Because of these successes, the government had to agree to check 1.6m PIP claims on whether we are getting our full entitlements. But … Read more

Bedroom tax win for mum threatened with domestic violence

A mum and her son who was aged 11 have finally won their legal challenge against the bedroom tax, after taking their case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).  Nearly three years after she lost at the Supreme Court, on 24 October 2019 (Thursday), the European Court ruled that the UK government is discriminating against … Read more

Universal Credit battle for severe disability premiums

The two severely disabled men, known as TP and AR, who were on ESA and claimed Universal Credit (UC) when they moved to a different area, are still battling for their severe disability premium (SDP) rights.  Other single severely disabled people previously on ESA will get these — if they have no “change of circumstances” … Read more

Justice for Jodey – grim reality vs promises

WinVisible is among those supporting Joy Dove, mother of Jodey Whiting.  On 10 June, DWP officials travelled to meet Jodey’s bereaved parents at the office of her MP, where they told her they have made many changes.  They told her that Mind is providing training to staff.  Read the Disability News Service report of the meeting … Read more

Universal Basic Income — the Ontario story

Ontario is a large province in Canada which borders the United States.  Last month, their Basic Income (BI) pilot scheme was ended early.  In April 2017, while the Liberal Party was in power in Ontario, they started a BI pilot scheme with about 4,000 people in the test communities of Hamilton-Brantford, Thunder Bay and Lindsay.  It was … Read more

Justice for Jodey — mum Joy Dove backed by Ken Loach

Film director Ken Loach, who made “I, Daniel Blake” (2016) to expose the brutalities of the benefits system, has given his support to Joy Dove, mum of Jodey Whiting. Ken Loach said on Twitter: “The DWP is still failing people – it may be worse now than it was when we made I, Daniel Blake.” In … Read more

Stop dangerous merger of disability benefit tests

Support the petition to stop the dangerous merger of tests for PIP and ESA/Universal Credit On 5 March 2019, benefits Minister Amber Rudd announced at a Scope conference that the DWP would develop a single digital system – online like Universal Credit — for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Personal Independence Payments (PIP), and have … Read more

Scrap the Letters — Z2k petition

We’re supporting the petition to Amber Rudd to STOP the DWP telling GPs not to issue sick notes for patients who are wrongly found fit for work.  Sign the petition here.  See petition updates from Zacchaeus 2000 here. Sick and disabled people are being deprived of vital benefit while they appeal, leaving them destitute and risking their … Read more

Justice for Jodey — sign new petition

We are supporting Joy Dove’s new petition, Justice for Jodey Whiting, her daughter – please sign here.  A 42-year-old formerly married single mother of nine and grandmother in Stockton, North East England, Jodey Whiting took her own life in February 2017 after being cut off ESA.  She had missed seeing a letter calling her in … Read more