women with visible and invisible disabilities
Several legal challenges at tribunal and then High Court have forced the government to repay around £1.67bn in benefits to an estimated 180,000 low-income sick and disabled people, which they were wrongly denied since 2011. Well done to Ms H, a woman who was wrongly found fit for work, one of those who went to tribunal. She challenged being … Read more
We submitted evidence to the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, ahead of his visit to the UK in November. This has now been published by the UN alongside other submissions. According to the Guardian newspaper, Philip Alston who is an ’eminent international human rights lawyer called for submissions from anyone in the UK to … Read more
We found out that the Social Market Foundation (SMF) is carrying out a review called ‘Making Sense of Sanctions‘. SMF describes itself as an independent think-tank. Matthew Oakley of the SMF was appointed by the Conservative government to carry out a previous review of Jobseekers Allowance sanctions in 2014 and Ken Loach (director of ‘I, … Read more
More legal challenges to Universal Credit are on the way: by a man whose ESA was stopped when he was unfairly found “fit for work”; and by a single mother who lost her carer benefits as her daughter’s DLA did not continue smoothly. More information from the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) representing the claimants, is below. … Read more
In July we were delighted to meet Feliza Ali Ramos and Marcelo Vásquez, disability campaigners from the organisation New Hope in Bolivia, at the alternative international solidarity summit, and later the festival of resistance against the hypocrisy of the UK government’s Global Disability Summit. The courageous and imaginative Bolivian disability movement fighting for a living benefit … Read more
The Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) is a Committee of up to 15 people, some with a disability background. It was set up by the government to advise on social security issues and to scrutinise benefit regulations. They send a report to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. Their report must be presented … Read more
From Disability News Service https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/dwp-agrees-to-pay-thousands-to-disabled-duo-in-universal-credit-court-case/ BY JOHN PRING ON AUGUST 2, 2018 DWP agrees to pay thousands to disabled duo in universal credit court case The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has finally agreed to pay compensation to two disabled men who saw their benefits drastically reduced when they were forced onto the new universal credit. The … Read more
There is wide concern from the public, MPs and others about how claimants with mental distress are treated in the benefit system. But not everyone is aware that as PIP is tied to working age (16-64), teenagers aged 16 are put under the stress of possible loss of benefit when their DLA is ended in … Read more
WE WON! Today at the High Court, the judge ruled that claimants who lost severe disability premium when they moved to a Universal Credit (UC) area, were unlawfully discriminated against. He further commented that the government recognised the need of this group (the DWP barrister had suggested the disabled men could get social care from … Read more
This Thursday 14 June, at the High Court, Strand, London WC2A 2LL 9.30am: Support disabled claimants at the Joint vigil: Disabled People Against Cuts, Single Mothers’ Self-Defence, WinVisible, Rev Paul Nicolson (Taxpayers Against Poverty), Maggie Zolobajluk, and others. 10am: In court – the judge will announce his ruling. Check court number here. On Thursday … Read more