A Labour MP has written to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) asking them to investigate the circumstances around the high number of deaths following benefit claimants being found Fit for Work or having their benefits reduced or cut. Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Debbie Abrahams has written to the EHRC following the news that over 10,000 Personal Independent
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Today saw the long awaited report from United Nations Special Rapporteur for Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Professor Philip Alston. Alston visited the UK last November and was highly critical in his initial findings. The full report is damning about the Conservative’s use of austerity. Due to the length and content of the report, I’m breaking it down into a
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A written question to The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has revealed that government contractor Maximus, have failed to meet targets two-thirds of the time since March 2015. This raises serious questions as to why earlier this year, the private firm had its contract renewed until 2021 despite failing so badly. Maximus are one of the private companies paid
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Yesterday saw MPs debate 10-years of the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) that sick and disabled benefit claimants go through. Despite the mountain of evidence that WCA cause harm to claimants, excluding the minister responding, not one Tory MP thought it worthwhile attending the debate. Conservative MPs rarely, if ever, take part in debates about welfare unless they’re there to defend
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I previously reported how The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) reported that between June 2013 and July 2018, 7,990 people died within six months of having there Personal Independence Payment claim rejected. Now just under two months later, it has emerged that this number is actually 10,380. That’s 2,390 more than we were told in February. Labour MP Madeline
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Yesterday saw MPs debate annual increases, or in some cases a continued freeze, of benefits and the state pension. During a speech by Labour Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Margaret Greenwood MP, a Tory Whip thought it wise to say she doesn’t know the meaning of the word destitution. Yesterdays debate was on the the amount that each benefit will
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MPs from all parties yesterday showed that they’re not taking the issue of poverty seriously. as only 13 bothered to turn up to debate a scathing UN report. Yesterday evening was the first chance MPs had to debate the findings of the United Nations Report on Extreme Poverty & Human Rights in the UK and NI. Despite this, only 14
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In an answer to a written question, The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has revealed that welfare reforms are leaving benefit claimants £65 short when it comes to paying their rent. The question by Labour MP Karen Buck, asked for “the average shortfall between housing benefit and rent of people affected by the benefit cap.” However, DWP Minister Justin
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