The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has released its long awaited Green Paper on Disability. The paper reveals several things the DWP plan on implementing. One such changes is the introduction of a Severe Disability Group (SDG) for people will lifelong health conditions that are unlikely to improve. The DWP consultation titled: Shaping Future Support, The Health and Disability
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A group who fights for disabled people’s rights; Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) have called for the immediate halting of health assessments for the benefits Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and Employment and Support Allowance. Their call comes after a man died inside a jobcentre having previously being found; “Fit For Work”. Unfortunately we have become all to accustomed to horror
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A comprehensive three year study by National Foodbank charity Trussell Trust and Heriot Watt University has been released today. Titled; The State of Hunger, it gives an insight to what has been driving the massive increase in foodbank use across the UK. It is clear from the report that there is one main reason; benefits. 86% of those surveyed were
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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) faces further embarrassment after their latest figures show 74% of Personal Independence (PIP) claimants win when appealing their original benefit decision. Despite these figures, the under fire department decided to extended the contracts of the private assessment companies undertaking health assessments PIP. These latest figures once again raise the question on the fitness
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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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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are facing further criticism following the release of yet another shocking statistic. In an answer to a written question it was revealed that 52% of claimants moved from Disability Allowance (DLA) to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) have had the high rate element of mobility removed. That means that since 2013, over half a
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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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On Wednesday, the Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered his spring statement to update us on the state of the UK economy. On benefits, he resisted cross party calls to scrap the benefit freeze early. However, in an Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) report accompanying the statement, it was revealed that Amber Rudd’s recent announcements were not for compassion but due to
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An answer to a written question to The Work & Pensions Secretary has revealed that, in 2018, 5,700 Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants attended their health assessment to only be told there was nobody available to assess them. This is more evidence that private companies are unfit to run benefit health assessments. Labour MP for Leeds North West, Alex Sobel,
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Last week, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd announced that her department was looking into combining the health assessments for certain benefits into one. However, rather than remedy anything,this would then risk sick and disabled claimants losing two benefits at once. Currently, benefit claimants who have a health condition or disability face separate assessments when applying for welfare benefits like
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The Scottish Government unveiled its ambitious plans for how it’s going to deliver the 11 welfare benefits devolved to it from Westminster. In a break from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) hostility to claimants, the Scottish system concentrates on claimants welfare, rather than how much they’re costing them. Having looked at the plans, all I can say is
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Disabled workers on Tax Credits can currently receive additional premiums, a Disabled Element (WE) and a Severe Disability Element (SDE). However, if they’re moved to Universal Credit there’s no provision for these and it will see claimants lose over £4,000 a year. There’s been much talk on the news about the loss of the Severe Disability Premium (SDP) for claimants
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Minister for Disabled People, Sarah Newton MP has revealed that between 2013 and 2018 over 73,000 claimants died within 6 months of making their Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claim. However, she also revealed that 7,990 claimants who’d had their claim REJECTED, died within 6 months of making a claim. Not to mention that over 5,000 terminally ill people never lived
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 The DWP has revealed that claimants used to receiving the one-off Christmas Bonus on legacy benefits such as Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), are no longer entitled to the additional money once they’ve moved onto Universal Credit. The Christmas Bonus is a one-off, tax-free £10 payment made to people on certain benefits in the first week of December. It
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