John Pring's weekly disability news roundup. He really has outdone himself this week. Pls share
- The government faces new questions about its commitment to supporting disabled people, after the chancellor announced details of a new cap on benefits spending, and then failed to assess its likely impact on disabled people.
- The minister for disabled people has been criticised for pulling out of a key speech about her reforms and disability living allowance cuts to an audience of disabled people and other campaigners.
- The number of disabled people in “absolute” poverty rose by 100,000 during the coalition’s second year in office, according to new figures obtained by Disability News Service.
- Campaigners have raised concerns about crucial sections of a new government consultation on controversial changes that have tightened eligibility for the new mobility benefit.
- Fresh concerns have been raised over the government’s Work Programme after new figures showed that only a tiny proportion of disabled people have gained a job since the scheme launched two years ago.
- The award of a £184 million disability assessment contract to the controversial outsourcing company Atos Healthcare is to be referred to the National Audit Office.
- Members of the disability arts movement came together with anti-cuts activists this week to look for a way to boost the fight to save the Independent Living Fund from closure.
- A new project is bringing alive 100 years of disabled people’s education, through the voices of those who experienced it.
- The care watchdog has finally agreed to investigate how a nursing assistant accused of abusing disabled people could then work for a care agency, even though she should have been barred from all care work.
- The government’s advisers on law reform have proposed changes to legislation that could make it easier for prosecutors to bring disability hate crime charges to court.
- Young campaigners have met in parliament with representatives of the music industry to ask them to stop discriminating against disabled music fans.
John Pring
Editor: Disability News Service
Tel: 020 8446 5900, 07776 206595
Sorry to post this here, as it is probably the wrong place and I am sure you know already, but Michael Meacher seems to want people to contact him as part of a campaign against Atos.
ReplyDeleteThe article here gives the details:
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/atos-scandal-benefits-bosses-admit-1344278
Quote from Mr Meacher:
“There are thousands of people being told wrongly that they are able to work. The Government have admitted that 11,000 people forced on to work-related activity after assessments have died before getting work.
“I am trying to gather all the cases I can, because this is a massive injustice. I am prepared to campaign for months or years until this is addressed properly.”
He also has his own blog:
http://www.michaelmeacher.info
which gives his contact details:
Michael Meacher
My constituency office is at:
11 Church Lane
Oldham OL1 3AN
Tel 0161 626 5779
It is open on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; closed on Thursday. Friday by appointment only.
My parliamentary office is at:
House of Commons,
London
SW1A 0AA
You can email me at meacherm at parliament dot uk
Thanks.
Michael Meacher is leading the way and is just one of a very few mp's to do so
ReplyDeleteall the tory mp's are just like the Egyptian government there'll need to kicked out to save lives