Many readers will remember that we reported in our March/April 2011 edition that the Government had decided to remove the DLA Mobility component from people living in care homes due to a potential for ‘overlap in provision’. Happily, Minister for Disabled People, Maria Miller told Able Magazine that this decision had been reversed. “I’ve been [...]
Maria Miller blames unemployment on people’s unwillingness to apply for work A government minister has insisted there is “no shortage of jobs”, blaming unemployment on people’s unwillingness to apply for the work available. Maria Miller, the minister for disabled people in the Department for Work and Pensions, said on Sunday night she believed the unemployment problem was down to a lack of “appetite” for the jobs on offer
Rising public resentment blamed on government focus on alleged ‘scrounger’ fraud and inflammatory media coverage The government’s focus on alleged fraud and overclaiming to justify cuts in disability benefits has caused an increase in resentment and abuse directed at disabled people, as they find themselves being labelled as scroungers, six of the country’s biggest disability groups have warned. Some of the charities say they are now regularly contacted by people who have been taunted on the street about supposedly faking their disability and are concerned the climate of suspicion could spill over into violence or other hate crimes.
Rising public resentment blamed on government focus on alleged ‘scrounger’ fraud and inflammatory media coverage The government’s focus on alleged fraud and overclaiming to justify cuts in disability benefits has caused an increase in resentment and abuse directed at disabled people, as they find themselves being labelled as scroungers, six of the country’s biggest disability groups have warned. Some of the charities say they are now regularly contacted by people who have been taunted on the street about supposedly faking their disability and are concerned the climate of suspicion could spill over into violence or other hate crimes
After Tuesday’s vote in the Lords, ministers are pushing ahead with DLA reform. But how will the new system work, and who will lose out? 11.09am: I’m told the comments tool on the site (not just the welfare reform bill live blog) is down
I’m sure most of us have had to deal with a pushy doorstep seller wanting to sell us new windows, cable TV or a variety of household goods. Usually most will take the hint from a polite but firm ‘not interested’ but sometimes they can apply pressure and can actually be offering goods that are [...]
The disability minister Maria Miller today claimed that £600m of the annual £12.6bn DLA bill is being “overpaid” each year, her key argument for the controversial reforms that will continue their struggle through the Lords today. Is she right
Lords to debate controversial cuts to disability living allowance payments (DLA) 10.46am: Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson , the former paralympian, is leading the charge in the Lords to mitigate proposals to replace DLA with Personal Independence Payments (PIP). Lady Grey-Thompson is calling for a trial of the new PIP assessment scheme before it is introduced. She told the Guardian , it “made sense” to pilot the scheme before it went ahead
Disability campaigners have forced the government to backtrack on cutting mobility payments for those in care homes. But the battle’s only just begun Good news. Tens of thousands of disabled people living in residential care have won a reprieve over a planned benefit cut after a high-profile campaign, according to an article in the Times
The new mantra of ‘something for something’ may disadvantage disabled people, says Alice Maynard, if that something means work that they can not find The House of Lords is debating the welfare reform bill . Few people would argue that the welfare system doesn’t need reforming, but the plan to get more people working will backfire when it comes to disabled people
