Tag Archives: disabled

UK’s Tory government to explain to the UN why it violates disabled people’s rights

A cartoonist’s view of government sickness and disability assessments [Illustration: Andrzej Krauze].

This is a heads-up – and a diary marker:

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Hunt’s Budget cold-shoulders society’s poorest, says disability organisation

Jeremy Hunt’s Budget failed to offer support to millions of disabled people, despite mountains of evidence on their economic and social hardship, according to Disability Rights UK.

Perhaps he hadn’t been lobbied for it by Conservative MPs who had in turn been lobbied by groups (possibly of Tory donors).

The only exception – described as “meagre” by the organisation – was a six-month continuation of the Household Support Fund, money that allows local authorities to make discretionary payments to people in need. It is now set to close when next winter starts.

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The Disability Poverty Campaign Group (DPCG), of which Disability Rights UK is a member, had called on the Chancellor to help Disabled citizens struggling with household bills and inadequate social support.

In a statement, the organisation said:

DPCG asked that action was taken to increase social security to meet the essentials of life including food, energy and medication and the extra costs of disability; invest in public services to enable Disabled people to receive health services, educational support, and social care; and to ensure that housing and transport were accessible and affordable.

We were, alongside others representing the poorest and most excluded in society, deeply concerned by the Governmentā€™s failure to acknowledge or address growing levels of poverty and to invest in grossly underfunded public services such as social care and educational support to Disabled children and young people.

With the Government set to be questioned by the United Nations on 18 MarchĀ on its record on achieving equality for Disabled people, this Budget is yet more evidence of its lack of commitment to improving our life chances.

Source: DR UK Statement on Spring Budget: ‘Government Turns its Back on the Poorest in Society’ | Disability Rights UK


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More than 100,000 eligible disabled children can’t access free school meals

Ian Byrne: he’s campaigning to ensure that children with special educational needs and disabilities get the free school meals to which they are entitled.

It isn’t so long since Ian Byrne was MP of the year – and Keir Starmer’s Labour Party was trying to get rid of him.

Now he’s on a new campaign – and once again he’s on the right side of history:

Thousands of children with special educational needs and disabilities are missing out on the freeĀ  school meals they are eligible for due to their disability or sensory needs. This is despite the lawĀ  being clear that most should be offered an alternative such as a supermarket food voucher.

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Disabled children and their families are already more likely to be living in poverty due to theĀ  difficulties of juggling care and work. Research shows they have also been disproportionately affectedĀ  by cost-of-living pressures and the pandemic. Contact found that 85% of families missing out on theĀ  free school meals entitlement reported that this has increased pressure on their weekly budgets. TheĀ  families of children with conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy and autism are all too often missing outĀ  on the equivalent of Ā£570 a year worth of financial help. This is causing many to fall into debt andĀ  needing to turn to foodbanks, which is completely unacceptable and unnecessary.

Contact calculates that more than 164,000 disabled children are unable to access their free schoolĀ  meals, despite meeting the Governmentā€™s eligibility requirements. This is truly shocking. Access toĀ  food is a basic human right. I am campaigning for universal free school meals as part of the Right ToĀ  Food campaign but in the meantime we must ensure the current system is fair and equal and that itĀ  actually delivers in practise what it claims to.

Research carried out by Contact in March 2023 with 1500 families found that there are differentĀ  reasons that disabled children cannot currently access their free lunch. These include:

ā€“ 60% canā€™t eat school meals due to their health condition, dietary requirements or sensoryĀ  processing difficulties

ā€“ 22% are off school due to a long-term medical condition or illness

ā€“ 18% are not in school as they have an education package provided by the council or areĀ  waiting for a suitable school place

ā€“ 6% attend a school without a canteen

Many parents are incorrectly being refused a food voucher as a reasonable adjustment. Others areĀ  being asked to travel miles to pick up a food parcel that doesnā€™t include food their child can eat. Families should never have to face this battle.

It must be made clear that schools and councils need to provide anĀ  alternative, ideally a supermarket voucher, to disabled children who cannot access a free school mealĀ  in the regular way.

Source: Ian Byrne MP: More than 100,000 eligible disabled children are unable to access the free school meals. The government must act. – Left Foot Forward: Leading the UK’s progressive debate


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Rishi Sunak shows his true colours – scraps ‘Minister for Disabled People’

[Image: Black Triangle Campaign].

The leader of the Tory government has decided that there is no more need for a minister looking after the interests of people who are disabled.

Rishi Sunak’s decision flies in the face of what is needed; disabled people are in more danger now than they have ever been.

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But here it is:

“Retrograde” is right. Here’s what they’re saying:

[Scope] director of strategy, James Taylor, who described the move as appalling and retrograde, added: ā€œWhat kind of message does this give to Britainā€™s 16 million disabled people? That in the middle of a cost of living crisis we are now less important?ā€

Mims Davies has been appointed minister for disabled people, but she remains a parliamentary undersecretary of state rather than becoming a minister of state, which Labour described as a ā€œdowngradeā€ of the post.

Vicky Foxcroft, the Labour MP and shadow minister for disabled people, said it was ā€œoutrageous it took the government so long to finally agree to appoint a minister for disabled peopleā€.

She said: ā€œWhen they finally do, they have demoted the role to parliamentary undersecretary of state and the role was previously minister of state. Disabled people deserve better than this.ā€

And here’s what the rest of us are saying:

A general election is coming. It might be next May, it might be next December. Or January the following year. But it is on its way.

16 million disabled people might change the fortunes of every political party taking part in that election.

All they need is the will to do it – and this might give it to them.


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‘Am I Being Unreasonable’? Mumsnet user demands eugenics against disabled kids

So much for that bastion of respectability, Mumsnet, it seems.

In fact, it seems the site has lost its shine after building a reputation for transphobia, but now it seems to have added disablism to its sins.

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Here’s what was said – and let’s enjoy the responses too:

Indeed, what next? A visit by Aktion T4 – the van with the Zyklon-B?

Let’s have some more responses:

India Willoughby stated: “Mumsnet is NOT a parenting site anymore. Itā€™s a staging ground for bigotry and extremism, where the most awful things are said. Go look. The transphobia in the ā€˜Feministā€™ section is stomach turning. Here a poster questions the value of educating disabled kids.”

Rachel added: “Less Mumsnet, more EugenicsNet now! This is really heartbreaking, OF COURSE disabled children deserve an education and the opportunity to learn and play with others, uncover their talents and learn social skills, regardless of what they go on to do!”

It seems this sort of thing has been happening on Mumsnet for a while.

It would be nice to have a comment from Mumsnet’s organisers.

This Site has requested one, and will publish it if it is forthcoming.


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After coroner’s warning over death of disabled man, benefits process to get HARDER

[Image: Black Triangle Campaign].

What are the courts going to do about this?

The excellentĀ Disability News Service is reporting that a coroner has ordered Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride to take action that will prevent flaws in the Universal Credit system leading to further deaths after a disabled man became overwhelmed by the application process and committed suicide.

Instead, it seems Stride is determined to increase the death toll exponentially.

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Here’s theĀ DNS story:

It states:

An inquest into the death of Kevin Gale earlier this month heard from his psychiatrist, who expressed significant concerns about the way mental health service-users were supported with their universal credit claims within DWP.

The inquest also heard from the trustā€™s nursing director, who told the coroner that they considered the issues identified by the psychiatrist to be ā€œnationalā€ and said they were ā€œdebilitating for service usersā€.

Kevin Gale, who is believed to have worked previously as a window cleaner, took his own life on 4 March 2022.

Coroner Kirsty Gomersal sent a Prevention of Future Deaths report to Stride.

She pointed to the ā€œnumber of and lengthā€ of the universal credit forms that had to be completed which ā€œcan be overwhelming for someone with a mental health illnessā€, and which are ā€œperpetuated if the applicant cannot get help to complete the paperworkā€, while also highlighting the ā€œlong telephone queues to speak to a DWP advisorā€.

She added: ā€œHaving to travel long distances for appointments can be detrimental for those with a mental health illness.ā€

And what’s happening to the benefit system?

Here’sĀ The Independent:

Jeremy HuntĀ has warned those who ā€œcoastā€ onĀ benefitsĀ will lose handouts if they refuse to take a job as part of a new crackdown.

Claimants deemed fit to work, but who fail to take steps to find employment, will be cut off from accessing benefits such as freeĀ prescriptionsĀ and dentalĀ treatment, help from energy suppliers and cheaper mobile phone packages.

Mel Stride, the work and pensions secretary, said that schemes to help people back into the workforce would also be expanded as part of a new Ā£2.5bn five-year long back-to-work plan.

Under the plan, claimants will be forced to accept a job or undertake work experience to improve their prospects. Those who fail to do so will be hit with an ā€œimmediate sanctionā€.

At the moment, claimants can face open-ended sanctions where they have their benefits stopped. Those under this sanction for more than six months will now have their claims closed, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said, which would also end their access to other benefits such as free prescriptions and legal aid.

Mr Stride said: ā€œ…We are expanding the voluntary support for people with health conditions and disabilities, including our flagship Universal Support programme.

ā€œBut our message is clear: if you are fit, if you refuse to work, if you are taking taxpayers for a ride ā€“ we will take your benefits away.ā€

Overall, the government says expanded help-to-work schemes will help more than 1 million people over the next five years.

Part of this package includes plans to add another 100,000 people to the Individual Placement and Support scheme, which aims to get those with severe mental illness quickly into paid employment.

Mandatory work trials will be rolled out, meaning that claimants will be forced to accept a job or do work experience to improve their prospects, and those who fail to do so will be hit with ā€œimmediate sanctionā€.

Reform of the ā€œfit noteā€ system will also be explored under the plans. In a trial in certain, fit notes, an alternative to sick notes which set out what work someone can do, will be handed out by the benefits system, not doctors.

So, after receiving an order from the courts to make it easier for people with severe mental health problems to claim disability benefits, Stride and Hunt have chosen to make it many orders of magnitude harder.

And we can all see them:

The last of the ‘X’ posts above makes an extremely good point.

If these changes are being made in order to allow the government to make tax cuts in advance of a general election, then the Tories will once again be pushing the most vulnerable people in society to their deaths, to make already-comfortable people a little better-off.

Are you disabled or suffering from a long-term sickness? Do you want to die to boost the bank account of someone who is already wealthy?

Are you a Tory voter? Do you have sick or disabled relatives and/or friends?

Which of them do you want to see die, so you get a tax cut that will induce you to vote Tory again?


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Sick and disabled people are dying while trying to claim benefits; Tory press calls them ‘scroungers’ again

A cartoonist’s view of government sickness and disability assessments; ministers set the bar at an impossibly high level.

The Conservatives seem to have launched another attack on sickness and disability benefit claimants – labelling them as “scroungers” again, even though many are dying before they even receive state payments – due to the Kafka-esque assessment process.

Tory lickspittle Andrew Pierce has published a poison pen piece in theĀ Daily Hate Mail,Ā aimed at whipping up division between claimants and the rest of the population.

It’s a classic Tory “divide and rule” tactic, that was deployed to devastating effect during the years of the Coalition government. It comes out whenever the government needs to distract people away from its own shortcomings.

So, for example, today you could be asking why the Conservatives ignored warnings that schools built with RAAC concrete were falling down –Ā for 13 years – and only started doing something about it after collapses came to public attention. The Tory answer to that is: “Look at those skiving benefit scroungers!”

The reality isn’t remotely similar to Tory Boy Pierce’s claim.

The reality is that people claiming sickness and disability benefits often die before they receive a penny, because the system already works very hard to deprive them of it – as Labour MP Debbie Abrahams pointed out in a Westminster Hall debate earlier this week:

If a coroner writes a ‘Prevention of Future Death’ report, it means they believe a death could have been prevented but the circumstances in which the deceased had been placed – in this case, a benefit claim process that is so complicated and obstructive that it not only discourages claimants but depresses them and further harms their physical health – actually contributed to or caused their death.

Obviously, if we have a claim process that is actually harming or killing claimants, it should be impossible to suggest that they are lazy scroungers; a lazy scrounger would not put him- or herself through the trial of such a procedure because it would not be worth the hassle.

And theĀ underlying reality is that prime minister Rishi Sunak and Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride want to make the Work Capability Assessment harsher, in order to force a million sick and disabled people back onto the jobs market.

They’re not doing this because those people are actually fit for work and shouldn’t be on benefits.

They’re doing it because more people looking for work means employers can pay less; if a job applicant wants more than employers are willing to pay – like an actual living wage – they can refuse the application on the grounds that they can always find someone else who will take the lower payment.

But you won’t see that fact in one of Tory Boy’s hate screeds.


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Tories lied again: The Work Capability Assessment is back

The new Tory way to tell whether a sick or disabled person can work: it’s quite an old cartoon by now – but it still works because it is more or less accurate.

That was nice while it lasted, wasn’t it?

Remember when Jeremy Hunt announced a plan to scrap Work Capability Assessments for sickness benefits in his first spring budget earlier this year?

Well, it seems the Tories have changed their collective mind because Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride has launched a consultation on proposed changes to the work capability assessment – the test aimed at establishing how a disability or illness limits a claimant’s ability to work.

According to the BBC, the proposals include:

  • Updating the categories associated with mobility and social interaction
  • Reflecting flexible and home working – and minimising the risk of these issues causing problems for workers
  • Providing “tailored support” for those found capable of work preparation activity in light of the proposed changes

The consultation is expected to run for eight weeks, and the Government hopes the reforms will come into force by 2025 – which will be after the next general election.

The BBC fails to include a link to the government consultation

Reading between the lines, it seems Stride wants to change the guidelines so that people who are too ill to work will be deemed to be perfectly capable of doing so – possibly by working from home.

The BBC report features a dissenting view from James Taylor, executive director of strategy at disability equality charity Scope, said if people are forced to look for work when they are unwell this could make them even “more ill”.

“If they don’t meet strict conditions, they’ll have their benefits stopped. In the grips of a cost-of-living crisis this could be catastrophic,” he added.

Yeah – we’ve witnessed such catastrophic situations before under Tory governments since 2010.Ā Thousands of people died when they should not have had to.

Labour’s Debbie Abrahams, who has worked to help sick and disabled people in danger due to government policies, highlighted the problems with the Tory approach in Parliament:

The BBC article fails to include a link to the government consultation. You can find it at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/work-capability-assessment-activities-and-descriptors


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UK disability groups explain plight of disabled people to the UN. Tory minister absent

As seen on Twitter: but is the UK government already planning ways to discredit a new United Nations investigation into the (mis)treatment of disabled people here?

That’s right – the UK’s minister for disabled people, Tom Pursglove, couldn’t be bothered to attend the United Nations in Geneva to provide the Tory government’s side of the story:

This Writer will dare to predict what will happen:

Firstly, the government – that will have had plenty of time to put together a report before this meeting took place – will complain that it was not allowed an opportunity to present its case.

Secondly, any findings by the UN will be vilified by government representatives, in line with what has happened to other UN reports criticising the UK’s Tory government in the past.

Nothing will be done to improve the lives of disabled people in the UK.


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The news in tweets: Sunday, July 23, 2023

‘No more Green New Deal’ is what we can see on the banner – and that is exactly what Keir Starmer is offering as he panders to the fossil fuel firms in his relentlessly grubby bid for power.

Tories AND Labour throw green policies into the fire – but who is most responsible?

Let’s make a few connections.

Energy minister Grant Shapps has unilaterally decided that the environment can burn, and to this end has announced that he’ll extract all the remaining fossil fuels from the North Sea in the name of “energy security”:

If we’ve learned anything from the state of the environment lately, it is that there isĀ no security in energy generated from fossil fuels.Ā As Richard Murphy states, the planet is burning and the Tory response is to stoke the fire.

Now let’s go over to the party formerly known as Labour, where leader Keir StĆ¼rmer is trying to dictate to London Mayor Sadiq Khan that he should “reflect on” (ditch) the Ultra-Low Emissions Zone that keeps more heavily-polluting traffic out of the centre of the capital because it was the issue that lost their party the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election.

This is idiotic for several reasons. Firstly, StĆ¼rmer’s STP (Substitute Tory Party) should not have lost because of ULEZ, which is a Conservative policy. It was imposed by Boris Johnson – the former MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, whose resignation triggered the election – so all StĆ¼rmer’s candidate had to do to counter criticisms of his party and mayor was point this out.

Secondly, we know this didn’t happen because people with non-polluting cars, who would not have paid the charge, were complaining about it on the doorstep. Perhaps they didn’t like being told it was nothing to do with them, but it’s more likely that they simply weren’t told that at all.

Thirdly, the ULEZ is not something Khan can unilaterally change; it was imposed on London by the Department for Transport when it was being run by… oh yes!Ā Grant Shapps.

So Shapps is magically facing in two different directions at once.

And StĆ¼rmer is apparently being dishonest about the reason his party lost the election.

It’s all very well saying, “We lost because of the ULEZ”, but if his people didn’t actually defend themselves on it, that’s their fault.

Doesn’t it seem more likely that it is an excuse that is being inflated to hide a different reason for the loss.

What could that reason be?

That’s not his only blunder…

Also:

Call me a scaremonger if you like, but it seems to This Writer that the most logical reason his party lost in Uxbridge and South Ruislip is Keir Starmer himself.

Keir Mather: fact and fiction about the new, Starmerite MP for Selby and Ainsty

And on that subject…

Apparently he was a researcher for former Tory MP Matthew Parris.

Forgive me, but I question whether that’s the right sort of grounding for a person who now represents the party that is supposed to support working people.

The Tory government has decided that saving the lives of disabled people who have to live in high-rise tower blocks is too expensive

How many hundreds of billions of pounds have they given to their friends and donors in return for absolutely nothing at all?

Sunak’s doublespeak: he wants you to think his theft of your rights is something you have demanded

Standing ovation for Mick Lynch after speech about the ‘stench of corruption’ in Tory government


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