FOI – Vox Political

Tories STILL haven’t bothered to research the harsh impact of Universal Credit delays

January 29, 2020 Mike SivierDepartment, DWP, FOI, freedom, information, Mike Sivier, Pensions, political, poverty, Research, UC, Universal Credit, Vox, Vox Political, work1 Comment

This is no surprise to anyone who has been following the contribution of Universal Credit to the spread of poverty in the UK. The Conservative government has received many demands for research into the adverse impact of its new failure of a policy – you can’t call it a benefit – but has steadfastly refused to do anything about it. There is a simple reason for this: Tories don’t care if someone else is suffering. The entire aim of Universal Credit is to pay as little as possible to people in…

Campaigner who embarrassed DWP was forced into 15-month benefit battle – with DWP

January 19, 2020 Mike Sivierallowance, assessment, benefit, campaigner, deaths, Department, disability, DWP, employment, ESA, FOI, freedom, Gail Ward, information, Mike Sivier, Pensions, Personal Independence Payment, PIP, political, support, tribunal, Vox, Vox Political, work24 Comments

The worst aspect of this is that there probably isn’t a connection. Gail Ward caused serious embarrassment to the Department for Work and Pensions in 2018 when in response to a Freedom of Information request, the government department had to admit 111,000 people had died while claiming Employment and Support Allowance. Then Ms Ward, 63, was told by the same organisation that she didn’t qualify for Personal Independence Payments. For clarity, she has Prinzmetal’s angina, a rare form of angina where attacks can occur even when resting. The rare heart condition means…

What’s the REAL reason the DWP destroyed a report on Job Centre safety failings?

April 6, 2019April 16, 2019 Mike Sivierbenefit, Conservative, Department, DWP, fail, FOI, freedom, information, Mike Sivier, Pensions, political, report, request, safety, Tories, Tory, Vox, Vox Political, work4 Comments

It isn’t often I disagree with John Pring of the Disability News Service, but I think he’s being far too charitable to the Department for Work and Pensions. A report on the DNS website has suggested that the DWP destroyed a report on failures by Job Centre staff to have proper regard for the safety of benefit claimants because the government doesn’t want the facts to get out. I have a simpler suggestion: The Conservatives simply don’t want benefit claimants to benefit from important information that could save them from…

Disability deaths scandal: Tories admit thousands of deaths, months after PIP refusals. How do they know?

February 5, 2019 Mike Sivierdeath, FOI, freedom, information, Mike Sivier, months, Personal Independence Payment, PIP, political, six, three, two weeks, Vox, Vox Political6 Comments

This is an oddity. Some of you may remember that, back in 2015, I managed to force the Conservative government into admitting the number of people who had died within two weeks of being refused sickness or disability benefits of one kind or another. The statistics were kept within that tiny time frame because the spokespeople for the Department for Work and Pensions said it did not monitor what happened to people after it kicked them off its books. So how does Sarah Newton know that 7,990 people died within six…

Theresa may be deceiving us about Brexit – by covering up the facts about Arron Banks and Leave.EU

November 22, 2018November 22, 2018 Mike SivierArron Banks, block, Conservative, EU, european union, FOI, freedom, Home Office, information, investigation, Leave.EU, Mike Sivier, OpenDemocracy, referendum, request, Theresa May, Tories, Tory, Vox Political3 Comments

The Tories are tying themselves in knots over Brexit. Theresa May is currently set to return to the EU over the weekend in a desperate bid to save a withdrawal agreement that stands in tatters after the DUP savaged its plan for the Northern Ireland border and Spain attacked it over Gibraltar. MPs queued up to voice their opposition to it during a Parliamentary debate demonstrating that the government cannot get the amount of support it needs. And now it seems Mrs May blocked an investigation into electoral crimes by…

DWP breaches Freedom of Information laws to hide reports on Job Centre failings

August 22, 2018 Mike SivierConservative, Department, disabilities, disabled, DWP, FOI, freedom, hire, ignore, information, Mike Sivier, mikesivier, Pensions, report, request, Tories, Tory, Vox Political, work4 Comments

How many times has the Conservative government trumpeted a new policy to include ordinary people in public policy, and then quietly sidelined them when the bad reports started coming in? I don’t think this is the only example! It’s a handy smokescreen – claiming that members of a special interest group, like people with disabilities, will monitor the part of government activity that affects them. Then ignoring the contribution made by those people, and hiding it from the public. The subterfuge has served its purpose, you see – it allayed…

Let’s find out the facts about people who have died under benefit sanction

September 10, 2017 Mike Sivierallowance, benefit, Conservative, dead, death, Department, die, Disability Living Allowance, DLA, DWP, employment, ESA, FOI, freedom, IB, Incapacity Benefit, information, Jobseeker's Allowance, JSA, Mike Sivier, mikesivier, Pensions, Personal Independence Payment, PIP, sanction, support, Tories, Tory, UC, Universal Credit, Vox Political, work13 Comments

“Dear DWP… “I am writing to request information regarding people on benefit and under sanction. If the information is available, please indicate where I may find it. If the information is not currently available to the public, please consider this a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. “Is it possible to see month-by-month details (from May 2010 onwards, where applicable) of the number of people on Jobseekers’ Allowance, Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Incapacity Benefit (until it was discontinued), Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment, satisfying…

DWP is wasting your money on bid to block publication of fit-for-work documents

August 8, 2017 Mike Sivierappeal, assessment, capability, Centre, CHDA, Department, Department for Work and Pensions, disability, DWP, FOI, freedom, health, information, Maximus, Mike Sivier, mikesivier, outcome report, Pensions, Vox Political, WCA, work10 Comments

The Department for Work and Pensions is wasting our money again: Documents relating to the government’s controversial fit-for-work tests could be blocked from publication after the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) launched a legal challenge. In April, John Slater submitted a Freedom of Information request (FOI) asking for details of the ‘outcome reports’ which are completed by the private company contracted to carry out the tests. The reports would include information about the number of people with a terminal illness or limited capability to work subjected to the test.…

Freedom of Information request asks, ‘What guidance has God given Theresa May?’ #Brexit

December 16, 2016December 16, 2016 Mike Sivieradvice, Brexit, faith, FOI, freedom, God, guidance, information, Prime Minister, request, Theresa May3 Comments

How appropriate at this time of year. https://twitter.com/GregLabour/status/809359446031929345 It is a real Freedom of Information request, although the Prime Minister’s office has yet to do more than acknowledge it. What answer will Mrs May provide? At this moment, it seems, only God knows! Join the Vox Political Facebook page. If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved! Vox Political needs your help! If you want to…

Driven to fury by DWP’s attitude to the deaths it has caused

October 24, 2016October 25, 2016 Mike Sivierallowance, dead, death, Department, die, DWP, employment, ESA, fatality, FOI, freedom, Guardian, health, I Daniel Blake, information, Jack Monroe, Ken Loach, Mike Sivier, mikesivier, mortality, observer, Pensions, politics, repeat, sick, social security, statistic, support, suspend, Vox Political, WCA, welfare, work, work capability assessment29 Comments

A commenter on the blog sent me a link to Jack Monroe’s Facebook page today. I’m probably as familiar with Jack as you are, but no more so – perhaps mainstream success gives that person more validity in some way than mine in the social media. But Phil’s “Have you seen this?” intrigued me. The link was to a post following up on an Observer article published over the weekend, and read as follows: “I would like to publicly apologise to the Department of Work And Pensions for an inaccurate statistic in my…

Tag: FOI

Tories STILL haven’t bothered to research the harsh impact of Universal Credit delays

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Campaigner who embarrassed DWP was forced into 15-month benefit battle – with DWP

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What’s the REAL reason the DWP destroyed a report on Job Centre safety failings?

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Disability deaths scandal: Tories admit thousands of deaths, months after PIP refusals. How do they know?

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Theresa may be deceiving us about Brexit – by covering up the facts about Arron Banks and Leave.EU

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DWP breaches Freedom of Information laws to hide reports on Job Centre failings

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Let’s find out the facts about people who have died under benefit sanction

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DWP is wasting your money on bid to block publication of fit-for-work documents

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Freedom of Information request asks, ‘What guidance has God given Theresa May?’ #Brexit

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