News Category

Disabled MP drops support for assisted dying bill over ‘broken’ social care and health services May 22, 2025
A disabled MP has dropped his support for the assisted suicide bill, largely because of concerns that “broken” social care and palliative care services could push terminally-ill people into seeking an assisted death. Steve Darling told Disability News Service (DNS) this week […]
John Pring
Mass lobby of MPs marks ‘important’ moment in fight against Labour’s benefit cuts May 22, 2025
Disabled people from across the UK converged on parliament yesterday to challenge their MPs in face-to-face meetings about the government’s proposed cuts to disability benefits. Disabled activists travelled from Northern Ireland, from Wales – including a group of Disability Wales members – […]
John Pring
Welsh government’s disability rights plan ‘is a smokescreen’ to hide lack of teeth and targets May 22, 2025
The Welsh government has been accused of putting up a “smokescreen” after publishing a draft disability rights plan that lacks “teeth” and is full instead of pledges to carry out reviews and produce guidance while offering no new money. The 10-year Draft […]
John Pring
DWP’s unlawful silence on ‘critical friend’ report raises questions over minister’s transparency pledge May 22, 2025
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has unlawfully failed to respond to a request to see a secret paper on the department’s safeguarding failures, casting doubt on a minister’s pledge to open DWP to “public scrutiny”. The “critical friend” paper was […]
John Pring
Equality watchdog must investigate ‘urgent threat’ posed by Labour policies, say DPOs May 22, 2025
More than 50 disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) have called on the equality watchdog to investigate the “urgent threat” to the equality and human rights of disabled people posed by the new Labour government. In a letter to the chief executive of the […]
John Pring
Most employers have had zero contact with DWP, report shows, in blow to green paper plans May 22, 2025
Most employers had no contact with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in the previous year, according to new DWP research, highlighting the task facing the government as it tries to boost the number of disabled people in work. The results […]
John Pring
Disabled peers speak of ‘daily fight’ against access barriers in House of Lords May 22, 2025
Disabled peers have told a committee of MPs that they face a “daily fight” just to be able to do their job, because of their continuing battle against the access barriers within the House of Lords. Members of the Commons modernisation committee […]
John Pring
Kendall refuses to apologise after misleading MPs four times in 23 minutes about PIP cuts May 15, 2025
Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall has refused to apologise after repeatedly misleading MPs by suggesting that her planned cuts of billions of pounds to personal independence payment (PIP) were linked to supporting disabled people into work. On four occasions in just […]
John Pring
Parliament security confiscates ‘political’ book on DWP deaths from activists before PIP cuts debate May 15, 2025
Parliament has refused to criticise a security officer who confiscated a book about benefit deaths because it was “too political” as three disabled activists arrived to watch a debate on disability benefit cuts, and quizzed them about their medication. The three activists […]
John Pring
DWP must finally act on ‘deficient’ approach to safeguarding with a duty of care, say MPs May 15, 2025
A report from MPs today calls on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to introduce a new legal duty for it to safeguard “vulnerable” claimants of benefits, after decades of deaths and other harm linked to its policies and procedures. The […]
John Pring