universal basic income

Following up on my earlier 2019/03/universal-basic-income blog, I just looked up "universal basic income" on the websites of the three big welfare rights charities I used to work for: CPAG, DRUK and Working Families. Searching for "universal basic income" at cpag.org.uk and workingfamilies.org.uk yields no results, while disabilityrightsuk.org does best with its round-up, 18 March 2019, of two new reports about Universal Basic Income. 

Lost Connections by Johann Hari

Next month's choice is Lost Connections by Johann Hari (reviewed for example in the Guardian)

Lymphatic drainage

Lymphatic drainage is an important part of lympdoedema treatment. It’s a form of massage that helps stimulate the lymphatic system and encourages the flow of lymph fluid.

Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig

A very old friend of mine, who I meet about once a year, told me about this book last week, which was first published 1 January 2015.

Tory Health Sec Hunt calls for 'denationalising' NHS

Letter to Essex County Standard ecs.letters@nqe.com 15 February 2016

Disability, Let's Talk About The Barriers

The Fabian Women's Network invited Disability Rights UK to send someone along to their event to discuss and debate “Disability, Let's Talk About The Barriers”, so I went, and I did. And wrote it up here.

Children and Families Act 2014

The Act makes changes for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) in England. Local councils will have to draw up an education, health and care (EHC) plan instead of a statement of SEN, publish a 'local offer' of services and can offer a personal budget covering SEN provision for children with an EHC Plan.

PIP 20 metre rule case

High Court challenge to PIP mobility 20 metre rule fails. Judge finds gov consultation was not unfair or unlawful bit.ly/WCnUEL

The court case at Birmingham High Court on Wed 16 July was unsuccessful. But there were some interesting exerts from government documents released in the judgement. That includes the submission made to Ministers by civil servants to summarize the responses to the mobility criteria consultation. 

Having noted the impact of the loss of benefit on disabled claimants, it said (at paragraph 64): “… [T]his was recognised from the outset. In developing the PIP assessment we were aware that the vast majority of recipients of DLA were individuals with genuine health conditions and disabilities and genuine need, and that removing or reducing that benefit may affect their daily lives. However, we believe that these impacts can be justified as being a logical result of distributing limited resources in a different and more sustainable way…” [emphasis added]

More than half of disabled people out of work

More than half of disabled people out of work but just one in ten receiving support, say Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion in Fit for Purpose: Transforming employment support fordisabled people and those with health conditions published 3 July 2014.