May 23rd, Bristol, How to Survive Disability Benefits

 Access to Work, Action, All Posts, Benefits, News  1 Response »
May 042017
 
How to Survive Disability Benefits
23 May at 19:00–21:00
Trinity Centre
Trinity Road, BS2 0NW Bristol, United Kingdom
Over the past seven years the government has practically declared war on
those with disabilities, long term illnesses or any other conditions
that make life difficult. Support services that enabled us to work or
live normal lives have been stripped away. At the same time the
politicians and their media lackeys label us ‘lazy’ and ‘scroungers’.
Surviving on Employment Support Allowance (ESA) means navigating an
intentionally brutal bureaucracy coupled with a culture of disbelief. It
also means making it through the dreaded Work Capability Assessments,
that have contributed to the deaths of hundreds of people declared ‘fit
to work’.
Making it through all this is often damaging to our health. It can be
stressful, isolating, anxiety inducing, and seems setup to create the
sort of ‘mistakes’ that can leave people penniless. It doesn’t always
have to be this way! We can come together to support each other through
the processes. We’ll be sharing knowledge, tips and tricks to making it
through ESA and look at ways we can join together to confront the system
head on.
This should be of use to anyone who is on ESA and/or related benefits
such as PIP or supporting someone who is. Please be aware this is a
skill share and there won’t be time for folks to offer comprehensive
advice on individual cases (although we can help direct you to places
that offer further support).
Trinity is a very accessible venue, details are here:
https://www.3ca.org.uk/accessibility If you have any accessibility needs
beyond those listed please contact either the venue or ourselves
As always this event is free to attend, but donations to help cover room
hire are appreciated. Hot & Cold drinks & snacks will be available to
keep you going. We’ll also have some anarchist pamphlets, papers,
magazines and stickers some for free/donation and others for a few quid.
Keep an eye out for future events, including our monthly Capitalism: a
Survival Guide workshops!
Please remember that whilst we encourage debate of ideas, we do not
tolerate attacks on individuals; especially in a way that uses
oppressive or threatening behaviour. Whilst we are not at our usual
venue of Hydra Books this month, we’ll still stick to their safer spaces
policy which you can read here : http://www.hydrabooks.org/safer-spaces/
 Posted by at 21:28

Paid Internship Vacancies, Oxford

 Access to Work, Action, All Posts  No Responses »
Mar 302017
 

People and Planet based in Oxford have paid internship vacancies available in a fully accessible workplace.

Their latest campaign is around challenging racist narratives in the media and promoting ethical journalism on migrant’s rights.

This sits alongside our fossil fuel divestment campaign and our workers rights campaign in the electronics industry in the globalSouth.

For more information see hhtps://peopleandplanet.org/work-with-us

 Posted by at 14:24

English Translation of article published in Junge Welt magazine – The Legacy of Brexit for Disabled People in the UK

 Access to Work, Action, All Posts, anti racism, News, Politics  1 Response »
Dec 232016
 

It’s difficult if not impossible to adequately define the outcomes of Brexit for anyone living in the UK let alone for disabled people. The result where a small minority of the electorate voted to leave the EU has so far caused massive political turmoil but no concrete proposals as the new unelected Prime Minister, Teresa May, thrashes around wildly clutching at straws.

What is certain is that the promise of an extra £350 million a week for our National Health Service has not and will not be forthcoming. In fact this promise promoted widely by the Leave campaigners in the Tory Party and a reason why many UK citizens were conned into voting to leave turns out to have been an outright lie.

Many of the more deluded disabled people who also voted to leave did so simply because they wanted to punish David Cameron the then Tory Prime Minister who was stupid enough to call a referendum in the first place. Having resigned first as Prime Minister and then a little later as a Member of Parliament I’m sure the multi-millionaire Cameron is indeed ‘suffering’. What is certain that disabled people will.

As soon as the outcome of the referendum was known Cameron together with a whole host of Leave politicians turned their backs on guiding the UK through the Brexit process – no doubt so they don’t get blamed for the ensuing disaster.

The devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do not want to leave the EU and in the case of Northern Ireland the Good Friday agreement and peace process means that there must be a parliamentary vote if Northern Ireland is to leave the EU.  There is also a legal challenge to seek a parliamentary vote on Brexit as the outcome of the referendum is advisory only. So chaos reigns as the UK population dangle precipitously in limbo.

As well as months spent focussed on the referendum campaign, the immediate aftermath was an election for a new Tory Party Leader and a second internal party election to try to remove the previously democratically elected Labour Party leader. During these many months of political bat and ball and trips around the country by various politicians the rights of disabled people have largely been forgotten especially by the media. Serious campaigning has been put back months as the political focus has been firmly placed elsewhere.

On a plus point the fascist party UKIP which very much led the Brexit campaign on an anti-immigration stance have also fallen into disarray and appear on the verge of oblivion. There have already been several elections for a new leader with none of them being successful in finding someone who stayed more than a couple of weeks. As the old British saying goes “every cloud has a silver lining”

What is certain for the UK is that Brexit has led to a massive  increase in race-related hate crime and there is no doubt those who perpetrate these crimes feel their actions are vindicated by the vote to leave. Xenophobia is rampant in parts of the country fuelled by some of the media as well as the Brexit campaign rhetoric. Disability hate crime has been rising year on year since 2010 in part thanks once again to the media-fuelled ‘useless eater’ and scrounger propaganda. For disabled people as well as those perceived to not be British hatred and abuse is only likely to increase in the post-Brexit frenzy that currently pervades the country.

Since Brexit as well the value of the pound has slumped which has already led to an increase in price for even essential daily items including for some the #Marmitegate tragedy where the price of Marmite has already risen in some cases by 12.5 % in shops.

Price increases for food and other essential items is likely to pose a particular problems for disabled people and others in receipt of UK Social Security payments as there is an austerity-led freeze on the amount of benefits which will be paid until at least 2020. The UK already has some of the lowest rates for out-of-work benefit payments in the EU so starting from a very low base rate the value of payments will fall even further as exchange rates fall.

On top of this fall in the value of the pound and freeze on increases in social security payments early in November an austerity-led cap on the total overall amount of benefit payments per household will result in massive reductions of £3,000 less per annum being paid to claimants. Many of those affected by this drastic cut will be disabled although other disabled people will be exempt from this cut.

From next April 2017 disabled people who make a new claim for Employment and Support Allowance and who are found not to be fit for work but able to undertake Work Related Activity which involved forcibly being made to jump though inappropriate and unacceptable hoops to continue being entitled to payments will also see their weekly income cut drastically by one-third. All of these changes will as already said be taking place at the same time the value of the pound falls against other currencies. Needless to say fuel prices are also continuing to rise and the number of UK residents on low incomes who have to choose between eating and heating because they can’t afford both continues to rise.

As disabled people and others wait for the mythical 35 million a day that we’re apparently saving by leaving the EU to be redeployed to help fund our National Health Service as promised we find our Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt putting in place plans to drastically reduce both the number of hospitals – down from 9 to 5 in London – and health service funding elsewhere in the UK through the implementation of Sustainability and Transformation Plans. This is very definitely not what Brexit promised for our health service. Hunt has also further undermined our NHS by stating that we want British only doctors in the near future in spite of the fact that around one-third of doctors currently are from other EU countries.

For disabled people who need personal assistance to live and take part in society Brexit is also bad news. Many people employ care workers/personal assistants from EU countries and now not only does the fall in the value of the pound affect the exchange value of wages paid but on a longer term basis no-one, neither the employers or the employees, have any idea about a future right to work here when the UK leaves the EU. It could of course be years before any more is known.

Workers rights generally are very much an unknown quantity at the moment as well. Teresa May has said the Conservatives want to protect those in place yet many people are on insecure zero hours contracts with no legal protections. The introduction of fees for Employment Tribunal hearings has also negatively affected worker’s rights to challenge unfair dismissals. All of these issues regarding employment rights continue to disproportionately affect disabled workers and the fear that once EU constraints on our employment laws are removed is causing major concerns for those disabled people who are in work.

For disabled people not in work the ending of Workfare and Work Choice schemes funded by the European Social Fund can really only be seen as positive. Neither of these schemes worked well in finding disabled people suitable or sustainable employment opportunities.

Workfare schemes in particular have been likened to unpaid slave labour which they were since claimants were forced to work for no pay under threat of having their benefits removed if they did not. Having said that there were a number of locally EU funded schemes to help disabled and other people into work which have worked well and for which there will now be no further EU funding available.

In other areas of life shared by disabled and non-disabled people the loss of European funding from the Social Fund, from the Common Agricultural Policy and from Regional Development grants will nevertheless be grossly detrimental to the overall standards of living and is likely to have a further negative trickle down impact on food prices. The idea that these funding streams will be replaced by our own government’s spending is laughable given their ongoing austerity agenda and determination to replace Trident nuclear weapons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Posted by at 17:49

A Disappointing Start to the Labour Party Roadshows – GMCDP uninvited

 Access to Work, Action, All Posts, News, Politics  1 Response »
Nov 112016
 

GMCDP uninvited

On 28th October, Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People (GMCDP) were contacted by the office of Debbie Abrahams, the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, and invited to provide a key speaker for the launch of the Labour Party Disability Equality Roadshow on November 11th 2016.

The Labour Party said they wanted

“to ensure that we listen directly to the views of disabled people on a wide range of issues as we begin to develop Labour’s policies for the next election. We hoped to have brief introductory speeches from Jeremy Corbyn, Debbie and yourself, before breaking out into smaller groups to discuss policy themes, drawn from the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.”

The invitation cited GMCDPs “promotion of a rights-based approach to disability, extensive experience of campaigning to assert the rights of disabled people” and we, of course, were pleased to accept.

Two of the major issues that have been important to disabled people, we said, are Independent Living and Assisted Suicide, and we would like to talk about them. This seemed to worry our contact, who said that Labour had not got a formal policy position on the future funding of the ILF and he was concerned that this might be a difficult issue for Jeremy Corbyn and Debbie Abrahams to respond to if this was brought up. We explained that this was broader than the ILF and we wouldn’t be looking to put anyone on the spot, or expecting any commitment from Labour about this on the day.

Despite such reassurances from ourselves the Office of Debbie Abrahams has now withdrawn its invitation to GMCDP to provide a speaker.  Although we will still attend, we are immensely disappointed.We have been a part of – and are linked into – disabled people’s organisations and networks and have offered to speak on two of the most serious matters facing disabled people today. We are astounded that the Labour Party does not want to hear us. Because of this we have decided to make our views available widely and are posting this message on our website. Please circulate it as widely as possible, so that the Labour Party knows just how important these matters are.

Please see below the speech we intended to deliver. Please circulate it as widely as possible, so that the Labour Party knows just how important these matters are.

1 Introduction:

Firstly I would like to thank Jeremy, Debbie and the Labour Party for inviting GMCDP to speak today at the launch of your Disability Equality Roadshow. Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People have no political affiliations, we have worked with past governments, Labour and Tory alike. We have also protested against both parties.

However, we are now living through an unprecedented period of sustained attacks on disabled people; the services we receive, the support we require and our very right to exist. You will no doubt have read the UN report published on Monday that state austerity policies ‘amount to violations of disabled people’s rights’. I mention this just so you don’t think that disabled people are making all this up.

We face inequality it all aspects of our lives, whether it be transport, housing, education or employment. Employment is a prime example of where we face inequalities at every level, from recruitment, retention, promotion and dismissal. To compound these difficulties the employment support programme Access To Work is being cut. Yes that’s right its being cut!  At a time when we should be investing in support, the government is making cuts to this programme. This is impacting particularly upon Deaf People who require British Sign Language interpreters within the work place. If we want to see Deaf lawyers, Deaf teachers and Deaf members of parliament, cutting support is not the way to go about it!

However, for GMCDP and for disabled people’s organisations in the UK, there are two issues that are of greatest concern, two issues that we want to reach out to Labour on.

2 Independent Living

Firstly, the principals of Independent Living for disabled people are being dismantled. The Independent Living Fund has gone. It was established to support disabled people with the highest support needs to live independently within the community rather than locked away in residential care, and the government scrapped it! Jeremy knows this because unlike the majority of politicians who shrugged their shoulders and walked away, Jeremy stood with us outside the Court of Appeals in the cold and stood up for us in parliament and campaigned for the retention of the ILF.

So what has the closure of the ILF meant for disabled people? It’s meant that some disabled people are having their care support cut in half, some disabled people told to wear incontinence pads at night, despite the fact they are not incontinent. Southampton CCG are saying that anyone needing more than 8 hours care support a day now face the threat of going into residential care. Here in Greater Manchester, Rochdale council is planning cuts to its Learning Disability Services by moving some people who have existing tenancies into residential care.

What we need is a national, needs-led system, independent of local authorities to administer independent living support, free at point of delivery and paid for through taxation. This system should build on the learning from the Independent Living Fund and be a key strategic mechanism for ensuring Disabled people’s rights under the UNCRPD are fully and consistently realised across the country.

3 Assisted Suicide

The other big issue, the scariest issue, the most misunderstood and misreported issue is disabled people’s opposition to the legalisation of Assisted Suicide.

At times it feels to us that we are fighting a pincer movement.

On the one side we have austerity and the narrative that has been spun by successive governments that disabled people have had it too easy for too long, that we are bleeding the county dry and that we are unsustainable and an unacceptable expense (I thought that was the banks, but apparently not). There was the punitive introduction of Workfare, the bedroom tax, cuts to Disabled Students Allowance, cuts disguised as reforms to ESA, DLA which are relentless and ongoing.

On the other side we have repeated attempts to introduce Assisted Suicide legislation. Let us be clear that GMCDP, DPAC, Inclusion London and all the other major UK disabled people’s organisations or disability charities strongly oppose any attempt to introduce any Assisted Suicide legislation. At a time when we are facing massive cuts to services and benefits, we need support to live, not assistance to die.  It is not only disabled people who oppose Assisted Suicide. The British Medical Association and Royal Colleges of Physicians, GPs and Surgeons and The Association for Palliative Medicine are all opposed to changing the law in relation to Assisted Suicide.

Despite this, supporters of Assisted Suicide claim that disabled people’s opposition to Assisted Suicide isn’t relevant as any such legislation would only apply to people who are terminally ill with less than six months to live and that safeguards would be put in place to protect the vulnerable (I think that means people like me). Well our concerns are relevant because we have the evidence from countries like Belgium, Holland and parts of the USA where Assisted Suicide is already lawful. In almost all cases there has been some kind of ‘mission creep’ on the criteria of who is eligible. It’s follows a similar pattern. At first it is limited to those with ‘less than six months to live’, then is extend to those in ‘chronic pain’ and eventually encompasses those found to be experiencing ‘unbearable suffering’. All such criteria is subjective and ultimately divides society into those deemed worthy to live and those deemed not worthy of life. So we vehemently oppose legislation that would give the state the power to end our lives through fear and coercion and then sold to us as ‘choice’.

Conclusion

Imagine the power we could harness if all those, either for or against Assisted Suicide could instead turn their energies to fighting for better palliative care for all. Fight for a better funded NHS and a social care system that enables people to maintain their choice, control and dignity. Not being able to wipe your own bum, or hold a spoon or dress yourself are not reasons to kill people or lock them away in residential care or withdraw their support so they become prisoners in their own homes.

So we are asking the Labour leadership to talk to disabled people’s organisations about Independent Living and about our opposition to Assisted Suicide. Today is a great start but if you want your policies to be the policies that disabled people support, that disabled people endorse and ultimately vote for, then there must be an ongoing dialogue. So here’s our contact details not just GMCDP but our sister organisations, Not Dead Yet UK, the Alliance for Inclusive Education and the other organisations I have already mentioned. Work with us. You provide the tea and coffee and we’ll bring the biscuits.

Thank you.

 Posted by at 13:35

Important UN inquiry into care and support provision – respond by October 21st

 Access to Work, Action, Disability Rights, ILF, News, UNCRPD  3 Responses »
Sep 272016
 

Please submit evidence to this enquiry by October 21st  if you use care and support or Personal Assistants or are a parent of someone who uses these services. It is important that individuals let the rapporteur know what has happened since the closure of the ILF both to new applicants in 2010 and to all in 2015 and due to the cuts to Local Authority funding.

 

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Disability/SRDisabilities/Pages/Provisionofsupporttopersonswithdisabilities.aspx

 

Questionnaire on the “provision of support to persons with disabilities” – Call for submissions

The Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Ms. Catalina Devandas-Aguilar, is currently preparing a study, to be presented at the 34th session of the Human Rights Council in March 2017, on the provision of support to persons with disabilities.

The Special Rapporteur welcomes inputs, in accessible formats (Word), in English, French, Russian or Spanish, from Member States, international and regional organizations, UN agencies, funds and programmes, organizations of and for persons with disabilities, civil society, national human rights institutions and other national independent mechanisms designated or established to monitor the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, disability or equality Ombudspersons, scholars, research institutions and policy think tanks, private sector businesses and networks, community movements, and private individuals, to provide information on the provision of support to persons with disabilities.

Submissions should be sent by e-mail to the address sr.disability@ohchr.org no later than 21 October 2016. Concise responses are encouraged, inclusive of relevant attachments where available.

Kindly indicate if you have any objections with regard to your reply being posted on this website.


Questionnaire on the provision of support to persons with disabilities

 

  1. Please provide information on the following services that are available for persons with disabilities in your country, including data on their coverage, geographic distribution and delivery arrangements, funding and sustainability, challenges and shortcoming in their implementation:
  2. Personal assistance;
  3. In-home, residential and community support;
  4. Support in decision-making, including peer support; and
  5. Communication support, including support for augmentative and alternative communication.

 

  1. Please explain how persons with disabilities can access information about the existing services referred to in question one, including referral procedures, eligibility criteria and application requirements.

 

  1. Please elaborate on how these services respond to the specific needs of persons with disabilities throughout their life cycle (infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and older age) and how is service delivery ensured in the transition periods between life cycle stages.

 

  1. Please provide information on the number of certified sign language interpreters and deafblind interpreters available in your country.

 

  1. Please provide information on the existence of any partnership between State institutions and private service providers (e.g., non-governmental organizations, for-profit service providers) for the provision of support to persons with disabilities.

 

  1. Please describe to what extent and how are persons with disabilities and their representative organizations involved in the design, planning, implementation and evaluation of support services.

 

  1. Please provide any other relevant information and statistics (including surveys, censuses, administrative data, reports, and studies) related to the provision of support to persons with disabilities in your country.

 

 

 Posted by at 20:13

Have you been discriminated against at work?

 Access to Work, Action, All Posts, Disability Rights, News, Politics  1 Response »
Dec 032015
 

DPAC/Public Interest Research Unit study on work-place discrimination: request for information on your experiences.

Do you think that you might have experienced disability discrimination at work?

Did the new £1,250 fee (introduced in July 2013), to take your case to an employment tribunal, put you off making a discrimination claim against the employer?

If so, and you think that you might be prepared to provide more details for DPAC/PIRU’s study, please email rgbharwood@hotmail.com or mail@dpac.uk.net.

Any information you provide will be anonymised, so as to hide your identity.

 Posted by at 19:53

Join the campaign to stop the changes to Access to Work!

 Access to Work, Action, All Posts  No Responses »
Aug 282015
 

Since the publication of the Sayce Report (2011), employment support for Deaf and Disabled people and in particular, Access to Work, has been under attack. The last coalition government and the current Tory government, seem determined to change Access to Work from being one of this countries “best kept secret”, to a scheme that no longer meets need, is discriminatory to those with high support needs and causes misery to Deaf and disabled people’s lives. Our lives. Rather than support us into work, the scheme has become a barrier and has resulted in both job losses and demotion.

 

Iain Duncan Smith recently announced that he wants to “get disabled people back into work”, yet the support that we need is being cut.

 

Just last week yet another person was forced out of work by the changes to the Access to Work programme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxtYrCB7OJc

 

We’ve had enough!

 

Join us on Saturday the 26th September and march for Access to Work. We will be meeting at Old Palace Yard at 12pm and marching to Number 10 Downing Street, where we will deliver our petition. Please help us by signing and sharing this as widely as possible.

 

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-changes-to-access-to-work

 

For more information about the march see: http://stopchanges2atw.com/march-with-us/

 

 Posted by at 18:03

Response to article in Daily Mail “£1million sign language fraudsters guilty of scamming taxpayer to fund luxury holidays including claims to work 21-hours-day”.

 Access to Work, All Posts, DWP, welfare cuts  No Responses »
Jun 092015
 

In an article published on 5th June the Daily Mail reported that two sign language interpreters had defrauded the Department of Work and Pensions

(DWP) via the Access to Work scheme.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3112470/1million-sign-language-fraudsters-guilty-scamming-taxpayer-pay-luxury-holidays-claiming-work-21-hours-day.html

The story misrepresents the hundreds of professionals who provide an essential service and take an average of seven years to train.

The National Union of British Sign Language Interpreters (NUBSLI) have checked the names of the individuals involved and can confirm that neither of the two individuals being charged were members. Whilst we believe Angela Poole may have been registered as a British Sign Language (BSL)/English interpreter, George Taylor was not.

Prior to any allegations of fraud being made, BSL/English Interpreters/translators have been calling for Access to Work to improve their processes and communicate how both professionals and Deaf people could safeguard against fraud. These concerns were raised due to the large numbers of unregulated agencies being used by the DWP.  The DWPs failure to monitor agencies is clear. Whilst NUBSLI remain outraged by the behaviour of the two individuals involved, important questions need to be asked of the DWP.

The #ScrapTheFramework campaign (http://www.nubsli.com/our-work/scrap-the-framework.php) was recently established to oppose the governments bid to establish a national framework for interpreting and translating. The initial drafts of the framework did not provide adequate safeguarding or a requirement for interpreters to be registered. Agencies have the potential to use unqualified people and charge extortionate amounts whilst driving down the fees paid to properly regulated qualified interpreters and translators.

The article in the Daily Mail was a direct attack on both BSL/English interpreters/translators and members of the Deaf community. With the government pushing ahead with caps and changes to the Access to Work scheme that will see Deaf and disabled people struggle to keep their jobs (for more information go to: https://stopchanges2atw.wordpress.com), and the Crown Commercial Services are trying to establish a framework to drive down interpreters fees, the timing of this article is no coincidence.

NUBSLI will be meeting the new Minister in July to explain more about the BSL/English interpreting profession and the importance of only using registered fully qualified or trainee interpreters. They will also take the opportunity to remind government rely on BSL interpreters to fulfil their basic statutory duties to Deaf BSL users.

 

 Posted by at 20:46

AccessToWork: Please read this if you have complained to PHSO or you know someone who has #AtW

 Access to Work, All Posts  No Responses »
May 072015
 

1) If AtW contact you offering to investigate and resolve your complaint, reply to AtW saying that you want PHSO to finish their investigation. 2) If AtW offer to pay back money they owe you, then you can say “yes please, pay back money that is owed”, but that you consider the complaint unresolved until the PHSO have finished their investigation. 3) Send AtW’s email and your reply to the PHSO. If you have any questions, contact DeafATW.comDeafATW has just been told that AtW are contacting people who have complained the the PHSO, and we thought it important we share this information with you quickly.

When you complain to PHSO, they tell AtW what you are complaining about and ask for information about your case.

Some Deaf people have said that after the PHSO contacted AtW, AtW contacted them offering to resolve their complaint by paying money that is owed and saying sorry.

If this happens to you, and you accept AtW’s offer to resolve your complaint,  AtW may tell the PHSO that they should stop their investigation.

AtW may want to stop the PHSO investigating your complaint, because the PHSO will make public thethings that AtW have done wrong, and will tell them what they need to do to put it right.

If the PHSO don’t finish investigating your complaint, AtW might not make changes to stop these problems happening to you, or other people, again.

Of course, it is up to you what you want to do if AtW contact you, but DeafATW’s suggestion is:

1)  If AtW contact you offering to investigate and resolve your complaint, reply to AtW saying that you want PHSO to finish their investigation.

2)  If AtW offer to pay back money they owe you, then you can say “yes please, pay back money that is owed”, but that you consider the complaint unresolved until the PHSO have finished their investigation.

3)  Send AtW’s email and your reply to the PHSO.

If you have any questions, contact DeafATW.com

 Posted by at 12:36

Campaign to reverse the changes to Motability’s eligibility criteria for the Special Vehicles Fund

 Access to Work, Action, All Posts, Benefits, Disability Rights, DLA, Events, Independent Living, Politics  1 Response »
Mar 312015
 

Sign in support of the campaign now! 

Email Henrietta.doyle@inclusionlondon.co.uk with the name of your organisation or as an individual.

Ultimate aim of the campaign

Motability agrees to reverse the changes to eligibility criteria for Motability’s Special Vehicles Fund for Drive-from-Wheelchair/Internal Transfer (DFW/IT) vehicles used by disabled people with complex needs. 

Other aims:

·        Motability agrees to conduct a formal public consultation on the changes, including a face to face meeting with current grant users. Until this consultation is concluded and a consultation response report publicly published the changes should be immediately reversed.

·        Motability agrees to publishes  their equality impact assessment of the changes

·        Motability agrees to publish clear and full information about the changes on their website. 

Why the need for the campaign?

Motability has changed the eligibility criteria for their Special Vehicles Fund (SVF) for Drive-from-Wheelchair/Internal Transfer (DFW/IT) vehicles used by disabled people with complex needs. We believe these changes could destroy the ability to live independently and be included in the community of those affected. 

What are the changes?

From June 2014 ‘a usage test’ was introduced by Motability regarding DFW/IT vehicles.  This test applies to those applying to the SVF first time and current users when renewing their contract (see statement provided by Motability attached). Below is information on how the changes are being implemented in practice.

Current users are telephoned some months in advance of the renewal date of their contract and asked if the vehicle is to support ‘substantive employment, education, volunteer working or to enable the disabled driver to provide vital and sole care to another, for example, a school-age child or children or a disabled loved one who resides with the disabled person.’  About 12 hours a week seems to be considered ‘substantive’. It appears that those that do not fulfil this criterion are no longer eligible for a vehicle.

We are very concerned that disabled people who rely on access to such vehicles will no longer be eligible for grants from the scheme and therefore unable to replace vehicles, which are essential to their independence. These vehicles are often used by disabled people with the highest support needs, who for a range of reasons relating to their impairments, are unable to access public transport because it unavailable or not possible because of pain levels or the need to carry equipment such as hoists or oxygen or a particularly large vehicle as illustrated in the case study below:

Case study

Because of the specialised seating on my wheelchair, it is too large to travel on bus.  Only 3 weeks ago I couldn’t go to hospital Emergency A&E because the ambulances can’t take me!  I was severely dehydrated, they ended up sending a doctor to my home and doing 48-hour IV just because I couldn’t go to hospital.  

There is NO way I am every going to be employed which is depressing enough, I can’t get  voluntary work because I can’t even go and see anyone to consider it (no transport!).  I really am so depressed over these changes. 

These new changes mean I am confined to the distance of my own wheelchair with no access to public transport, and no access to Motability.

The impact

The independence given to disabled people to drive their own vehicle often means they can become involved in their community and do voluntary activities. Without a DFW/IT vehicle many disabled people will be excluded from visits to families and friends and will be unable to take part in any aspects of social, religious, community, wellbeing activities and political life.  In addition these changes will prevent disabled people getting into education, obtaining employment or volunteering unless already involved in these activities and therefore will never fulfil the new criteria for a DFW/IT vehicle.

Motability did not conduct a consultation before implementing these changes and as far as we are aware they did not carry out an Equality Impact Assessment regarding the impact of the change, also there was no public announcement or any information published concerning the changes.   Disabled people only become aware when asked the questions on the telephone. There is still only limited information given by Motability at: http://www.motability.co.uk/understanding-the-scheme/financial-help/eligibility-for-financial-help

Motability administers government funds, yet they seem to be ignoring the Equality act and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities, which states the duty to facilitate:

·        ‘the personal mobility of persons with disabilities in the manner and at the time of their choice’

·        access to ‘quality mobility aids’

·        disabled people’s right to ‘full inclusion and participation in the community’.   

Disabled people’s organisations are acting together with other voluntary sector organisations to ask Motability to reverses the changes to the eligibility criteria for the SVF for DFW/IT vehicles.

What can you do?

·        Sign in support of the campaign by emailing Henrietta.doyle@inclusionlondon.co.uk

·        Sign the petition at: https://www.change.org/p/stop-unfair-and-secret-changes-to-motability-grants#petition-letter   2,500 people  signed in the first 3 weeks!

·        Promote petition, email, Facebook, Twitter etc.

·        Send letter of protest and case examples to Motability.

·        Survey members on their experiences of Motability reviews

·        Contact your local MP, and relevant Ministers

Join the coalition of disabled people’s organisations and voluntary sector organisations supporting the aims of the campaign above, to do this please email Henrietta.doyle@inclusionlondon.co.uk with the name of your organisation. 

Please forward this email to your contacts. 

Many thanks,

Henrietta

Henrietta Doyle

Policy Officer

Mobile: 07703 715091

Direct line (Wednesday’s only) 020 7036 6033

Office Tel: 020 7237 3181, SMS: 0771 839 4687

www: http://www.inclusionlondon.co.uk/

 Posted by at 19:07

Open letter calling for National Framework for interpreting and translation to be scrapped

 Access to Work, Action, All Posts, welfare cuts  No Responses »
Mar 042015
 

Dear Francis Maude MP,

The new national framework for interpreting and translation will affect interpreters (spoken language, Deafblind and British Sign Language), translators (foreign language, British Sign Language, Deaf translators) speech-to-text reporters, lip speakers, and note takers.

 

In the interpreting community we have already experienced privatisation in the courts with the Ministry of Justice framework being run by Capita. Despite this being a failure and criticised heavily in an independent review, Crown Commercial Services look set on widening privatisation of interpreting to cover every publicly funded service in the UK. The intended outcomes of the framework agreement – both to save money and ensure quality provision – cannot possibly be achieved.

 

Following on from the disastrous consequences of changes made to Access to Work, the employment support programme for Deaf and disabled people, as well as issues of unqualified people being used as interpreters, the BSL interpreting profession is in a state of decline. Almost half of all NRCPD registered interpreters responded to a survey by he National Union of British Sign Language Interpreters (NUBSLI) recently. The results showed that 48% of respondents are thinking about leaving the profession. A considerably depleted workforce would, as in any market, drive fees upwards.

 

To de-professionalise the industry would have detrimental effect on the Deaf community and set access levels back to those last seen twenty plus years ago. The consequences of a framework which covers areas such as health, mental health, social services including child protection and other safeguarding areas could be catastrophic. Without qualified interpreters, clinicians and other professionals cannot complete their work safely. The risks to the Deaf community are unimaginable. We could, without exaggeration, be talking about loss of life and liberty.

 

We therefore request that this work ceases and alternative solutions a sought with the full consultation of the experts in this sector: the Deaf community and BSL interpreters.

 

Signed by:

 

Len McCluskey – General Secretary, Unite the Union

Teresa Pearce MP
Jennifer Smith – Chair, National Union of British Sign Language Interpreters (NUBSLI)

Linda Burnip – Co-Founder, Disabled People Against Cuts

Dr Terry Riley OBE – Chair, British Deaf Association (BDA)

Jenny Sealey MBE – CEO/Artistic Director Graeae Theatre Company

Nicky Evans – Stop Changes To Access To Work Campaign

Geraldine O’Halloran – Inclusion London

John McDonnell MP

Ronnie Draper – General Secretary, Bakers’ Food and Allied Workers Union

Grahame Morris MP

Michael Meacher MP

Sir Gerald Kaufman MP

Rosie Cooper MP

Richard Wilson OBE – Graeae Patron

Dame Harriet Walter DBE – Actor/Graeae Patron

Ian Hodson – National President, Bakers’, Food and Allied Workers Union

Jane Aitchison – Joint National Secretary, Unite the Resistance

Mandy Brown – UCU NEC, Branch Secretary Lambeth College

Helen Davies – Branch Chair Barnet UNISON and Social Worker

Sean Vernell – UCU

Roger Lewis – Lambeth Unison Equalities Officer (PC)

Tim O’Dell –  UNISON
Mark Dunk – Unite the Resistance

Lesley Weatherson – Association of Lipspeakers

Vikki Bridson-Vice – Steering Committee, Visual Language Professionals

Alison Bryan – Chair, Deaf Access Cymru

Georgina Sullivan  – Association of Notetaking Professionals

Julia Jacobie – AVSTTR

Eileen R. Ford and Amelia Naranjo – National Union of Professional Interpreters and Translators (NUPIT)

Debbie Jolly – Co-Founder, Disabled People Against Cuts

Paula Peters – Chair, Bromley Disabled People against Cuts

Ellen Clifford – Lewisham Disabled People Against Cuts

Bob Ellard – National Steering Committee, Disabled People Against Cuts

Roger Lewis, National Steering Committee, Disabled People Against Cuts

Anita Bellows – National Steering committee, Disabled People Against Cuts

Peter Llewellyn-Jones            Programme Director, postgraduate programmes in Interpreting and Translation Studies

Wes Mehaffy                          BSL/English Interpreter
Martin Fox-Roberts                 BSL/English Interpreter
Jennifer Smith                        BSL/English Interpreter
Mariella Reina                         BSL/English Interpreter
Susan Billam
Gary Northfield
Clare Vinton                            BSL/English Interpreter
Roma Parrick                         BSL/English Interpreter
Maria Munro                           BSL/English Interpreter
Adele Ward                             BSL/English Interpreter
Bridget Bree                            BSL/English Interpreter
Philip Bird
Rachel O’Neill                         Lecturer
Gloria Ogborn                         BSL/English Interpreter
Donna West                            Trainee BSL/English Interpreter
Ali Hetherington                      BSL/English Interpreter
Paula Fye                                BSL and Deafblind Manual Interpreter
Adama Fye
Jenny North
Mike North                             Deafblind Manual Interpreter
Ron Langridge
Cathy Davey                           Clinical Supervisor MBACP SEN Accredited
Alison Gilchrist                        BSL/English Interpreter
Jennifer Dodds                       BSL/English Interpreter (Deaf)
Gráinne Sheehan                    BSL/English Interpreter and Deafblind Manual Interpreter
James Banks                          BSL/English Interpreter
Van Holtom                             BSL/English Interpreter
Simon Bristoll                          BSL/English Interpreter
Nicky Glegg
Louise Bodycombe                 BSL/English Interpreter
Ivan Osborne                          BSL/English Interpreter
Veronica Nanson                    BSL/English Interpreter
Claire Dodds                           BSL/English interpreter
Elizabeth Mercer                     BSL/English Interpreter
Diana Coada                           Court interpreter (DPSI)
Louise Gough                          Translator (MITI)
Dr Zuzana Windle                   Legal interpreter
Hannah Watson                      BSL/English Interpreter
Dr Dimitra Kalantzi                  Translator (AITI)
Philippe Muriel (MCIL)            French Interpreter (DPSI) & Translator (Dip Trans) – Interpreter Trainer
Christopher Windle
Sarah Powell                           Clinical Psychologist
Elvire Roberts                         BSL/English Interpreter
Sue Leschen                           Legal and commercial French Interpreter
Ségolène Neilson                    Legal (DPSI), medical and business interpreter and translator
Rami  Kohli                             Legal (DPSI) Interpreter
Parvin Lackschewitz-Martin   Legal interpreter NRPSI (BA Honours in languages)
Mihaela Patrascu                    Legal interpreter DPSI DPI RPSI MCIL
Emma Lipton                          Trainee BSL/English Interpreter
Laura Orsini                            Interpreter (NRPSI) and translator
Irina Norton                             Conference and Public Service Interpreter/translator
Sarah Martin                           Trainee interpreter
Eileen Ford
Yasemin Kafali                        Legal interpreter (NRPSI)
Mark West                              BSL/English Interpreter
Rebecca Hinks                       BSL/English interpreter
Forrai Éva                               Legal Interpreter, Hungarian, NRPSI, Met Police
Dione Deans                           BSL/English Interpreter

Sami Thorpe                           Trainee BSL/English Interpreter

Manzoor Ahmed Khan            Legal interpreter

Rita Layden                             BSL/English Interpreter

Daniel Alun Roberts                BSL/English Interpreter

Celia Hulme                            Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate

Benjamin Silifant

Gillian Laird

Hazel Flynn                             Clinical Management Lead – Snr Accred BACP

Bibi Lacey-Davidson               BSL/English Interpreter

Tom Mould                              BSL/English Interpreter

Kate Outhwaite                       BSL/English Interpreter

Barbara Coll

Bryony Coombe                     Medical Underwriter

Cathryn McShane                  BSL/English Interpreter

Tawatchai Brome Brito           Interpreter Coordinator

David Phippard                       BSL/English Interpreter

Colette Phippard                     BSL/English Interpreter

Craig Brown                            BSL/Auslan/English Interpreter

Heidi K. Robertson                  Creative Freelancer

Anne-Françoise Boreland       French Interpreter (DPSI) and Translator

Ann Devaney                          BSL/English Interpreter

Emma De Casse                    Trainee BSL/English Interpreter

Jackie Dennis                                     BSL/English Interpreter

Anthony Evans                       BSL/English Interpreter

Caroline Ridley                       Community Occupational Therapist working in Deafness/Mental Health

Mimi McQuaid                        Legal Interpreter (NRPSI)

Philip Wyatt                             Psychologist Therapist

Karen Parker                                      Teacher/Trainer Freelancer

Liz Wyatt                                 BSL/English Interpreter

Freya Hill                                 Communications Assistant
Yvonne MacAnara                  BSL/English Interpreter

Jenny Guppy                          Teacher of the Deaf

Julia Lord CPsychol                Chartered Counselling Psychologist

Julie Whitaker                         Speech-to-Text Reporter

Rob Troy                                 BSL/English Interpreter

Sahara DeVille                        Counsellor

Mary Altabev                          Interpreter/Translator NRPSI

Mark Oulton

Stephen Menton                     BSL/English Interpreter

Beverley Haslam                    BSL/English Interpreter

Stephen Hudson                     BSL/English Interpreter

Josie Fray                               Trainee BSL / English Interpreter, Social Worker

Caroline Corrigan                    BSL/English Interpreter

Parminder Kaur                      Legal interpreter NRPSI

Agata McCrindle                     Legal Interpreter NRPSI MITI MCIL APCI

John Donald                            Senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner

Amanda Bavin                        STT Reporter

Cristina Santos                        RPSI 13999

Norah Griffiths                        Trainee BSL/English Interpreter

Eszter Fejes                            RPSI 15008

Mary Brumby                          BSL/English Interpreter

Rachael Veazey                     BSL/English Interpreter

Valerie Hall                              Registered BSL/English Interpreter

Karla Hannigan                       BSL/English Interpreter

Vikki Bridson-Vice                  BSL/English Interpreter

Carol Spencer                         BSL/English Interpreter

Sarah Spencer

Emma Phillips                         BSL/English Interpreter

Jason Sharpe

Nicola Williams                       BSL/English Interpreter

Norman Thompson                 Retired

Laura Davies                           BSL/English Interpreter

Lynn Shannon                         Service Manager

Dr Nadia Hussein                    Arabic Language Legal Interpreter

Annie Brotherton                     BSL/English Interpreter

Thomas Giddens                    Freelancer

Kate Adams                            Trainee Sign Language Interpreter

Diana Hubbard                        Legal Interpreter (NRPSI)

Omoyele Thomas                   Registered BSL/English Interpreter

Paul Bargery                           BSL/English Interpreter

Vicky Pannell                          BSL/English Interpreter

Deborah Haly

Louise Tingay                          BSL/English Interpreter

Catherine Hare-Cockburn      Deaf employee

Ian Cockburn                          Deaf BSL user

Tracey Hurrell                         BSL/English Interpreter

Jude Mahon                            BSL/English interpreter

Lucy Slater                              BSL/English Interpreter

Lee Douthwaite

Jayne Cooke                          BSL/English Interpreter

Barry Davey

Jason Bell                               BSL/English Interpreter

Isobel Higgins                          BSL/English Interpreter

Tracey M Robinson                Registered Manager

Philip Cowood                         Legal interpreter

Elizabeth Smith                       BSL/English Interpreter

Alison Green                           BSL/English Interpreter

Anne Richardson                    BSL/ English Interpreter

Rosanna Harrison                   BSL/English Interpreter

Tina Holmes                            BSL/English Interpreter

Rose Nest                               BSL/English interpreter

Heidi Watson                           BSL/English Interpreter

Jo Haywood                            Communications Manager

Tracey Strathdee                    BSL/English Interpreter

Edward Richards                    Deaf person and Managing Director CED

Natalya Dell                            Deaf person and Disabled Students’ Adviser

Naomi Bottrill

Rezene Woldeyesus

Andrea Spoczynski                 BSL/English Interpreter

Debra Robins                          BSL/English Interpreter

Susan Prosser                        Trainee BSL/English Interpreter

Averil Dobson                                     BSL/English Interpreter

Kerry Bromley

Jean Smith                              Deaf BSL User

Robert Smith                           Deaf BSL User

Darren Smith

Beatrice Goutfer, MA             Legal translator and interpreter

Eva Gil                                    English Translator

Judith Hillary                           Trainee Sign Language Interpreter

Holly Davies                            Freelance Translator and Interpreter (ES-EN)

Kate Boddy                             BSL / English Interpreter

Linda Day                                BSL/ASL Interpreter

Emily Davenport

Kerry Lover                             BSL/English Interpreter

Yve Coffey                             BSL/English Interpreter

Clare Nelder                            Deaf Teacher of the Deaf

Klasiena Slaney                      Legal Interpreter (NRPSI)

Tracey Cade                           BSL/English Interpreter

Rebekah Reynolds                 HR & Payroll Coordinator

Michelle Barnes                      BSL/English Interpreter

Melanie Pendrick-Wright        BSL/English Interpreter

Zakir Hossain                          Bengali & Sylheti interpreter

Ahmad Abed                           Interpreter

Nicole Gelister                        French Legal Interpreter NR 11393

Alena Linhartova                     Czech/Slovak/English Interpreter

Daniel Pageon                        Fellow of the ITI and CIoL

Callie Tremlett                         BSL Interpreter

Jasmine Killen                         Interpreter

Cath Whitehead                      Director Co.Sign Partners in Communication Ltd

Lucy Cotton                            BSL/English interpreter

Nobuko Primarolo

Carol Kyle                               BSL/English Interpreter

Aisha Maniar                           Freelance Translator

Kay McCrea                           BSL/English Interpreter

Aurora Matilde                        Humarán / Legal Translator

Jurate Clarke                          Lithuanian/English interpreter

Vera Tymchyshyn                  Teacher/Interpreter

Ray Williams                           BSL/English Interpreter

Jana Kohl                                German Legal Translator and Interpreter

Linda Staines                          BSL/English Interpreter

Philippa Merricks                    Deafway Animateur

Emma McGowan                   Deaf person

Peter Mackriell                        Counsellor working with Deaf people

Linda Duncan                          BSL/English Interpreter

Danny Stubbs

Shwan Hawrami                     NRPSI

Kathryn Sykes                        Speech to Text Reporter

Paula Cox                               BSL/English Interpreter

Samantha Kenward                Communications Researcher

Ligia Xavier                             Legal Interpreter

Liz Macartney                         BSL/English Interpreter

Jana Sefcikova                       Czech & Slovak Interpreter

Chris Bojas                              Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner

Sally Reynolds

Elizabeth Bojas

Peter Horvath Slovak             Czech to English Interpreter

Alison Miller

Oliver Westbury                      Deaf, Web Developer

Hamid Alemi                           English Interpreter

Quoc Lu                                  Deaf worker

Minna Saari

Hamid Alemi                           English Interpreter

Andrew Jordan                       BSL User

Redmond Kaye

Siobhan Hutton                       BSL/English Interpreter

MartIn Glover                          Architect

Andrew Hesselwood               BSL/English Interpreter

Jean Pateras                           Spanish interpreter

Lisa Godden                            BSL/English Interpreter

Nikki Champagnie-Harris       BSL/English Interpreter

Sarah Lucas                            BSL/English Interpreter

Jody Weaver                          BSL interpreter

Elizabeth Thomas                   BSL/English Interpreter

Colin Ayres                             BSL and Deaf Awareness Tutor

Michael Wells                          French/English Interpreter

Mohammed Akbar Khan        Interpreter

Linda Ofori

Michaela Gomolova               Czech Interpreter

Claude Salam                         French legal interpreter translator

Wendy Callaghan                   Counsellor

Monia D’Agostino                    Trainee Sign Language Interpreter

Ben LeGrys                             Registered BSL/English Interpreter

Brigitte Berkaine

Tessa Longbottom                  Communication Support Worker

Stuart Wilson                           BSL/Highways Engineer

Debbie John                            BSL/English Interpreter

Mark Hetherington                  BSL/English Interpreter

Doris Moreton                         BSL/Interpreter

Jenny Moreton                        Grandparents Deaf

Tina Davies

Rianne Eimers                        Manager Healthwatch Kingston upon Thames

Therese Lane

Robert Foulkes                       BSL/English

Caroline Alexander

Katrina Foulkes

George McGowan                  BSL Tutor

Julie Lenton                             BSL/English Interpreter

Christine Rowlands                 Spanish interpreter

Brett Best                                BSL/English Interpreter

Yvonne Carolan                      Psychological Therapist

  1. Karamyar                       Public service interpreter

Robert Gould

Kate Menzies

Asher Woodman-Worrell

Marie Dimond                         BSL/English Interpreter

William Towning                      Communications Manager, Leeds Society for Deaf and Blind People

Craig Bartlett

Ian Macdonald                        Legal interpreter MA FCIL NRPSI

Katalin Galuska                       Hungarian interpreter

Alison Barker-Mears

Samantha Riddle                    BSL/English Interpreter

Vicki Wan Slattery                  BSL/English Interpreter

Carl Slattery

Rosa Slater

Jordan Smith

Sophie Bailey                          French interpreter

Natalie Day

Michael Rudd                          BSL/English Interpreter

Maureen Hetherington            Human Rights

Dayna Winer

Emma Llewellyn                     BSL/ English Interpreter

Jo Cumberlidge                      BSL/English interpreter

Debbie Snodgrass                  BSL/English Interpreter

Elizabeth Oliver                       BSL/English Interpreter

Marie Vickers

Pamela Byles                          BSL/English Interpreter

Tina Little                                 BSL/English Interpreter

Sue Goman                            BSL/English Interpreter

Angela Walker                        BSL/English Interpreter

C M Roughley                         BSL/English Interpreter

Edith Garraway                       Interpreter

Leah Jewiss                            BSL/English Interpreter

Linda Slater                             BSL/English Interpreter

Jane Allighan                          BSL/English Interpreter

Lorraine Elliott                         BSL/English Interpreter and A1 assessor

Joseph Taylor                         BSL/English Interpreter

Kevin Smith                            BSL Interpreter

Karl Appleton                          College Lecturer

Judith Renshaw                      BSL/English Interpreter

Abigail Phillis                           Teacher

Elaine Wooding                       Deaf employee

Scott Wooding                        Deaf employee

Thomas Wooding                    Deaf employee

Paul Wooding                          Deaf person

Zoe Bevans                             BSL/English Interpreter

Clare Cotton                            BSL/English Interpreter

Nadine Taylor                         BSL/English Interpreter

Selina Rehman                       Deaf BSL User

Clare Chilton

Louise McDermott                  SignHealth Coordinator

Lizzie Wharton                        BSL Interpreter Lipspeaker

Jane Allighan                          BSL/English Interpreter

Anne Rudkin                           BSL/English Interpreter

Linzi Weatherson                    Lipspeaker

Rachel Tipping                        BSL/English Interpreter

Paul Doddridge                       Principal

Diana A Barimore                   Lipspeaker

Alexandra Calce                     BSL/ English interpreter

Paul Arnold                             Registered BSL interpreter

Timothy Hanley                      Deaf Graphic Designer

Elizabeth Oliver                       BSL/English Interpreter

Caroline Ryan                         BSL/English Interpreter

Emma Ferguson-Coleman     Alzheimer’s Society Doctoral Research Fellow

Paul Ntulila                              Administrator and Trainee Trainer

Lina Kankeviciute                   Interpreter Services Coordinator

Bogumila Kolbus LLB             RPSI Polish Interpreter

Victoria Kolbus                        Polish interpreter

Elizabeth Watson

Clare Cotton                            BSL/English Interpreter

Julie Hornsby                          BSL interpreter

Karen Houlihan                       BSL/English Interpreter

Neziha Kaya                           NRPSI

Theresa McWhirter                 BSL/English Interpreter

Karen Whitehouse                  BSL/English interpreter

Daryl Jackson                         Relay Interpreter/Translator

Melanie Barr                           Support worker for the Deafblind

Alan Craggs

Paul O’Donoghue                   Deaf Person

Margaret Gray                        BSL / English interpreter

Richard Harrington

Lauren Harris                          BSL student (Level 6)

Debora Chobanian                  Portuguese Interpreter

Kate Collier                             BSL/English Interpreter

Louise Polo                             BSL Student

Elzbieta Okurowska                RPSI Polish Interpreter

Helen Coleman                       University Lecturer

Rob Bethel                              Reception Extraordinaire

Robert Arthur                          NHS

John Clawson                         NHS

Andrei Yellisiev                       Healthcare

Sarah Keeley                          Nurse

J Barnes-Jones                       BSL Teacher

Ian Bradley

Carol Dalchow                        BSL/English Interpreter

Jo Cumberlidge                      BSL/English interpreter

Paula Peters                           Disabled People Against Cuts

Judith Thompson                    BSL/English Interpreter

Tracey Tyer                            BSL/English Interpreter

Ian Bradley

Daryl McMullan                      Trainee BSL/English interpreter

Sophie Bailey                          Legal interpreter

Kevin Walsh

Geraldine O’Halloran

Philip Ardagh                           Children’s author

Richard Burke                         Civil Engineer

Kristiaan Dekesel                    Principal Lecturer Interpreting (BSL/English)

Yvonne Barrett                        Art Therapist

Wayne Goertzen                     Level 6 BSL CSW

Alan.L.Hale                             BSL Teacher

Michelle Teasdale                   BSL Coordinator

Dr Annabella Dyer                  Clinical Psychologist

Layne Whittaker

David Whittaker

Sean McCafferty                    Business Development Manager

Paul Hollingdrake                    Trainee Sign Language Interpreter

Kath Keogan                           BSL/English Interpreter

Linda McCanna                      Communication support worker

Helen Jackson                        BSL/English Interpreter
Linda English
l Westley BSL
Evelyn Davenport                   BSL/English Interpreter
Mike Reed Trainee                 BSL/English Interpreter
John McDonnell MP
Joanna Wanmer                     Community Involvement Officer working with Sensory Impaired People
Samir Dawlatly GP
Hester MacAnara                   Director of Business Development
Wan Yeung
Jason Vessey                         Deaf BSL User
Ann Cashmore
Dean Granger
Lauren Kelly
Milly Kan                                 Tax Consultant
Erica Tyler-Chamberlain        Teacher
Karen Reissmann
Karyn Yeomans                      Asda Manager
Gloria Ogborn
John Ogborn
Kevin Ogborn

Grahame Morris MP
Maria Beswick
Debra Keyser
Jayne Skidmore                     Teacher
Antonia Ryan                          Trade Unionist

Elizabeth Hansford                 BSL/English Interpreter
Dr David Morrison                  Editor
W Leung Msc                          Occupational Health and Safety
Marie Simpson
Rachael Hayes                       Deaf Service Consultant
Darren Smith

Kay Davies
Zoe Davies
Mark Davies
Michael Hughes

Miranda Ross

Jane Rycroft                           BSL Interpreter

Ian Smith
Susan Davison
Alan Davison                           BSL Lecturer
Alexandra Sanderson

Helen Dunipace BA PG Dip

David Clifford                          BSL/English Interpreter
Tracey Pycroft                        BSL/English Interpreter
Amanda Kirk                           Communication Support Worker

Sue Herring                             BSL/English Interpreter

Rosemary Pell                        BSL/English Interpreter

Lisa Brailsford                         BSL/ENGLISH interpreter

Linda Doddridge                     Retired Deaf training manager

Ian Gouldstone

Karen Williams                        Company Director

Anna Baker                             BSL/English Interpreter

Barbara Smith
John Dunipace                        BSL/English Interpreter
Alice Elliott                              Eye Clinic Liaison Officer
Maureen Saville                      Registered Qualified BSL/English Interpreter
Rekha NARULA                     Interpreter & Translator
Adrian Jegeni                          NRPSI Albanian Interpreter
Aqil Minhas                             APCI/Urdu Interpreter
Maria Bartosova
Ian McGarr
V.G. Hine                                Russian interpreter
Renata Littlehales                   Pol-Eng Interpreter
Gunita King                             Latvian interpreter
John Newton                           Czech-English interpreter

Patrick Schunemann              NRPSI Interpreter
Michael Holland                      Primary school teacher
Yvonne Freiherr-Fenton         BSL/English Interpreter
Richard McEwan                    UCU FE Vice Chair/ Teacher
Stanley Beecham                   Legal Interpreter

Jonathan Slack
Nicola Rothwell                       Trainee Interpreter
M Miah                                    Lecturer

Angela Heffernan                   ESOL teacher
Tony Barlow                            BSL/English Employment Advisor

Billie Loebner                          Teacher/UCU member
Kamal Omer                           Arabic/English Interpreter/Translator
Joy Tucker                              BSL communication support
Mairead McKenna
Ian Crosson                             Lecturer

Susan Bloomfield                    Deaf BSL user
Sara Tomlinson
Ruth Peaker                            BSL/English Interpreter
Mike Christie                           Director

Katrina Mayfield                      Interpreter

Maria Parker                           BSL/English Interpreter

Meera Modi
Jai Jobanputra

Iain Case                                 BSL/English Interpreter

Louise Culver                          BSL/English Interpreter

Rachel Evans                         Student Interpreter

Jaishree Gohil                         RPSI/Gujarati Interpreter
María López García                Certified Translator, AITI
Charlene Spires
Mary Bennion                         Electronic notetaker for Deaf/disabled people

Mirela Watson                         Freelance Conference and PSI Interpreter
Liz Stott                                   Speech and Language Therapist
Moira Hall                                Administrator

Janice Connolly                      Deaf health champions volunteer coordinator

Steven Delaney-Cain             BSL/English Interpreter

Kathleen Hoare

Sarah Hannett                         BSL user/ advocate
Sam                                        Taxi Driver
Ann McKenna                         Tutor BSL
Edward Melvin                        CAD
Lisa Kelly                                 Notetaker
Samantha Allen                      BSL Project Worker

Liviu Coroianu DPI                  DPSI Criminal Justice Language Practitioner

Karen Lawson                         BSL/English Interpreter

Anne Coghlan                         Support worker with deaf/blind people

Joan Minett
Naomi Sanders                       Community Service team manager from Merseyside Society for Deaf People

Ian Maguire
Jonathon Jay                         Financial Paraplanner (son of deaf mother)
Nicola Fitzpatrick                    Trainee BSL/English interpreter
Abi Delaney

Michae Sadowski                   BSL user and BSL tutor

Haydon Littlewood                  Firefighter

Denise Griffiths
Amy Hyland                            Engagement worker
Danielle Russell                      Psychological Therapist
Sophie Gee                             Nurse
Christopher Russell                 Support Worker
Peter Martin                            Project Manager
Rebecca Griffiths
Kirsty Delaney-Cain
Jenna Johnson
Amie Johnson                         Outreach Worker
Kenneth Delaney                    Shop Manager Retired
Daniela Richards
Samantha scarr
Ruth Turner                             Advocate for Deaf people
Jamie little                               Support worker
Jocelyn Wilson
Sarah Guinness
Kevin Guinness
Rhiannon Quayle
Jessica Latham
Melanie Leece
Helen Delaney                        Mother of deaf daughter
Terry Delaney
Miss Dawn Dignam                Community services team manager for deaf/Deafblind
Joanna Endersby                    CSW
Joanne Burns                          BSL/English Interpreter
Lindsey Ryman

Margaret Williams                   Retired
Ann Potterton                          Management Consultant
Jacqueline Scott
Liam Poland
Susan Johnson
Chris Pang
Connie McCalla
Matthew McCalla
Inese Vimere                           Latvian Interpreter
Solah Bowden
Mike Delaney
Gemma Brodrick
Lindsey Tarry
Ann Ewart
Lynne O’Brien
Patricia O’Brien
Patrick O’Brien
siobhan keeble
Leonie grey

Patricia Clarke                        Support worker

Nick Beese                             Senior User Experience Designer
Lilli Beese                                Deaf Interpreter and Student Penny Clark

Samantha Clare
Heather Andrews
Lyn Ealey                                Community Support Worker/Deaf Employee
Gertrude Robinson                 Community Support Worker/Deaf Employee
Chris Curran                           BSL Interpreter

Sally Clelland                          BSL

Vikki Heywood CBE
Dayna Winer
Amelia Naranjo                       Interpreter/Translator (NRPSI)
Dionne Thomas                      BSL/English Interpreter
Caroline Barnes                      BSL/English interpreter
Sally Gillespie                         BSL/English interpreter
Frances Lewin                        BSL/English interpreter
Audrey Simmons                    Sign language interpreter
Steven Barrell
Meg Minion                             Trainee BSL/English Interpreter
Gail Carter                              Advisor
David Bradshaw                     BSL interpreter
Leo John
Dominic John
Penny Celiz
Julie Doyle                              BSL/English interpreter RSLI
Jenny Pestell                          Freelance BSL/Eng interpreter
Lynne Bateman                      Registered Sign Language Interpreter
Joanna McCaul

 Posted by at 19:56

DWP forced to publish Access to Work Guidance #StopChanges2ATW

 Access to Work, DWP, legal challenges  No Responses »
Jan 242015
 

From the Leigh Day Website

The Department of Work and Pensions has agreed to publish their guidance on the Access to Work Scheme (AtW) after receiving a letter before claim from the law firm Leigh Day. The DWP have also confirmed that revised guidance is being produced and published, which they hope to commence by 30 March 2015.Lawyers acting on behalf of the campaign group ‘Stop Changes to Access to Work’, highlighted in a letter before claim that the DWP had acted unlawfully in having no officially published guidance for the scheme, thus meaning that potential claimants did not know the criteria for eligibility or the rules that would be applied to their claims, claimants were also unaware when changes were made to the guidance and the nature of those changes.

The Access to Work Scheme is delivered by the DWP through Jobcentre Plus and is designed to help people with disabilities to overcome work related obstacles. This includes the provision of grants that fund practical support for people with a disability to start working, to stay in work, to start a business, or to become self-employed.

Within their letter before claim Leigh Day also addressed issues relating to the ‘30 hour rule’, which they described as an example of the ‘apparently inconsistent, unlawful and opaque’ way the AtW scheme has been applied by the DWP.

In June 2011, the guidance of AtW was changed so that those receiving over 30 hours of assistance from a support worker could only claim for this on the basis of an annual salary of up to £30,000, rather than for an hourly rate of an agency worker.

The ’30 hour rule’ was suspended in May 2014 as the AtW underwent review over a three month period.

As there was previously no published guidance any updates made to the 30-hour rule were unknown, leaving the public unaware of the current and future status of the ruling.

Lawyers at Leigh Day requested in their letter that the DWP revisited the AtW grants of all those affected by the ’30 hour rule’ and reinstated the funding that they were entitled to prior to its implementation.

However, the DWP responded by saying that they felt it was not appropriate to review every case which was subject to the 30 hour rule.

Ugo Hayter, a solicitor in the Human Rights department at Leigh Day who is representing the ‘Stop Changes to Access to Work’ group, said: “We welcome the Department of Work and Pension’s decision to publish their current guidance as well as their revised guidance in March 2015.

“Their previous failure to publish this vital  information meant that public access to this was denied, which we believe was unlawful.

“We now urge for the issues raised in relation to the ‘30 hour rule’ to be re-considered as many people had their support by the Access to Work scheme arbitrarily cut or suspended through this rule, which put their employment and businesses at risk. We believe that this requires a full investigation and for action to be taken to reverse any outstanding cases where the 30 hour rule is still being applied.”

Ellen Clifford, on behalf of Stop Changes to Access to Work, said: “We are pleased by this victory and welcome the DWP announcing that they will publish guidance. This is a first step in the right direction in solving the numerous issues with the Access to Work scheme.

“However, the weaknesses in DWP’s administration of the programme are still prevalent, this is putting AtW users’ employment and their businesses at serious risk.

“We hope that the DWP will consult and communicate with AtW users;  make consistent and lawful decisions and take urgent steps to reinstate the funding to which users were entitled prior to the imposition of the 30-rule.”

 Posted by at 22:08

Work and Pensions report slams government’s mismanagement of ATW

 Access to Work, Action, All Posts  No Responses »
Dec 192014
 

#StopChanges2ATW welcome the findings of the Work and Pensions select committee inquiry into Access To Work (ATW) published today.

The 31 recommendations reflect the considerable difficulties Deaf and disabled people have experienced with the scheme since changes were introduced by the Department of Work and Pensions over the past year to what was previously a very effective programme of disability related employment support.

The report says ATW “has the potential to be an extremely effective model, helping to address the substantial gap between the employment rate for disabled people and that of the rest of the population. Where it works well, it transforms the lives of disabled people, many of whom would be unable to work without it.”

Over recent months ATW customers have been driven to crisis through the combination of a disastrous restructure, which they were never consulted over, and the introduction of targets to increase numbers using the scheme without significantly increasing its budget.

As a result an overwhelming number of Deaf and disabled people have been pushed to despair fearing for their futures, with many out of pocket or owing thousands of pounds that they simply don’t have.

#StopChanges2ATW, named this week on Limping Chicken by respected blogger Jen Dodds as campaign of the year, was set up to draw attention to the scale of what was happening. Working with DeafATW and the National Union of British Sign Language Interpreters (NUBSLI) we sought justice for Deaf and disabled people adversely impacted and a reversal of all negative changes.

Although the Work and Pensions inquiry into ATW was originally intended to focus on mental health and learning difficulties, we were delighted that the Select Committee listened to our calls to widen its scope and ensure the inquiry process was made accessible for Deaf BSL users.

We now welcome the findings of the inquiry which support the key concerns from our campaign. The report highlights the DWP’s failure to provide “a satisfactory explanation of how the money saved from the closure or sale of Remploy factories has been used”. It finds that as a result of trying to increase the ATW caseload within an only marginally increased budget, that the DWP is “bearing down on the awards of current service users who happen to require relatively high cost support, to the detriment of meeting their needs effectively.” The report also criticises the “remarkably little published information on Access to Work”, commenting that much of the information needed for the inquirt has had to be pieced together from DWP’s answers to Parliamentary Questions and Freedom of Information requests.

The Committee makes a number of specific recommendations to improve the ATW programme. These include that the DWP be clearer about how its makes decisions, makes its processes more accessible introducing a Video Relay System to allow Deaf BSL users to make contact and improves its disability awareness training for staff.

Dame Anne Begg MP, Chair of the Committee, has called for the DWP to urgently address the impact of the “30 hour rule” and to make a strong case to the HM Treasury for substantial additional funding.

The report also acknowledges NUBSLI, which was set up only this year in response to the  attacks on BSL interpreters’ pay and condition affected through the changes to Access to Work, recommending “that DWP consult the BSL interpreting professions through the Association of Sign Language Interpreters and the National Union of British Sign Language Interpreters.”

#StopChanges2ATW co-founder Geraldine O’Halloran said “The report is promising and is a good result for our campaign. We are delighted the Committee understood the impact of the 30 hour rule and cuts to resources for Deaf BSL users as well as the need for properly qualified and skilled interpreters. ”

Tracey Lazard, CEO of Inclusion London, said: “#StopChanges2ATW and all the campaigners working together to oppose the damaging impact of the changes to Access to Work should be congratulated on getting the Work and Pensions Committee to listen to their concerns. The recommendations from the inquiry strongly reflect the measures that Deaf and disabled people have been calling for.”

One disappointment is that the Committee’s recommendation on employment support for people with mental health support needs does not go far enough. The report acknowledges that whereas “People with physical and sensory impairments have an element of choice in how their Access to Work support is provided; there is currently a lack of choice in Access to Work mental health support”. The recommendation is given that “DWP develop a range of mental health provision” but does not explicitly state that customers with mental health support needs should have a parity of choice with other customers, enabling individuals to identify the support we need to achieve our employment outcomes instead of being restricted to choosing from a pre-designated, albeit longer, menu of set support options.

It also remains to be seen how far if at all the Department for Work and Pensions will follow the report’s recommendations. The key recommendation of the Work and Pensions report on Employment and Support Allowance and the Work Capability Assessment, that “a fundamental redesign of the ESA end-to-end process” was needed, was ignored in the government’s response.

Meanwhile we continue to hear on a daily basis of lives being ruined as ATW packages are driven down, support essential for Deaf and disabled people to stay in their jobs is denied and ATW communication failings persist.

Roger Lewis of Disabled People Against Cuts said”The reality is that Deaf and disabled people are being squeezed from above and below. On the one hand they are stripping away the social security system and labelling us as benefit scroungers, on the other they are pushing us out of the labour market and eroding disability employment support. Lord Freud’s comments about whether disabled people are worth £2 an hour aren’t an anomaly, they represent what this government really thinks about us. ”

One thing we do know is that #StopChanges2ATW will carry on campaigning to hold the government to account for its erosion of ATW and to fight not only for a reversal of the damage done over recent months but beyond that for improvements to the scheme that will widen its reach and enable many more Deaf and disabled people to access their right to employment.

Work and Pensions press release
Download full report here
Reaction from NUBSL
Limping Chicken:

Look out for #StopChanges2ATW on news features throughout the day.