UNCRDP Archives

UN Committee slams government failure to address disability rights violations

UNCRPD, Universal Credit, WCA, welfare cuts, Welfare reforms No Responses »

Apr 252024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 25 April 2024

UK Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations’ Coalition

UN Committee slams government failure to address disability rights violations

A report published yesterday by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Disabled People concludes that the UK Government has made “no significant progress” in addressing the grave and systematic violations of Deaf and Disabled people’s rights that it highlighted more than seven years ago.

Instead, the report notes areas of further regression and numerous issues of “deep concern”.

The report states that:

“The Committee finds that the State party has failed to take all appropriate measures to address grave and systematic violations of the human rights of persons with disabilities and has failed to eliminate the root causes of inequality and discrimination.”

The report is the outcome of a follow up to the Committee’s unprecedented special inquiry which in 2016 found evidence of grave and systematic violations of Deaf and Disabled People’s rights due to welfare reform and austerity measures.

The inquiry focused on three specific areas: equal chances to live and participate in the community; right to good work; and, adequate social protections and standard of living.

On publication of the 2016 report the then government dismissed its findings.

Andy Greene from the National Steering Group of Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC), who triggered the special inquiry said:

“The process of evidence gathering, taking witness testimony and objective scrutiny of policy and its impact, is one that’s very difficult to ridicule or dismiss. The facts speak for themselves. As such, the inquiry vindicates the experiences of Deaf and Disabled people whose voices are too often ignored.”

John Kelly, musician and campaigner who also sits on the DPAC National Steering Group said the report is:

“…damning on the lack of this government listening to our real lived experiences as Disabled people and doing anything to support what we really need which is to live and contribute in our community as equal citizens along with our peers.”

Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations (DDPOs) across the UK, who took part in reporting to the Committee, along with DPAC, through the UK DDPO Coalition, have welcomed the report.

Svetlana Kotova, Director of Campaigns and Justice, Inclusion London, said:

“This report is a damning verdict on the government’s track record in upholding our human rights…

“It is shocking that our country that positions itself as a world leader is yet again found to breach our rights on a systematic level.

“It is also shocking that the government has failed to listen to the UN in the past and has actively dismissed the previous recommendations….

“Inclusion London welcomes the report and urge the government and the opposition to take it seriously and develop policies on welfare reform, employment and independent living that comply with the UK’s obligations under the UNCRDP.

“The report shows that the current system is not fit for purpose and the government cannot carry on punishing Disabled people.”

Dermot Devlin, spokesperson for DPAC Northern Ireland said:

“ DPAC NI thank the UN Committee for their work and due diligence on our behalf and call on the Westminster Government to properly implement the recommendations of the 2016 inquiry and the current report.

“The absence of Government in Northern Ireland has failed Disabled people here. With the Executive now restored, bringing forward a Disability Strategy that addresses the Committee’s recommendations must be an absolute priority.”

The report documents how the UK government requested postponement of the session at which they were due to give evidence to the Committee in August.

Their request for postponement was just six days before the deadline for written evidence submissions to the inquiry was due and after many cash-strapped DDPOs had already booked their flights and accommodation to attend and give evidence.

The result was that the Committee, which is made up of Deaf ad Disabled members from around the world, had to split the oral evidence section of the inquiry into two separate sessions.

Rhian Davies, CEO for Disability Wales, said:

“The UK Government’s approach to this review has been utterly disrespectful and matches the contempt shown to Disabled people for over a decade. We deserve better and we demand better.”

Ellen Clifford, UK Coalition Co-ordinator, said;

“The government’s attitude towards the UN special inquiry is evidence that their treatment of Deaf and Disabled people is wilful and calculated. This is reflected in the damning findings of the report.

“The limitations of the inquiry process are that there are just too many deliberate rights violations to include in one report.

“However, the report validates the experiences of Deaf and Disabled people across the UK and is a much-needed counter to government rhetoric claiming they are “protecting the most vulnerable” when they are doing the exact opposite.”

The report highlights numerous areas of government policy that are not only failing Deaf and Disabled people, but that are causing serious rights violations.

Among the many areas where the Committee is “deeply concerned” are: the social care recruitment crisis follow EU withdrawal; the inadequacies of social care support provision to cover anything more than “bare subsistence”; incarceration of Disabled people “in secure psychiatric facilities due to a lack of community-based support”; “disabled people who are housebound due to inadequate support to access the community”; “abuse, mistreatment and the increasing use of restraints, restrictive practices and… unexpected deaths in the mental health care system”.

Dorothy Gould, founder of Liberation, a grass-roots organisation led by people with personal experience of mental distress/trauma, said:

“…it is an utter disgrace that many of us are forced into institutions, continue to be locked up against our will in places such as psychiatric hospitals and continue to be forcibly treated and abused, in complete breach of human rights which other citizens hold.”

The Committee’s recognition of the increasing barriers to employment have been welcomed by Deaf and Disabled trade unionists.

Natalie Amber, Co-chair, Deaf and Disabled Members Committee, Equity Trade Union, said:

“Ill-thought through cuts, particularly as a result of welfare reform, are making it impossible to work in the creative industries unless you have independent wealth. This is directly and negatively impacting who we see on our stages and screens.”

The report acknowledges the devastating impact of previous welfare “reform” measures.

The report states that:

“The Committee is appalled by reports of “benefit deaths” referring to fatalities among disabled people in the State party, subsequent to their engagement with the process for determining eligibility for benefits…

“Testimonies have also been received regarding the minimal, unsuitable, and/or abusive responses to individuals’ mental health emergencies that are frequently precipitated by the benefits assessment procedure.”

It recommends that the UK government:

“Take comprehensive measures to ensure that persons with disabilities are adequately supported through social security payments, benefits and allowances,… ascertain the additional costs of living with disabilities and adjusting benefit amounts accordingly to reflect these costs;”

Alison Turner, daughter-in-law of Errol Graham, who starved to death after his benefits were stopped, said:

“I am pleased that the report highlighted the need for proper review and monitoring of the deaths of benefit claimants… It shows that this government has learned nothing and cares not for its direct actions to cause harm.”

The report comes less than a week after the Prime Minister announced a new round of cuts to disability social security payments and amidst political and media rhetoric that directly contravenes the 2016 findings and recommendations by demonising disabled benefit claimants.

The report states that:

“There is a pervasive framework and rhetoric that devalues disabled people and undermines their human dignity. Reforms within social welfare benefits are premised on a notion that disabled people are undeserving and wilfully avoiding employment (“skiving off”) and defrauding the system. This has resulted in hate speech and hostility towards disabled people.”

Kamran Mallick, CEO of Disability Rights UK, said:

“Under this Government, the UK has lost its status as a nation that leads in disability rights to one that is actively attacking Disabled people.

“In just the last week we have seen an onslaught of new policy proposals and legislation which will not only harm us but also lead to avoidable deaths…

“At a time when we’re all struggling to make ends meet and cannot access the healthcare and support that we need, the Government are scapegoating Disabled people for a failing economy.

“We are not at fault for simply existing. The Government are at fault for their complete disregard for international treaties and contempt for Disabled people’s rights.”

John McArdle, spokesperson for the Black Triangle campaign in Scotland, said:

“To proceed with the plans announced by Conservative Prine Minister Sunak last Friday will definitely lead to a surge in deaths by suicide and other avoidable harm which falls short of death but is nonetheless catastrophic.

“The U.K. has abrogated the Convention on the Rights of Disabled People by its treatment of Deaf and Disabled people in the UK.”

Disabled President of the National union of Journalists (NUJ), Natasha Hirst, made a call to all journalists to reflect the evidence as reflected in the report rather than unquestioningly repeating inaccurate and harmful government rhetoric:

“There has never been a more important time for journalists and the wider media industry to tackle harmful negative rhetoric against disabled people.

“I call on journalists to take time to understand the concerns raised by the UN Committee and scrutinise why the Government is so keen to dismiss their failure to uphold disabled people’s human rights.

“Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations have thoroughly evidenced the harm caused by policy changes and cuts to services and yet the UK Government is intent on pushing this even further.

“Disabled people’s voices need to be heard and not drowned out and demonised by people who have never experienced the sharp end of the social security system.

“As journalists, we should report ethically to hold power to account, and not be complicit in the scapegoating of disabled people.”

ENDS

For more information including speaking to people personally affected by issues covered in the report or to be put in touch with ‘;#anyone quoted above, contact:

Ellen Clifford, UK Coalition – 07505144371

Rensa Gaunt, Inclusion London – 07561 064227 `

Bethany Bale, Disability Rights UK – Bethany.bale@disabilityrightsuk.org

For Northern Ireland enquiries contact: Dermot Devlin – 07899 962209

For Scotland enquiries contact John McArdle – 07379 612778

For Wales enquiries contact: Megan Thomas – 07990 425823

Notes for Editors

The special inquiry was triggered under Article 6 of the Optional Protocol of the Convention on the Rights of Disabled People (CRDP). This was the first time an investigation into allegations of “grave and systematic violations” of CRDP rights had even taken place. Since then, following the precedent set by UK DDPOs, inquiries have taken place into allegations of breaches by Hungary and the EU and by the Spanish State.

The three articles of the CRDP which the special inquiry focused on are articles 19, 27 and 28.

The UK DDPO CRPD Monitoring Coalition co-ordinates written and oral evidence from UK DDPOs for examinations and inquiries by the UN Committee on the Rights of Disabled People.

The UK DDPO written submission to the inquiry can be found here: https://www.inclusionlondon.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/UK-DDPO-CRDP-Special-Inquiry-Shadow-Report-final.docx

The deadline for written submissions to the inquiry was midnight on 1 August 2023. The report states that the UK government asked for postponement on 26 July 2023.

The special inquiry oral evidence session in August which heard from UK DDPOs as well as representatives from the equality and human rights commissions of the four nations can be seen here: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1o/k1o8b7239p

The UK government’s evidence to the Committee can be seen here: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1s/k1svtljvtr

Media reporting linked to the government’s welfare reforms plans has been found to be inaccurate and to incite hostility against disabled benefit claimants. For example: the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) ruled that it has upheld a complaint against the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in relation to media reports that appeared to be aimed at ‘stirring up hostility’ towards disabled people claiming benefit; the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) recently upheld complaints against The Telegraph for inaccurate and misleading articles about disability benefit entitlements that gave a false impression about eligibility and the generosity of the social security system.

For full quotes from all DDPO and trade union representatives received please see: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-XkQNo2tXgRTQGARgtcpmF7m0qkDXJx5iuaEbstVdlo/edit?usp=sharing

Deaf and Disabled People to witness United Nations scrutiny of UK Government’s human rights record

UNCRPD No Responses »

Mar 182024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Deaf and Disabled People to witness United Nations scrutiny of UK Government’s human rights record

On Monday 18 March Deaf and Disabled campaigners and trade unionists from across the UK will gather in Geneva to watch the UK governments give evidence to the United Nations. The public session is part of a follow-up to the special inquiry undertaken by the UN Committee for the Convention on the Rights of Disabled People. The special inquiry report published in 2016 found the UK guilty of grave and systematic violations of Disabled people’s rights due to austerity and welfare reform measures.

Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations gave their evidence to the Committee for its follow-up in August 2023 along with equality and human rights commissions from the four nations. The government did not attend, stating it was not ready and would instead appear before the Committee at its following session in March 2024.

The Committee’s scrutiny of the government’s human rights record is a rare opportunity to expose the worsening inequalities and injustice experienced by disabled people in the UK.

Linda Burnip, co-founder of Disabled People Against Cuts who triggered the special inquiry, said:

“The UK government’s failure to turn up in August showed the utter contempt they have, not only for Deaf and Disabled people but also for the UN Disability Committee. At this stage we’re not even sure if they will turn up on Monday. The last written report they sent to the Committee was in December 2022.

“The Convention holds great importance for us because it sets out a vision of full equality and inclusion. The Government’s record on disability since 2010 is of great international concern because they have so deliberately and flagrantly driven the UK backwards in terms of its treatment of Deaf and Disabled people with the Department for Work and Pensions leading the charge in callousness and sheer brutality.”

The special inquiry focuses on three specific areas: social security, employment and community living.

Burnip added:

“There have been massive cuts to Local Authority budgets, a failure to implement the appeals process in the Care Act 2014, and a massive increase in charges for social care with only one increase in the amount of money Disabled people should be left to live off in 9 years. This is leaving more and more Disabled people trapped not just in poverty but also in their homes without the support they need to take part in the community or stay in contact with family and friends.”

A consultation held to inform a report from disability organisations to the UN submitted at the end of March 2022 found that overwhelmingly Deaf and Disabled people across England had experienced life as getting worse since 2017.

Alongside continuing deterioration in living standards, incomes and community inclusion, respondents cited difficulties arising from EU withdrawal and the pandemic leading to a recruitment crisis in social care among other issues.

Worsening attitudes towards Deaf and Disabled people and a devaluation of the worth of our lives was also a common theme, sparked by denial of life saving treatment to Disabled patients and political and public debate blaming the “clinically vulnerable” for adverse economic impacts linked to lockdown.

One consultant respondent expressed their view that: “What unsettles me is that we have a government who would gladly drop help to those of us who are disabled while they are in power.”

Another said: “It feels like people hate you more than they did before.”

In the past year alone, several further regressive policies affecting large numbers of Disabled people across the UK have been announced alongside inadequate measures to mitigate the impacts of the cost of living crisis.

Transforming Support: the health and disability white paper published in March 2023 plans to cut benefits to around 632,000 Disabled people who have been unable to earn a living through paid employment.

Under the same plans all Disabled people, no matter how severely Disabled, will potentially be liable to having their benefits stopped if they don’t engage in activity to find work.

At the moment, medically qualified professionals are required to determine a person’s capability for work but the government wants to pass this responsibility onto already over-worked frontline work coaches to make judgement calls on what Disabled benefit claimants can and can’t do.

In November 2023, the government announced proposals to tighten the Work Capability Assessment which will cut benefits to an estimated 630,000 Disabled people.

Svetlana Kotova, Director of Campaigns and Justice for Inclusion London, who led on the 2022 report said:

“Deaf and Disabled people are very frightened about the planned changes to disability benefits.

“Half of all poverty in the UK is already linked to disability and new figures show a sharp increase in disability poverty even before the cost of living crisis. The recent budget announced an end to cost of living payments, despite the fact that Disabled people have been hardest hit by inflation.

“To then cut benefits to people with no realistic chance of employment through absolutely no fault of their own is inhumanly cruel and will undoubtedly lead to more benefit deaths.”

Ellen Clifford, co-ordinator for the UK Coalition who leads on UK-wide monitoring under the Convention said:

“Both of the main political parties in Westminster are competing over who can appear toughest on welfare. In the process, and with help from sections of the media, they are presenting an entirely skewed picture of the social security system.

Far from the record numbers of out of work benefit claimants the government claims, analysis shows that figures have remained fairly stable. However, we do know that disability prevalence is rising.

“A more responsible approach than disability denial would be to look into why that is happening. Instead, both parties are happy to punish Disabled people in order to get elected.

“All of this – the targeting of Disabled people to make budget savings when other choices could be made, and the unfounded rhetoric increasing hostility against Disabled people – is in direct contravention of the recommendations from the 2016 special inquiry. There is simply no credible way that the UK Government can defend itself against a charge of continuing, indeed worsening, grave and systematic violations of Disabled people’s rights”

For more information and access to case studies contact: Ellen Clifford 07505144371

The evidence session on March 18^th can be viewed live online from 2-3:30pm GMT.

The UK DDPO shadow report can be found here: crdp.org.uk

Notes for Editors

1) The UK-wide delegation includes members from: All Wales People First; Black Triangle; CWU; Disability Rights UK; Disability Wales; Disabled People Against Cuts; DPAC Deaf Group; DPAC Northern Ireland; DPAC Cambridgeshire & Essex; Equity; Inclusion London; Inclusion Scotland; Liberation; Manchester RAPAR; North West Disability Forum; Omnibus Partnership; PCS union; People First Scotland; Reclaiming Our Futures Alliance; TUC Disabled Workers’ Committee; Unite the Union.

2) The UN’s finding of grave and systematic rights violations was the result of a comprehensive investigation taking place over a number of years under the Convention on the Rights of Disabled People. The Committee reviewed thousands of pages of robustly evidence-based research and reports and met hundreds of people during their visit to the UK. The report and recommendations, published on 6 November 2016, were dismissed by the UK Government.

3) In 2017, the UK was publicly examined as part of routine monitoring procedures to which all signatories to the Convention on the Rights of Disabled People are subject. The findings were again damning with the Chair of the Committee stating that “social cuts had caused a human catastrophe”.

4) One of the 2017 recommendations was for the UK Government to report back to the Committee on its progress implementing the recommendations from the special inquiry. Three reports were submitted by the UK Government in December 2022.

5) Written reports submitted by Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations in 2022 evidence the retrogression of Deaf and Disabled People’s rights. Key findings:

The situation for Disabled people got worse after 2017 when UN last looked at the UK’s progress.
Westminster Government has taken some positive steps, but they have not addressed key problems.
The COVID-19 pandemic response discriminated against Disabled people and violated our equal right to life
Disability equality and human rights approaches towards disability have been further undermined since 2017
There is insufficient monitoring and promotion of the CRDP by Westminster Government

6) 89% of respondents to the DDPO coalition consultation expressed the view that things have got worse, 9% that things have stayed the same and only 2% said they think things have got better.

7) While the UK Government’s cuts to benefits and services have profoundly negative impacts across the UK, the devolved administrations have responsibility for some areas of policy that are of key importance to disabled people and different approaches have been taken. Journalists with questions about the devolved nations can contact: Scotland: John McArdle 07379612778, Wales: Megan Thomas 07990 425823, Northern Ireland: Michael Lorimer 07528464350.

UK Under the United Nations Spotlight – webinar 18 July

UNCRPD No Responses »

Jun 302023

Tuesday 18 July 2023

7 – 8pm

Online:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81570206769?pwd=RXNuUVd4YlJ0My9BTzczRHNvNkxEZz09

Meeting ID: 815 7020 6769
Passcode: 910122

This webinar organised by DPAC and other Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations (DDPOs) will provide an update on activities that are happening to monitor Deaf and Disabled people’s rights in the UK under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People.

We will give feedback from the big consultation that our organisations carried out in 2021—22 into how far the major issues facing Deaf and Disabled people in the UK had changed since the last examination by the Disability Committee in 2017.

We will also provide information about the reporting that we are undertaking this Summer as the Disability Committee prepares for a special one day examination of the UK. This examination will focus specifically on the government’s progress implementing the recommendations from the Committee’s 2016 investigation which found evidence of grave and systematic violations of Deaf and Disabled people’s rights due to welfare reform and austerity measures.

Speakers: Linda Burnip (Disabled People Against Cuts), Ellen Clifford (UK DDPO CRDP Monitoring Coalition/Disabled People Against the Cuts)

Please support the next UNCRDP shadow report

News No Responses »

Mar 222022

Today Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations from across the UK came together to launch the next round of civil socety shadow reports under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People. We are asking you to sign up in support of the Westminster shadow report.

All reports – covering issues within the remit of Westminster, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Welsh governments – will be sent to the UN Disability Committee to inform their next examination of the UK to monitor implementation of the Convention. This was originally scheduled to start in 2022 but was delayed due to the pandemic.

The launch of the reports are the culmination of six months of evidence gathering involving consultation events, a call for evidence and survey. Many thanks to everyone who contributed.

The Westminster report addresses a series of themes concerning implementation of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Disabled People (CRDP) by Westminster Government. The themes were identified from evidence gathered within the earlier stages of our consultation process and then confirmed and enhanced through further consultation and data gathering.

The themes detailed within the report concern:

Intersectionality: disadvantage and barriers are compounded, for example for Disabled women, Black DDP and DDP from racialised minorities, DDP who are LGBTQ+, asylum seekers, refugees or have No Recourse to Public Funds
Continued retrogression: worse conditions across many aspects of DDP’s lives
Institutionalisation: a specific aspect of retrogression that reinforces, and is underpinned by Theme 6 on our lives being undervalued
Silencing DDP: the further marginalisation of DDP and our voices, in the face of continued retrogression
Disaster Planning and Humanitarian Emergencies: failures to consider DDP in fundamental aspects of public policy development
Lives less worthy: the response to the pandemic, and other policy responses that under value DDP’s lives

Key conclusions drawn from evidence across all themes are that:

There has been continued regression since the last public examination of the UK under the CRDP in 2017
Westminster Government has adopted progressive initiatives in discrete areas but has not addressed the fundamental issues affecting DDP’s lives
The COVID-19 pandemic response discriminated against DDP and violated our equal right to life
Disability equality and human rights approaches towards disability have been further undermined since 2017
There is insufficient monitoring and promotion of the CRDP by Westminster Government

You can find the Westminster report here: Shadow report United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People Westminster Government Civil Society Shadow Report – Inclusion London

To sign up in support please go to: UNCRDP Westminster Government civil society shadow report sign up (google.com)

For reports covering issues within the remit of the devolved governments see:

Disability Action (Northern Ireland): www.disabilityaction.org

Disability Wales: www.disabiltywales.org

Inclusion Scotland: www.inclusionscotland.org

United Nations Disability Event – 20 October – Watch live or on demand

UNCRPD No Responses »

Oct 132021

UN Disability Treaty Online Event

20 October 2021 6 – 7.30pm

Watch live or on demand via YouTube, Facebook and Twitter

BSL interpretation and speech to text

What is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled People (CRDP), why do we have it and how can Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations (DDPOs) use it to advance our rights? – all these questions and more will be answered by our panel of experts as the UK gets ready to be examined again by the CRDP Committee.

Panel to include:

Gertrude Fefoame, current member of the CRDP Committee and Chair of both the Committee’s Working Group on Women and Girls with Disabilities and the Committee’s Task Force for developing a General comment about the right to work and employment (Article 27).
Catherinne Pedreros Puentes, from the CRDP Secretariat who has supported the CRPD Committee for 9 years as well as working with other UN Committees.
Tara Flood, UK disabled people’s rights campaigner, involved in drafting the CRDP in 2006.
Linda Burnip, who gave evidence to the CRDP Committee for their special investigation in 2015.

At the event, the England Shadow Report Project will also launch our call for evidence to feed into the next examination of the UK under the CRDP. Watch to find out how you can get involved.

@InclusionLondon

www.facebook.com/inclusionlondon/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnzKmTH5r0MCiNWQmaajD6Q

Please note that for information about how to get involved in evidence gathering within Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland you should contact Disability Wales, Inclusion Scotland or Disability Action Northern Ireland.