UK - EHRC (Equality and Human Rights Commission)failed to consult its own disabled advisers before snubbing DWP deaths probe: July 2020

Sly Saint

Sly Saint

Senior Member (Voting Rights)
The equality watchdog failed to consult its own committee of disabled advisers before deciding not to investigate deaths of benefit claimants that have been linked to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

It came as disabled activists and relatives of disabled people whose deaths have been blamed on DWP’s actions and policies expressed anger and frustration at the failure of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to act.

Last week, Disability News Service (DNS) reported how EHRC had delayed a decision for more than a year on whether to launch an inquiry into links between DWP and the deaths of claimants, and the wider impact of DWP’s policies on disabled people.

It then decided – apparently only last week – that it would not hold such an inquiry this year, and blamed the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

This week, there have also been questions over the commission’s impartiality after Newsweek revealed that one of its commissioners, Pavita Cooper, had donated money to a Conservative MP and helped organise a fundraiser for her in 2013, but then failed to mention this when she was appointed as an EHRC commissioner five years later.

The commission was first approached in April 2019 by Labour’s Debbie Abrahams, a former shadow work and pensions secretary, with her concerns about the links between DWP and the deaths of claimants, and the wider impact of DWP policies on disabled people.

It took until last week for EHRC to announce that it had now decided that – “due to the pandemic” – it would not be able to hold an inquiry, at least not this year.

But DNS has now discovered that the commission failed to consult its own disability advisory committee before reaching this decision.
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“The minister has announced that conditionality and sanctions will restart after the lockdown (see separate story) and there are no guarantees that the DWP has changed its behaviour for disabled people after the recent deaths.”
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full article here
https://www.disabilitynewsservice.c...ed-advisers-before-snubbing-dwp-deaths-probe/
 
I have noticed when doing searches that there are currently a lot of job ads for disability assessors.
So when the NHS is already short-staffed/under pressure and they are about to set up all these rehab units for post-covid patients they are 'diverting' medical staff to harrassing the sick and disabled including the many people joining the ranks due to the pandemic.o_O
 
It then decided – apparently only last week – that it would not hold such an inquiry this year, and blamed the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
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Two thoughts -

1. Surely the pandemic, with many patients left struggling in it's aftermath, makes it even more important that this inquiry takes place and the system is improved. If you want to support sick people and not make them sicker. Quite an assumption, I'll grant you.

2. The cynical part of me thinks well, no, why the hell would you want to make it easier for sick people to access the benefits they desperately need when suddenly there's going to be a whole lot more of 'em?

On the thread discussing PIP reviews in lockdown the latest post to date includes a quote that says the DWP encourages claimants to come forward to claim the help the need....... Queue sarcastic laughter.
 
They've already reintroduced sanctions, including for those in the WRAG of ESA:

Disabled campaigners have described the government’s decision to reintroduce benefit sanctions – in the middle of a pandemic – as “barbaric” and “life threatening”.

The decision meant an end to the three-month suspension of benefit sanctions and conditionality* in England, Scotland and Wales, which had been introduced in March as part of the COVID-19 lockdown measures.

Jobcentres will start re-opening this week in England, but not in Scotland and Wales, where claimants will only receive services online and by phone.

This means that some claimants in England will now begin to have face-to-face discussions with work coaches in jobcentres.

But there has been little information on exactly how these steps will work and how they will affect disabled and other claimants.

Work and pensions secretary Therese Coffey said restoring conditionality and the threat of benefit sanctions was “an essential part of the contract to help people start to reconsider what vacancies there are”.

But it came as the government continued to ease the lockdown that has been in place across England since March, while also imposing a local lockdown in Leicester after a spike of infections.

Millions of disabled people – many of them on out-of-work benefits and now potentially subject to the threat of sanctions – are still shielding from the virus.

Yesterday, work and pensions ministers also removed a crucial line from guidance for claimants of universal credit (UC) that previously assured them: “You will not get a sanction if you cannot keep to your Claimant Commitment because of coronavirus (COVID-19).”

This suggests that UC claimants will no longer be able to use the fact that they are shielding, or have COVID-19 symptoms, as a reason for breaching their claimant commitment (the agreement that sets out what they have to do to continue to receive UC).

DWP refused to comment on the removal of this line, or even to confirm that sanctions would now apply again to all claimants previously at risk of having one imposed, including those in the work-related activity group of employment and support allowance (and the equivalent universal credit group).

Instead, the department attempted to persuade journalists, including Disability News Service (DNS), that the move to restore sanctions was “compassionate” and “understanding”, that sanctions would not be imposed “for no good reason”, and that the re-imposition was “rooted in a new normal” and their use would be “more compassionate” and “reasonable” than pre-pandemic.

The decision to re-impose sanctions and conditionality from 1 July after a three-month pause was greeted with anger and disbelief by disabled activists.
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https://www.disabilitynewsservice.c...-sanctions-in-middle-of-pandemic-is-barbaric/
 
Having been made redundant in April due to company restructuring, and having been engaged since in a mostly futile search among the very few posts I could even try for, I was astonished at this news.

There are almost no jobs out there to be had, full stop! The situation has not in any way normalised, and what jobs are listed are overwhelmed with applications since there are so few. Unless there is a very close match you’re not even shortlisted.

Two years ago I was in a similar place and had interviewed successfully for a replacement in about 6 weeks., and unsuccessfully for half a dozen more before that. This time in two months I’ve had two unsuccessful interviews and one more promised (but due to factors beyond my control I’ve had to withdraw from it). It’s dire.

Add to that any disability and the field is even more restricted. Who in their right minds think they are going to quickly get people back into work?! :banghead::facepalm::banghead:
 
the re-imposition was “rooted in a new normal” and their use would be “more compassionate” and “reasonable” than pre-pandemic.
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50% more than 0 is zero. Heck, 100% more than zero is still zero, isn't it? Or has the field of maths also been infected by the pandemic.

Lets face it, it would be difficult for them to achieve less compassion and be less reasonable. Note, I said difficult & not impossible - these are highly motivated people after all.
 
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