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A message from our CEO-
Posted by Mark Buckley on Fri 13/04/12. Listed in Disability Equality NW news
The Impact of Legal Aid cuts on Disability Equality North West - please act now!
Disability Equality North West is a Disabled People's Organisation that started in 1996. We are run and controlled by disabled people and offer a wide range of advice and information services to support disabled people.
We are proud of the work that we do and the positive impact that the advice we are able to provide can have for disabled people. The advice that we are able to provide is largely thanks to the exceptional work by a dedicated team of staff and volunteers who are disabled people.
We know that this advice and information is invaluable, without it many disabled people would not get the information, support and benefits that they are legally entitled too. However there are some things that we do not have the expertise to give advice on. For discrimination, human rights or complex welfare benefits cases, legal aid can be crucial in ensuring that disabled people get the correct advice in order to receive the benefits to which they are entitled.
However, the Government is proposing to remove social welfare cases from the scope of legal aid. The removal of legal aid for these cases will mean that the specialist advice provided by charities like the Citizens Advice Bureau, Law Centres and other independent advice agencies will not be available.
Furthermore, the proposals will mean that 78,000 disabled people will be denied specialist legal advice for complex welfare benefits problems – that is 58% of the total number of people affected.
As well as the devastating impact on disabled people, we have real concerns that such proposals will place real pressure on advice services such as Disability Equality.
We are anticipating a huge surge in demand for specialist advice that our staff and volunteer base does not have the specialist legal advice to deliver. Furthermore, when disabled people approach us for advice on a complex welfare benefits issue, there will be no-one to send them to so that they can receive the right advice.
The Bill is due back in the House of Commons on 17th April, where MPs will vote on whether to preserve this legal advice for disabled people. At Disability Equality North West, we have written to our local MP to make our concerns clear, and I would urge you to click here and do the same to preserve legal aid for disabled people.
(If you are unsure what your MP's contact details are, use the link below to help you to find them).
Melanie Close
Cheif Executive DENW
PIP - the details emerge
Posted by Mark Buckley on Wed 28/03/12. Listed in UK disability equality news
Following Royal Assent of the Welfare Reform Act on 8th March, the DWP have published a formal consultation on the detailed benefit rules that will underpin Personal independence Paymenent (PIP). The consultation asks for views on a number of aspects of the regulations including eligibility to the benefit and payment of the benefit for certain groups. It also contains more details on how the DWP will reassess DLA recipients and what the passporting arrangements will be under PIP.
The consultation will run for 14 weeks until 30 June and the current intention is that the final draft of the regulations will be published by the end of this year. Further information about Personal Independence Payment is available on the DWP website below. You can also download a copy from the link also below.
We will be collecting responses shortly. Please use our contact page to let us know if you have a response you would like us to include!
Watch this!
Posted by Mark Buckley on Mon 19/03/12. Listed in UK disability equality news
Laurence Clark has worked with Disability Equality NW on many occasions delivering equality training to our trustees, staff and volunteers and helping us to develop our strategic plan (available in summary on this website). Here, Laurence and his family take us through six months of daily life.
It's part of the current BBC series looking at disabled people's lives and is generating a lot of debate. The Clark family take us through the reality of disabled parents' lives and family life, challenging barriers, attitudes and stereotypes. We encourage you to take part in discussion about the issues it raises on our Facebook site and Twitter feeds.
