This is the latest newsletter (5 May 2023), from Disability Rights UK. Follow the links to the full stories on their website.
New research shows huge rise in extra costs for Disabled households
Scope research has found that Disabled households face an average extra cost of £975 per month. These extra costs are the additional amount of money a Disabled household would need to have the same standard of living as a non-disabled household. Read more on the Scope report story on our website.
Thousands of Disabled people disenfranchised by the introduction of voter ID
It’s been reported that only 85,000 people have applied for a free voter ID certificate in time for the May Local Elections, despite the Electoral Commission’s estimate that over 2 million voters in the UK don’t have access to photo ID. Read the full voter ID story on our website.
CAA to review the accessibility of the top 20 airlines
A review by the Civil Aviation Authority has shown the depth of contempt within the airline industry for Disabled passengers. Read the full CAA story on our website.
Disabled people take over Vogue
The May edition of Vogue has put Disabled people front and centre, with five distinct covers featuring Selma Blair, Aaron Rose Philip, Ellie Goldstein, Justina Miles, and Sinead Burke who all identify as Disabled. Read the full Vogue story on our website.
Disability Rights UK attends Climate Change event in London
Last week DR UK attended the Extinction Rebellion event in London called the Big one. The four-day event that took place in London was attended by over 100,000 people who descended on Parliament square to talk, march, & to demand change when it comes to policy and action on climate change. Read more on the Climate event story on our website.
Profound lack of trust in the benefit health assessment system still a constant theme, say MPs
The health assessments system to access benefits for those who cannot work or face extra costs due to disability or ill health continues to let down those who rely on it, a new Work and Pensions Committee report finds. Learn more about the Committee’s inquiry on the DR UK website.
Missing out: £19 billion of benefits support goes unclaimed each year
A new research report by Policy and Practice estimates that the total amount of unclaimed income-related benefits and social tariffs is now around £19 billion a year. Read more about this research report on the DR UK website.
Child Disability Payment resource launched
The Scottish government is now encouraging Disabled people to find out if they are eligible for the disability benefits run by the Scottish government. These include child disability payment and adult disability payment. Read the full resource on child disability payment on our website.
Children’s residential care provider to close 28 homes in one week
This week the fourth largest provider of looked-after children’s care homes in the UK, Outcomes First, will be closing 28 residencies – currently housing around 60 Disabled children.
Read the full children’s care homes story on our website.
Yorkshire adult neurodiversity diagnoses removed by Care Partnership
North Yorkshire and York Health and Care Partnership is removing access to autism and ADHD assessment and diagnoses for adults. Read the full Care Partnership story on our website.
