Latest news with #disability
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- Health
- The Guardian
‘Worse than anything under the Tories': changes to welfare bill anger disability campaigners
'As a community we feel totally let down and these last-minute concessions do nothing to make up for that,' Andy Mitchell, a disability campaigner and a member of Unite Community, says. 'My friends are scared. Some have spoken about suicide. This is worse than anything that happened under the Tories.' With the government offering major concessions to the welfare bill, ministers will be hoping critics have at last been appeased. But many campaigners have reacted with anger and concern over the changes. Disabled people's organisations, such as Inclusion London, WinVisible and Long Covid Advocacy, have told the Guardian that plans to exempt only existing claimants from the cuts will create a 'two-tier' benefit system that 'condemns' future disabled people to poverty. 'Protecting entitlements for current recipients is the right thing to do and if it's right for current recipients then it has to be the right thing for future claimants too,' says Tracey Lazard, CEO of Inclusion London. 'Even with these concessions, the bill before parliament is not a reform – it's still rationing. There is no moral or economic case for balancing the books on the backs of disabled people. MPs must not condemn future disabled people to the poverty and indignity these devastating planned cuts will cause.' Claire Every, spokesperson for Long Covid Advocacy said: 'A last-minute napkin deal will not assure safety for disabled people. The concessions create an unfair two-tier system – it is unethical to only throw some people under the bus. 'These changes will negatively impact people with long Covid as they discriminate against those with fluctuating disabilities and will see those who contract the illness in the future receive less support than those who fell ill earlier in the pandemic,' she added. Some campaigners warn that a system that treats new and old claimants differently could lead to future legal challenges against the government. 'How can you justify someone with the same impairments getting two different rates of social security payments based solely on [when they applied or how long they've been ill]? Is it even legal?' says Linda Burnip from Disabled People Against Cuts. 'The concessions are ridiculous and [effectively mean] anyone not already ill or disabled in Britain can't become ill or disabled and expect to have enough money to live on in the future.' Others have accused the government of trying to sow division within the disabled community to quell opposition to the bill. 'We refuse the government's divide-and-rule between old and new claimants, and MPs should keep voting against the horrendous cuts they are planning,' says Claire Glasman from WinVisible. 'We won't stop campaigning – new claimants lose out massively across Pip and universal credit, especially women with invisible and fluctuating conditions. Labour is still going after sick and disabled people. 'These offers of concessions are a glimpse into the window of the soul of the government; that they think people are protesting these cuts for their own gain not the wellbeing of all disabled people,' says Cherylee Houston, co-founder of the #TakingThePIP campaign. It is still unclear whether the concessions will protect eligibility for the connecting benefits to Pip, such as carer's allowance, she added. 'We don't agree to anything which doesn't safeguard future disabled people from abject poverty and despair. How can they draw a line to which people who become disabled after a certain date will not receive the support they need?' The government has pledged the entire criteria system will be reviewed in conjunction with disabled people, but disability groups told the Guardian they are concerned any changes from the review will not be made before the bill passes, while MPs will not have sufficient time to consider proposals. 'MPs are going to be voting on these concessions without people having a decent enough time to look and understand them,' says Mitchell. 'One of the points from the amendment was that disabled people hadn't been properly consulted, so how can it be right when these concessions have not been consulted on at all?' 'If concessions are possible, so is proper reform,' added Lazard. 'Fast-tracking a bill with such major consequences is irresponsible and cruel. It denies parliament, disabled people and the public real scrutiny. We urge MPs to stand your ground, stop this dangerous bill and demand better for everyone.'
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
'I was denied PIP because I can drive but won at tribunal after 15-month fight'
A person has shared how their wife was awarded Personal Independence Payment (PIP) following a 15-month 'fight'. The cash was initially denied because she can drive and work, their spouse said. But following a lengthy battle and tribunal, she has finally been awarded the financial support for her conditions including: ADHD, anxiety and mobility issues. The story was shared on Reddit earlier this month and has since given hope to other users on the site who are going through issues with their benefit claim. READ MORE: Walsall Council issue update on popular splash pad and says 'good news' The woman's spouse wrote: "Just want to give a positive story. Today, after a 15-month fight, my wife won PIP at the tribunal. "We had got some advice beforehand and a submission was given to the courts on Tuesday about the point we wanted to argue. "Today, as we arrived, my wife received a few missed calls from a private number. She passed her phone to me to answer, and it was a lady from the court/ hearing advising us that we did not need to attend as the judge had ruled the appeal was won. "I advised we were at the courts and she came out and spoke to us in person and advised the judge had ruled [that] the appeal had been won on both daily living and mobility. "Originally DWP had awarded 0 points with the reasoning being as my wife is employed and can drive she must be able to do other tasks. "We were advised at the courts that just because someone works does not mean they do not struggle to do so. "Enhanced awarded on daily living and mobility. Conditions: ADHD, ASD 2 , anxiety and depression as well as issues with mobility. "Now we wait for the letter to arrive with the full details." In response, people were quick to congratulate the person on their win. One person said: "So glad she got the result she deserved and thanks for posting." A second added: "Firstly well done and secondly another example of why you should also go to tribunal and not give up." In a reply to this comment, the original poster said: "Thank you. Not going to lie, it was such a relief it was won without having to sit through it and be questioned." Another person wrote: "Congrats! Really happy for you and your wife!" "I'm glad you finally got the outcome you were entitled to and your long battle has ended positively," one user said. Another added: "I'm so pleased to read that people are fighting and winning for the help they are entitled to." The government website states: "Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can help with extra living costs if you have both: a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of your condition "You can get PIP even if you're working, have savings or are getting most other benefits."
RNZ News
13 hours ago
- Automotive
- RNZ News
The highs and lows of driving with a disability
disability arts 43 minutes ago Learning to drive is a rite of passage for many, symbolising freedom and independence. But everyone knows that learning to drive, comes with some hair raising, white knuckle moments, and the new TV series called License to Drive has plenty of them. Sweet Productions co-producers Robyn Paterson and Jai Productions co-producers Robyn Paterson and Jai Waite. Photo: Sweet Productions Sure to have audiences on the edge of their seats, the series provides an intimate, often laugh out loud look at the journey undertaken by a group of disabled New Zealanders from all walks of life learning to drive. Filmed around the motu, each episode follows learner drivers - alongside their driving instructors, as they experience the emotional highs and lows of getting behind the wheel. Some are nervous first-timers, others are coming back from a life-changing injury and must entirely re-learn to drive using different parts of their body. Mathias Bridgman is one of the learner drivers on the show, he's been learning to drive with his feet. We're also joined by series producer Jai White from Sweet Productions, a former Wheel Black, turned TV producer.
ABC News
14 hours ago
- Health
- ABC News
Concerns NDIS cuts to physiotherapy travel will impact regional and remote children with disability
Two-year-old Stephanie Haley has been an inpatient at nine different hospitals. She has quadriplegia cerebral palsy, which affects her mobility and ability to communicate. She currently eats and drinks through a tube and is non-verbal. Until recently, she lived in regional Queensland and accessed services through telehealth. But Stephanie's mother Priscilla Haley realised that to be able to join other kids her age in settings like day care, the young girl would need in-person care. Ms Haley packed up her life, border collie and little Stephanie, and moved to Darwin. In the Northern Territory capital, a physiotherapist can travel to Stephanie's day care and prescribe specialist equipment, like shoes with ankle-foot orthoses. Now, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has cut physiotherapists' travel funding by half, through the introduction of a cap on travel allowances. Health providers have said that cap will mean more patients will have to travel to them or face higher bills for out-of-clinic care. The Australian Physiotherapy Association has warned the cap will have a particularly big impact on NDIS participants in regional and remote areas. "A lot of the NDIS providers aren't going to be able to travel to deliver their services, so it will mean that [participants] will have to come in to the bigger centres," the peak body's NT president Heather Malcolm said. For Stephanie, the cuts mean her physiotherapist will be unable to adequately assess what mobility aid equipment she needs at day care. "She's learning to walk beautifully in that walking frame … to push herself around in the firefly scooter, but not in day care because that equipment is not there," Ms Haley said. For Maddy Evans, also in the NT, physiotherapy has been vital to supporting her son through severe speech and cognitive challenges. She said Oscar, who has PTEN hamartoma tumour syndrome — a rare genetic disorder that has caused his brain to develop differently — would feel the impact of the cuts. Before physiotherapy, the six-year-old was only able to use a specialised swing at the playground. Now, he can climb up the slide and independently use stairs. "It's basic play skills, like that, [that] he's gained over a few years by working with a physiotherapist," Ms Evans said. Oscar's physiotherapist also supports him beyond physical movement, as the skills he learns allow him to communicate as a non-verbal child. "When he's on the swing, he's actually able to tell us he wants more," Ms Evans said. The upcoming changes will also standardise NDIS coverage rates for physiotherapists across all jurisdictions. That will involve a $40 per hour reduction for providers in the NT, WA, SA and Tasmania and a $10 per hour drop in other jurisdictions. Ms Evans said she was worried the cuts could drive physiotherapists out of the territory and leave Oscar with only shared in-clinic sessions. "They've tried to bring other children in, in the past — he will panic and just try to leave the space," she said. Physiotherapist Emily Jordan's NT practice Outreach Physiotherapy travels to about 150 clients across 10 Indigenous communities, which all have limited in-community care options, if any. "There's a lot of trust and relationship-building to see great effects out there, which we have been doing for the past five years," she said. But Ms Jordan said it was "going to be challenging" for the service to continue visiting remote patients under the new funding model. In a statement, the NDIA said the changes would "encourage more efficient scheduling by providers". "We heard from participants that excessive travel claims for therapy-related services are draining participants' plans faster than expected," an NDIA spokesperson said. "The NDIA is committed to improving access to NDIS support for Australians living in more regional and remote areas, and is taking steps to address market gaps across Australia." Ms Malcolm, from the Australian Physiotherapy Association's NT branch, said the effects of the changes would be felt across state and territory health systems. "Medium to long-term, people are going to have more issues that mean they need to present to the emergency department and their care has gone from disability care to needing support within the health system," she said. She said the association was calling on the federal government to step in and pause the pricing changes before they come into effect from July.
ABC News
17 hours ago
- Health
- ABC News
NDIS travel allowance cuts could leave regional kids without care
Outback physiotherapist Keegan Simpson can drive thousands of kilometres just to see one patient. "We cover an area from Quilpie up to Cloncurry, which is about a quarter of the Queensland state," he said. The Longreach resident said cuts to the National Disablity Insurance Scheme (NDIS) set to come in from July 1 would make it harder to see patients living with disability on properties in remote parts of the state. The agency in charge of the NDIS released a pricing review earlier this month, which indicated travel subsidies for allied health professionals would be cut in half and there would be fee reductions for hourly rates. Mr Simpson fears the cuts will affect care for people in the bush because many cannot get to town for services, relying on home visits. Mr Simpson said many patients were already worried about the cuts. "They need to increase their independence so they can function in their day-to-day life." In the Rutledge family home in Gympie in south-east Queensland, Alannah and her husband Zakkary spend their mornings helping their children, Sophia and Theo, get ready for school, while managing feeding tubes, mobility equipment and constant supervision. Six-year-old Sophia has Sanfilippo syndrome, a rare and degenerative condition that gradually affects her movement, speech and ability to eat. Ms Rutledge says she has been told therapists may soon stop travelling to see Sophia due to the cuts. Sophia's physiotherapist is based nearby, but her occupational therapist and speech pathologist travel to the home. Ms Rutledge said it had taken years to find clinicians with the expertise to support her daughter's high and complex care needs. "We are beyond stressed that we will lose really good therapists … it would really impact her and our family," she said. On the Gold Coast, nine-year-old Nina Miska-McDonald took her first steps with the help of a physiotherapist. "Before the NDIS, I thought that the only option was to send her to a special school … but she was so social, I wanted her to be able to go to a mainstream school like her brother and sister," her mum Renata Miska said. "The fact that we could get her walking and holding someone's hand to walk into school, that has really helped." Ms Miska takes Nina to a physio clinic in Robina for some appointments, but workers come to her home for other support. Nina's physio Luke Newland said planned cuts to the hourly rate for allied services comes at a time when the fees are already stagnant. Lauren Newland, who runs Physio4Kids in Robina with her husband Luke, said the support they provided to children was not just about movement but "inclusion". "When we're cut, kids miss out, they can't go to the sports, they're left behind in the playground, they struggle with stairs at school," Mrs Newland said. She said she felt allied health services were being "singled out" by the cuts. The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) said the changes would bring NDIS prices more in line with broader industry benchmarks. "In some cases, NDIS price limits exceeded the market rate by up to 68 per cent," a spokesperson said. The agency said the new rules aimed to encourage efficient scheduling, reduce the risk of plans running out too quickly, and deliver better value for participants. Therapists working in remote and very remote areas will still be eligible for higher price loadings of 40 to 50 per cent.
