Latest news with #disabilityRights
The Guardian
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘This isn't a U-turn': disabled people react to passing of watered-down welfare bill
When Tim Boxall went to the protest outside Westminster on the eve of the welfare reform vote, he knew the 32 degree heat would exacerbate his multiple sclerosis. But he felt he had to be there. 'The hour train here and the heat will cause me spasms, pain, fatigue, and set off motor and vocal tics,' he says. 'It'll take days bedbound to recover, but if we don't fight our own corner, who will?' Boxall, 50, has received the personal independence payment (Pip) for a decade and calls it a 'lifeline', particularly since he had to give up work as a credit controller for a high street bank. The benefit bought the wheelchair he's using today. 'It pays for care but also things that give me a life, not just an existence.' When news of the government's win off the back of a major climbdown on Pip reached him, Boxall felt 'disappointed' but 'not disheartened'. 'The patchwork of desperate, last-minute face-saving concessions, legislating on the fly is an absolute embarrassment,' he says. 'This isn't a U-turn. It's more smoke and mirrors,' according to Ellen Clifford from the campaign group Disabled People Against Cuts. 'They might have bought votes with promises of co-producing the Pip review but how can we trust a government like this?' 'Let's not forget that the huge universal credit cut for new claimants remained in the bill unchanged,' she added. 'It makes a mockery of any claims to be protecting vulnerable people.' Sarah Finnegan, housebound with severe ME, has been watching the chaos leading up to the vote at home after 'months of intense fears' over losing her benefits. The 44-year-old, who asked to use a pseudonym out of worry people might not believe her illness, relies on Pip to pay carers who cook, clean and shop for her alongside her elderly parents. She's a single mother to her five-year-old daughter and is 'desperate' to be well enough to go back to work as a counsellor. 'Without [Pip], I genuinely don't know how I'd survive – how I'd keep my child warm and fed,' she says. 'I'm housebound and can't physically access a food bank.' With the Pip changes now delayed and contingent on a major review in autumn 2026, Finnegan is suspicious of the claim disabled people's input will be genuinely taken on board. Charlotte Hughes says: 'If the main aim of the government is to cut costs to 'put disability benefits on a more sustainable footing' then what are the chances of disabled people being really listened to when the Pip criteria are rewritten? The cruelty [of this legislation] is unlike any I've seen in recent history.' The 52-year-old, who is unable to work due to fluid on the brain as well as anxiety and depression, has to get by on the health component of universal credit. 'As a disabled person, it's already difficult to survive. We've already cut back on everything that we can and we can't cut back any more.' Despite the government's last-minute changes, Hughes says 'it's a dark day' for the disabled community. 'We expected it from the Tory party. But Labour were elected because of their promises to make positive changes. I didn't vote Labour for cruelty and the continuation of Tory party policy. It's unforgivable.' As he heads home, Boxall is 'drained' and 'resentful' of the months of stress he and other disabled and sick people have faced. 'As a community, we've been put through a mental and physical wringer,' he says. 'My health is at the worst I've known them. But we carry on fighting because it's our lifeline at stake. Now, I start days of recuperation.'
The Independent
01-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Disabled Labour MP breaks down in tears over party's welfare cuts
A disabled Labour MP cried as she delivered an impassioned speech criticising her party's welfare cuts on Tuesday, 1 July. Marie Tidball, MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge since 2024, explained that she felt compelled to join politics after the Conservatives' series of severe spending cuts and tax increases when they were last in government. Ms Tidball, who was born with a congenital disability affecting all four limbs, condemned Labour's proposed cuts and confirmed that she would be voting against the bill. The bill would see changes made to personal independence payment (Pip) and the health-related element of universal credit.
BBC News
01-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Benefits plan a 'clear attack on disabled people'
Planned changes health and disability benefits that face a crucial vote in the Commons later are a "clear attack on disabled people", a disability rights activist has Hamilton, from Bangor, County Down, said the Labour government proposals, if passed, would have "a devastating impact on disabled people". The proposals involve changing eligibility criteria for the personal independence payment (PIP) and the health element of universal credit (UC).However, the move has proved controversial, with Sir Keir Starmer facing the biggest rebellion of his time premiership to date. The Labour Party laid out major concessions to the bill in the hope of defusing rebels after more than 120 backbenchers threatened to vote down the governments despite watering down the bill, which MPs will vote on in the House of Commons on Tuesday, dozens of Labour MPs are expected to vote against 80 Labour MPs would have to vote against the bill for the government to be defeated. The benefits system is devolved in Northern Ireland but in practice the Stormont administration mostly copies what is happening in England and Northern Ireland Executive does not have the resources to mitigate Labour's plans, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has said. 'Discriminating against Andrew Hamilton, who has cerebral palsy and receives Pip, told Good Morning Ulster said changes to the government's plan could, on a surface level, be seen as a "positive step" but they were "political concessions". "The system needs to be more user-centric, it needs to be more focused on what the disabled person can do."To get people back into work they need to put measures in where disabled people aren't discriminated against and employers are supported."Mr Hamilton, who founded the Just Include UK campaign group, said that the government bill "is not the answer".Pip supports many disabled people to continuing working, the cost of transport to maintain employment," he added."The government needs to support people instead of trying to take away stuff." What are Northern Ireland's MPs saying? The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Gregory Campbell told Good Morning Ulster that while the government's position has "changed slightly" he will vote against the proposed bill. "The marginalised and the people who are going to be most directly affected are going to be impacted very negatively by the government's proposals."I think the overall welfare budget has to be addressed." He added that he did not believe anyone could argue against bringing the "massively increasing amount of payments" made to the entirety of welfare benefit "under control", but said the it should not be done "at the expense of the most marginalised and disadvantaged". He added "people want to see a bigger crackdown on those who abuse the system". Social Democratic And Labour Party (SDLP) leader and MP Claire Hanna said the bill "puts the fiscal horse before the employment cart". "There are reforms that would support people with employment but they haven't been done yet."Hanna said that in England an employment bill has just passed but one in Northern Ireland is "not even out of the traps yet"."Devolution is about using the powers that we have to protect people here."Hanna said it will be an "economic shock" for those in Northern Ireland as there is a higher claimant rate than the rest of the UK."It is going to take the political structures here to step up and support people."
The Guardian
30-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Disabled Amazon workers in corporate jobs allege ‘systemic discrimination'
Disabled corporate workers at Amazon have accused the company of engaging in 'systemic discrimination', aggressively quashing their attempts to organize, and using artificial intelligence systems that they allege do not comply with US disability laws. At the center of the Amazon workers' complaints are allegations that the company has denied requests for accommodations for disabled staff in an 'automated' or 'semi-automated' way and have allegedly repeatedly removed messages and a petition from an employee Slack channel. Amazon disputes allegations that it discriminates against disabled workers. A 31 May letter sent on behalf of a group of more than 200 disabled workers to top executives, including Amazon's chief executive, Andy Jassy, claimed the company was fundamentally out of step with federal requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the 1990 civil rights law that protects people against discrimination based on disabilities. The letter cited policies related to return-to-office mandates, which the letter said were being pushed on disabled workers who previously were allowed to work from home based on medical recommendations, accommodation procedures and accessibility. Among other issues, it raised concerns that employee decisions around accommodation were being driven by AI processes that – one source claimed – do not necessarily follow ADA rules. One disabled corporate employee who had feared retribution for coming forward about workplace complaints told the Guardian they had been fired without explanation over the course of being interviewed for this story. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity while they were in the process of seeking new employment. 'After the removal of the messages on Slack and my firing, others are now afraid. I talk with them and they are terrified about Amazon doing this,' the person said. The employee who was fired was one of the leaders of a campaign to organize disabled workers. An email the person sent to senior Amazon managers on 6 June, which was seen by the Guardian, accused the company of violating federal labor rules that ensure rights to collective bargaining and disability-related rights to share information with others who have a disability. 'My Slack access was removed preventing me from sending updates, coordinating and engaging in [National Labor Relations Act] protected activities,' the person said. The Guardian was also provided screenshots of Slack messages and a petition that appears to have been removed from an Amazon employee Slack channel on disability and accessibility issues. Amazon did not dispute claims that the messages had been removed. The company said the messages were a violation of company policy to use Amazon's electronic systems for solicitation purposes. Amazon did dispute claims that it had retaliated against employees for seeking to organize on labor issues. A spokesperson said: 'Amazon respects employees' rights to organize and doesn't interfere with these rights. We don't discriminate or retaliate against employees for engaging in organizing activities.' In the 33-page letter to Jassy and other senior Amazon executives, the disabled workers said: 'The systemic discrimination, retaliation, and policy failures documented here not only violate the ADA but also erode trust, harm individual health, and compromise the company's integrity. We demand immediate action to reform these policies, foster a truly inclusive workplace, and uphold the rights of all employees.' The letter cited internal polls conducted by the group of Amazon employees, with 93% of respondents with disabilities claiming that current policies had harmed them. Another 71% of respondents claimed that more than half of their job accommodation requests had been denied or were unmet, and 92% reported a lack of an accessible job accommodation process. 'Employees requesting accommodations often encounter a lack of meaningful dialogue – requests are ignored, denied without explanation, or dismissed via automated systems,' the letter stated. The workers made a public petition to Amazon executives to address their concerns shortly after the email, earlier this month. In response to a request for comment, Amazon said an external survey of what it called a small number of unverified employees was not reflective of the opinions of everyone with a disability and that it was inaccurate to suggest otherwise. The company also said its disability and leave services team ensured that employees had access to accommodations and adjustments and that the decisions were driven by empathy. The process was not automated or semi-automated, Amazon said, and it denied that AI had been used for case processing or decision-making in the accommodation process. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion The disabled Amazon workers are overwhelmingly corporate, not warehouse, workers. People who spoke to the Guardian on the condition of anonymity were particularly angry about their claims that efforts to organize on Slack – which they said was a modern-day version of the office water cooler – were being denied and suppressed, including by the company allegedly removing posts that sought out workers' opinions. 'The company is cracking down, and they're very concerned, and many people are being told not to post here,' claimed one Amazon employee. Another employee who no longer works at Amazon claimed management had dismissed disabled workers' complaints as being 'disruptive and unproductive', and had undermined the first-ever corporate union collective bargaining group. The National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency that is meant to protect federal worker rights, has recently weighed in on employers suppressing workers' organizing efforts on workplace Slack accounts: in October 2024, the NLRB issued a complaint against Apple, alleging the company was interfering with workers' rights to collectively advocate for improved working conditions on Slack. In a statement at the time, Apple said it disagreed with the claims. The case was indefinitely postponed by the NLRB in March 2025; the reasons for that move are unclear. In 2023, Amazon touted a ranking of 'best place to work for disability inclusion' from a non-profit it funds. But the company has also faced a handful of legal challenges related to its treatment of disabled workers. A 2023 report by United for Respect alleged Amazon's warehouse workers face systemic barriers in obtaining reasonable job accommodations for their disabilities or workplace injuries at the company. A 2024 lawsuit was filed against Amazon for allegedly failing to provide a sign language interpreter to a deaf employee at a warehouse in California. Amazon has denied the claim and the case in still being litigated. Pamela Hayter, a former Amazon employee, accused Amazon in 2023 of retaliating against her for advocating for remote work in response to Amazon's return-to-office mandate. Amazon has claimed she had performance issues. The best public interest journalism relies on first-hand accounts from people in the know. If you have something to share on this subject you can contact us confidentially using the following methods. Secure Messaging in the Guardian app The Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories. Messages are end to end encrypted and concealed within the routine activity that every Guardian mobile app performs. This prevents an observer from knowing that you are communicating with us at all, let alone what is being said. If you don't already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS/Android) and go to the menu. Select 'Secure Messaging'. SecureDrop, instant messengers, email, telephone and post See our guide at for alternative methods and the pros and cons of each.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Disabled Amazon workers in corporate jobs allege ‘systemic discrimination'
Disabled corporate workers at Amazon have accused the company of engaging in 'systemic discrimination', aggressively quashing their attempts to organize, and using artificial intelligence systems that they allege do not comply with US disability laws. At the center of the Amazon workers' complaints are allegations that the company has denied requests for accommodations for disabled staff in an 'automated' or 'semi automated' way and have allegedly repeatedly removed messages and a petition from an employee Slack channel. Amazon disputes allegations that it discriminates against disabled workers. A 31 May letter sent on behalf of a group of more than 200 disabled workers to top executives, including Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy, claimed the company was fundamentally out of step with federal requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the 1990 civil rights law that protects people against discrimination based on disabilities. The letter cited policies related to return-to-office mandates, which the letter said were being pushed on disabled workers who previously were allowed to work from home based on medical recommendations, accommodation procedures and accessibility. Among other issues, it raised concerns that employee decisions around accommodation were being driven by AI processes that – one source claimed – do not necessarily follow ADA rules. One disabled corporate employee who had feared retribution for coming forward about workplace complaints told the Guardian they had been fired without explanation over the course of being interviewed for this story. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity while they were in the process of seeking new employment. 'After the removal of the messages on Slack and my firing, others are now afraid. I talk with them and they are terrified about Amazon doing this,' the person said. The employee who was fired was one of the leaders of a campaign to organize disabled workers. An email the person sent to senior Amazon managers on 6 June, which was seen by the Guardian, accused the company of violating federal labor rules that ensure rights to collective bargaining and disability-related rights to share information with others who have a disability. 'My Slack access was removed preventing me from sending updates, coordinating and engaging in [National Labor Relations Act] protected activities,' the person said. The Guardian was also provided screenshots of Slack messages and a petition that appears to have been removed from an Amazon employee Slack channel on disability and accessibility issues. Amazon did not dispute claims that the messages had been removed. The company said the messages were a violation of company policy to use Amazon's electronic systems for solicitation purposes. Amazon did dispute claims that it had retaliated against employees for seeking to organize on labor issues. A spokesperson said: 'Amazon respects employees' rights to organize and doesn't interfere with these rights. We don't discriminate or retaliate against employees for engaging in organizing activities.' In the 33-page letter to Jassy and other senior Amazon executives, the disabled workers said: 'The systemic discrimination, retaliation, and policy failures documented here not only violate the ADA but also erode trust, harm individual health, and compromise the company's integrity. We demand immediate action to reform these policies, foster a truly inclusive workplace, and uphold the rights of all employees.' The letter cited internal polls conducted by the group of Amazon employees, with 93% of respondents with disabilities claiming that current policies have harmed them. Another 71% of respondents claimed that more than half of their job accommodation requests had been denied or were unmet, and 92% reported a lack of an accessible job accommodation process. 'Employees requesting accommodations often encounter a lack of meaningful dialogue – requests are ignored, denied without explanation, or dismissed via automated systems,' the letter stated. The workers made a public petition to Amazon executives to address their concerns shortly after the email, earlier this month. In response to a request for comment, Amazon said an external survey of what it called a small number of unverified employees was not reflective of the opinions of everyone with a disability and that it was inaccurate to suggest otherwise. The company also said its disability and leave services team ensured that employees had access to accommodations and adjustments and that the decisions were driven by empathy. The process was not automated or semi-automated, Amazon said, and it denied that AI had been used for case processing or decision-making in the accommodation process. The disabled Amazon workers are overwhelmingly corporate, not warehouse, workers. People who spoke to the Guardian on the condition of anonymity were particularly angry about their claims that efforts to organize on Slack – which they said was a modern-day version of the office water cooler – were being denied and suppressed, including by the company allegedly removing posts that sought out workers' opinions. Related: Amazon boss tells staff AI means their jobs are at risk in coming years 'The company is cracking down, and they're very concerned, and many people are being told not to post here,' claimed one Amazon employee. Another employee who no longer works at Amazon claimed management had dismissed disabled workers' complaints as being 'disruptive and unproductive', and had undermined the first-ever corporate union collective bargaining group. The National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency that is meant to protect federal worker rights, has recently weighed in on employers suppressing workers' organizing efforts on workplace Slack accounts: in October 2024, the NLRB issued a complaint against Apple, alleging the company was interfering with workers' rights to collectively advocate for improved working conditions on Slack. In a statement at the time, Apple said it disagreed with the claims. The case was indefinitely postponed by the NLRB in March 2025; the reasons for that move are unclear. In 2023, Amazon touted a ranking of 'best place to work for disability inclusion' from a non-profit it funds. But the company has also faced a handful of legal challenges related to its treatment of disabled workers. A 2023 report by United for Respect alleged Amazon's warehouse workers face systemic barriers in obtaining reasonable job accommodations for their disabilities or workplace injuries at the company. A 2024 lawsuit was filed against Amazon for allegedly failing to provide a sign language interpreter to a deaf employee at a warehouse in California. Amazon has denied the claim and the case in still being litigated. Pamela Hayter, a former Amazon employee, accused Amazon in 2023 of retaliating against her for advocating for remote work in response to Amazon's return-to-office mandate. Amazon has claimed she had performance issues.
