See Hear on AtW cap
8th March 2018
See Hear did an excellent program about the impact of the cap to ATW on deaf people. You could watch it until 5th April 2018. It is no longer available now.
See Hear did an excellent program about the impact of the cap to ATW on deaf people. You could watch it until 5th April 2018. It is no longer available now.
Victoria Derbyshire BBC looks at the impact of the cap
24th September 2017
ATW and the cap was on the Victoria Derbyshire programme on BBC Two on 24th September 17. The section starts 40 minutes into the Victoria Derbyshire program, 1:40 into the clip. The programme seems no longer to be available.
You can read about it and see a clip of Jenny Sealey being interviewed on the BBC news pages here.
ATW and the cap was on the Victoria Derbyshire programme on BBC Two on 24th September 17. The section starts 40 minutes into the Victoria Derbyshire program, 1:40 into the clip. The programme seems no longer to be available.
You can read about it and see a clip of Jenny Sealey being interviewed on the BBC news pages here.
Privatising AtW?
At the moment it doesn't look like DWP are thinking about privatising AtW.
15th February 2016
The Daily Mirror has reported that Ian Duncan Smith has paid consultants to look at how best to privatise AtW. (Click here to read the original article).
Stop the Changes campaign has written an open letter to him outlining the problems of doing this, and asking him to respond. (Click here to read the letter).
Ian Duncan Smith has replied. Click here to read the letter. In summary it says: there are no plans to privatise AtW (yet), external consultants will be paid to look at AtW and recommend options. The consultants may talk to customers etc.
There's also a good blog about some of these issues written by tourettes hero. (Click here to go to the blog).
15th February 2016
The Daily Mirror has reported that Ian Duncan Smith has paid consultants to look at how best to privatise AtW. (Click here to read the original article).
Stop the Changes campaign has written an open letter to him outlining the problems of doing this, and asking him to respond. (Click here to read the letter).
Ian Duncan Smith has replied. Click here to read the letter. In summary it says: there are no plans to privatise AtW (yet), external consultants will be paid to look at AtW and recommend options. The consultants may talk to customers etc.
There's also a good blog about some of these issues written by tourettes hero. (Click here to go to the blog).
While Deaf and disabled people's AtW is cut, AtW budget is underspent
27th June 2015
Limping Chicken reported that in an article on the Recruiter website they said that:
Speaking at an event in London this morning to promote Disability Confident, a campaign to remove barriers to employment for disabled people, minister for disabled people Justin Tomlinson revealed that £3m of last year’s £100m Access to Work budget was unspent.
“There is money available,” said Tomlinson, as he reiterated the government’s commitment to getting 1m more disabled people into work, thereby halving the ‘disability employment gap’.
Limping Chicken reported that in an article on the Recruiter website they said that:
Speaking at an event in London this morning to promote Disability Confident, a campaign to remove barriers to employment for disabled people, minister for disabled people Justin Tomlinson revealed that £3m of last year’s £100m Access to Work budget was unspent.
“There is money available,” said Tomlinson, as he reiterated the government’s commitment to getting 1m more disabled people into work, thereby halving the ‘disability employment gap’.
Independent newspaper story about AtW Equality Impact Assessment
8th May 2015
On 8th May 2015 the Independent newspaper released a story called "DWP releases document on cuts to disabled work access scheme hours after election result".
The original version of this newspaper story implied that the AtW scheme was being cut, and that this was being announced on the day that the Conservatives won the election.
This was not right. On 8th May the DWP released the AtW Equality Impact Assessment. In this impact assessment the DWP look at the impact of the cap on individual budgets. This cap was announced by Mark Harper 12th March 2015.
AtW have not said that the AtW budget is being cut, but that the maximum award for a Deaf or disabled person will be £40,800 (approx). (DeafATW agrees that the cap itself is a problem, and we discuss it on other updates).
The Independent have updated the story now, and corrected the mistake, saying: "An earlier version of this story indicated that the policy had been announced in the hours after the general election result. In fact the impact assessment for the policy was issued in the hours after the general election result, while the policy itself was issued in the run up to the general election in March."
On 8th May 2015 the Independent newspaper released a story called "DWP releases document on cuts to disabled work access scheme hours after election result".
The original version of this newspaper story implied that the AtW scheme was being cut, and that this was being announced on the day that the Conservatives won the election.
This was not right. On 8th May the DWP released the AtW Equality Impact Assessment. In this impact assessment the DWP look at the impact of the cap on individual budgets. This cap was announced by Mark Harper 12th March 2015.
AtW have not said that the AtW budget is being cut, but that the maximum award for a Deaf or disabled person will be £40,800 (approx). (DeafATW agrees that the cap itself is a problem, and we discuss it on other updates).
The Independent have updated the story now, and corrected the mistake, saying: "An earlier version of this story indicated that the policy had been announced in the hours after the general election result. In fact the impact assessment for the policy was issued in the hours after the general election result, while the policy itself was issued in the run up to the general election in March."
Ambition Capped - an excellent blog on the problems with the new cap on AtW budgets
4th May 2015
Tourettes hero has written an excellent blog explaining why the cap is discriminatory and unfair. Click here to read it. (I first read this on the Stop the Changes to AtW page - well worth looking at to keep up to date).
Tourettes hero has written an excellent blog explaining why the cap is discriminatory and unfair. Click here to read it. (I first read this on the Stop the Changes to AtW page - well worth looking at to keep up to date).
See Hear Election special - includes questions about AtW
1st April 2015
In 2015 See Hear broadcast an Election Special, with questions about AtW at the beginning of the program. It is no longer available to watch, but the link to the program page is here: See Hear Election special
In 2015 See Hear broadcast an Election Special, with questions about AtW at the beginning of the program. It is no longer available to watch, but the link to the program page is here: See Hear Election special
Deaf Hustings video - MPs answering questions about Access to Work.
12th March 2015
Action on Hearing Loss ran a Deaf Hustings event, and the first questions were about AtW. The event has been filmed, and is on YouTube with BSL and subtitles. Please click the link below to see what Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative answers say about AtW.
This hustings was just before Mark Harper announced further changes to AtW, including the cap. See Update below (12/3/15) for more about this.
Click here to watch the video
The MPs were: Mark Harper MP, Conservative, Minister of State for the Disabled People, Kate Green MP, Labour, Shadow Minister for Disabled People, Lord (Mike) German, Liberal Democrat, former Deputy First Minister for Wales and Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Committee for Work and Pensions.
Action on Hearing Loss ran a Deaf Hustings event, and the first questions were about AtW. The event has been filmed, and is on YouTube with BSL and subtitles. Please click the link below to see what Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative answers say about AtW.
This hustings was just before Mark Harper announced further changes to AtW, including the cap. See Update below (12/3/15) for more about this.
Click here to watch the video
The MPs were: Mark Harper MP, Conservative, Minister of State for the Disabled People, Kate Green MP, Labour, Shadow Minister for Disabled People, Lord (Mike) German, Liberal Democrat, former Deputy First Minister for Wales and Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Committee for Work and Pensions.
Good Guardian article about the changes to AtW
20th January 2015
Click here for the article - Quiet cuts undermine support for disabled people in the workplace.
Whilst not the focus of DeafATW, it's sometimes useful to remember that the problems Deaf and disabled people face with AtW, are part of a broader government approach to changing and removing their support.
This includes closing down the Independent Living Fund (ILF), the spare room (bedroom) tax, and changes to the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA). All of these changes affect Deaf and disabled people, have been made without involving them, and all make it harder, to study, work and live independently. Whilst this happens many of the politicians and newspapers continue to talk about benefits cheats and scroungers.
Hold our politicians to account for this, demand clarity and action from political parties, MPs' and prospective MPs', and vote accordingly.
Click here to read more about one young Deaf person's legal challenge about the changes to Disabled Student's Allowance (DSA).
Click here for the article - Quiet cuts undermine support for disabled people in the workplace.
Whilst not the focus of DeafATW, it's sometimes useful to remember that the problems Deaf and disabled people face with AtW, are part of a broader government approach to changing and removing their support.
This includes closing down the Independent Living Fund (ILF), the spare room (bedroom) tax, and changes to the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA). All of these changes affect Deaf and disabled people, have been made without involving them, and all make it harder, to study, work and live independently. Whilst this happens many of the politicians and newspapers continue to talk about benefits cheats and scroungers.
Hold our politicians to account for this, demand clarity and action from political parties, MPs' and prospective MPs', and vote accordingly.
Click here to read more about one young Deaf person's legal challenge about the changes to Disabled Student's Allowance (DSA).
Sunday Express article on impact of AtW changes on disabled actress and businesswoman
14th October 2014
Julie Fernandez (who gave evidence at the Select Committee) talks about the impact of the changes on her work and health.
Click here to read article
Julie Fernandez (who gave evidence at the Select Committee) talks about the impact of the changes on her work and health.
Click here to read article