Disability - UN report
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In 2007 the UK signed up to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
The UK holds the dubious accolade of being the first country to be investigated for contravening the convention
The UN investigation centred around the Welfare Act 2012 and the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 and the impact these acts had on the welfare of people with disabilities
It was concluded both acts were enacted for reasons of austerity
The UN concluded that there is reliable evidence that the threshold of grave or systematic violations of the rights of persons with disabilities has been met by the coalition government
The government has implemented a policy aimed at reforming its welfare system and the reforms have been justified in the context of austerity measures to achieve fiscal and budgetary policy consolidation
The impact assessments conducted by the coalition expressly foresaw an adverse impact on persons with disabilities
Several measures have disproportionally and adversely affected the rights of persons with disabilities
Measures resulted in reduction of support provided to meet the extra cost of disability
Denial of reasonable accommodation in assessment procedures and realization of the right to employment have had a discriminatory effect on persons with disabilities
Persons with disabilities affected by policy changes have had their freedom of choice and control over their daily activities restricted
The extra cost of disability has been set aside and income protection has been curtailed as a result of benefit cuts
The expected policy goal of achieving decent and stable employment is far from being attained
41,792 Employment and Support Allowance work related activity group sanctions were handed out up to March 2014
Evidence gathered nationally by the Parliament, the independent monitoring framework, universities and research institutes and centres and independent experts, has documented adverse and disproportionate effects of measures on persons with disabilities
The government has not conducted a comprehensive human rights-based cumulative impact assessment
The Government continues its policy of reducing social benefits of persons with disabilities as reflected in the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016
Government should conduct a cumulative impact assessment of the measures adopted since 2010
The Government should ensure that such assessment is rights-based and meaningfully involves persons with disabilities and their representative organizations
Ensure that any intended measure of the welfare reform is rights-based, upholds the human rights model of disability
Ensure that any intended measure does not disproportionately and/or adversely affect the rights of persons with disabilities to independent living, an adequate standard of living and employment
The government should carry out human rights-based cumulative impact assessments of the whole range of intended measures that would have an impact on the rights of persons with disabilities
Ensure that any intended legislation and/or policy measure respects the core elements of the rights analysed in the UNCRPD report
Ensure persons with disabilities retain their autonomy, choice and control over their place of residence and with whom they live
Ensure persons with disabilities receive appropriate and individualized support, including through personal assistance, and have access to community-based services on an equal basis with others
Ensure persons with disabilities have access to security social schemes that ensure income protection, including in relation to the extra cost of disability
Ensure persons with disabilities have access and are supported in gaining employment in the open labour market on an equal basis with others
Ensure that public budgets take into account the rights of persons with disabilities and that sufficient budget allocations are made available to cover extra costs associated with living with a disability
Ensure that appropriate mitigation measures, with appropriate budget allocations, are in place for persons with disabilities affected by austerity measures
The government rejected the findings as they have done with all reports into the negative impact of disability rights reforms
Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green rejected the report's findings and said the document demonstrated "an outdated view of disability which is patronising and offensive"
Damian Green also said"The UN measures success as the amount of money poured into the system, rather than the work and health outcomes for disabled people"
Green also said "Our work and health Green Paper marks a turning point in our action to confront the attitudes, prejudices and misunderstandings within the minds of employers and across wider society."
The previous Labour government signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The next Labour government will sign the UNCRPD into UK law
The UK holds the dubious accolade of being the first country to be investigated for contravening the convention
The UN investigation centred around the Welfare Act 2012 and the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 and the impact these acts had on the welfare of people with disabilities
It was concluded both acts were enacted for reasons of austerity
The UN concluded that there is reliable evidence that the threshold of grave or systematic violations of the rights of persons with disabilities has been met by the coalition government
The government has implemented a policy aimed at reforming its welfare system and the reforms have been justified in the context of austerity measures to achieve fiscal and budgetary policy consolidation
The impact assessments conducted by the coalition expressly foresaw an adverse impact on persons with disabilities
Several measures have disproportionally and adversely affected the rights of persons with disabilities
Measures resulted in reduction of support provided to meet the extra cost of disability
Denial of reasonable accommodation in assessment procedures and realization of the right to employment have had a discriminatory effect on persons with disabilities
Persons with disabilities affected by policy changes have had their freedom of choice and control over their daily activities restricted
The extra cost of disability has been set aside and income protection has been curtailed as a result of benefit cuts
The expected policy goal of achieving decent and stable employment is far from being attained
41,792 Employment and Support Allowance work related activity group sanctions were handed out up to March 2014
Evidence gathered nationally by the Parliament, the independent monitoring framework, universities and research institutes and centres and independent experts, has documented adverse and disproportionate effects of measures on persons with disabilities
The government has not conducted a comprehensive human rights-based cumulative impact assessment
The Government continues its policy of reducing social benefits of persons with disabilities as reflected in the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016
Government should conduct a cumulative impact assessment of the measures adopted since 2010
The Government should ensure that such assessment is rights-based and meaningfully involves persons with disabilities and their representative organizations
Ensure that any intended measure of the welfare reform is rights-based, upholds the human rights model of disability
Ensure that any intended measure does not disproportionately and/or adversely affect the rights of persons with disabilities to independent living, an adequate standard of living and employment
The government should carry out human rights-based cumulative impact assessments of the whole range of intended measures that would have an impact on the rights of persons with disabilities
Ensure that any intended legislation and/or policy measure respects the core elements of the rights analysed in the UNCRPD report
Ensure persons with disabilities retain their autonomy, choice and control over their place of residence and with whom they live
Ensure persons with disabilities receive appropriate and individualized support, including through personal assistance, and have access to community-based services on an equal basis with others
Ensure persons with disabilities have access to security social schemes that ensure income protection, including in relation to the extra cost of disability
Ensure persons with disabilities have access and are supported in gaining employment in the open labour market on an equal basis with others
Ensure that public budgets take into account the rights of persons with disabilities and that sufficient budget allocations are made available to cover extra costs associated with living with a disability
Ensure that appropriate mitigation measures, with appropriate budget allocations, are in place for persons with disabilities affected by austerity measures
The government rejected the findings as they have done with all reports into the negative impact of disability rights reforms
Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green rejected the report's findings and said the document demonstrated "an outdated view of disability which is patronising and offensive"
Damian Green also said"The UN measures success as the amount of money poured into the system, rather than the work and health outcomes for disabled people"
Green also said "Our work and health Green Paper marks a turning point in our action to confront the attitudes, prejudices and misunderstandings within the minds of employers and across wider society."
The previous Labour government signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The next Labour government will sign the UNCRPD into UK law
