Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights has slammed the DWP over changes to disability benefits, saying Iain Duncan Smith’s department broke the law with a botched consultation after trying to cover up negative responses from the public.In a letter to disability minister Maria Miller (below), the Committee backs the Spartacus report, produced by disability activists and criticises the DWP’s refusal to publish 5,500 consultation responses received on the Welfare Reform Act.
“Publication of such material late in the legislative process, or after its completion, prevents full scrutiny of policy decisions by Parliament and others.”Disability activists will eventually force disabled toilet-using Duncan Smith to publish the responses under freedom of information – but too late to have an impact on the Act, which was passed on the 29 February. The letter from committee chair Dr Hywel Francis MP was dated 6th March, but could not be published until it was reported to Parliament yesterday.
The letter in the wake news that GPs in Scotland have called for an immediate end to the controversial ATOS work capability assessments on the grounds that they could have a devastating impact on patients’ health.,,,read more
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