UK: Invitation from APPG Mental Health

Meeting on Debt and Mental Health

Tuesday 13 May, 10.30 – 12.00

Committee Room 18, House of Commons

We hope you will be able to join us for a joint meeting of the APPG on Debt and Personal Finance and the APPG Mental Health on Tuesday 13^th May 2014, where the groups will consider mental health and debt. The event is taking place during Mental Health Awareness Week 2014.

The meeting will be an opportunity to discuss the strong links between problem debt and mental ill health; to ask what steps creditors should take to reduce the likelihood of people with mental ill health or capacity limitations from getting into problem deb; to explore the possibility of a more coordinated approach between debt advice agencies and mental health service organisations; and to ask the question: how better can we support people facing problems with debt and mental health

Guest speakers include Martin Lewis, Founder of Money Saving Expert & Chris Fitch of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Please RSVP to lisa.townsend@parliament.uk or, if you have any queries, please call Mark Haslam on 020 7391 4584.

                                                                                                                                                                 

Lisa Townsend

Senior Parliamentary Assistant to James Morris MP

Member of Parliament for Halesowen and Rowley Regis

House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA

020 7219 8715

07912 422917

Keep up to date with James - Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Flickr

 

Seventh session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 10-12 June 2014

Seventh session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 10-12 June 2014

The 7th session of the Conference of States Parties will take place at United Nations Headquarters from 10 to 12 June 2014. The thematic discussions for this session are: Incorporating the CRPD provisions into the post-2015 development agenda; Youth with disabilities; and  National implementation and monitoring.

This session will include:

Six meetings:
(see Draft Programme: http://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/COP/COP7/draft_programme.pdf)

• Election of the Member of the CRPD Committee
• Matters related to the implementation of the Convention:
  (a) General debate
  (b) Round Table 1. Incorporating the Provisions of CRPD in the post-2015 development agenda
  (c) Round Table 2: National implementation and monitoring
  (d) Informal panel: Youth with disabilities
• Implementation of the Convention by the UN System

Documents

• Provisional agenda  ((CRPD/CSP/2014/1)
• Election of the members of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities under article 34 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (See online announcement: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CRPD/Pages/Elections2014.aspx)
• Background Paper for Roundtable One: Incorporating the provisions of the CRPD in the post-2015 development agenda (CRPD/CSP/2014/2)
• Background Paper for Roundtable Two: National implementation and monitoring (CRPD/CSP/2014/3)
• Background Paper for the Informal panel: Youth with disabilities (CRPD/CSP/2014/4)

Civil Society Participation

Registration: Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) must register online in order to attend this session. CSO representatives in possession of annual ground-passes should also pre-register. (Deadline: 30 May 2014)
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/cosp/2014/register.html

Participation of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs)

NHRIs must complete and submit the Registration form for NHRI participation (Deadline: 20 May 2014)
http://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/COP/COP7/cosp7_nhri_registration_form.doc

Side-events

(Deadline for application for side-events: 15 May)
http://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/COP/COP7/cosp7_side_event_application.doc

For more information on COSP7, please visit:

http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?navid=15&pid=1615

MILLIONS OF EUROPEANS WITH DISABILITIES EXCLUDED FROM THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE

MILLIONS OF EUROPEANS WITH DISABILITIES EXCLUDED FROM THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE

Brussels, 9 May 2014 | Today, on the day of Europe, less than two weeks before the European elections, EDF deplores that millions of persons with disabilities are being excluded from their right to vote.

For the first time in the EU history, the outcome of the elections will directly determine who becomes president of the European Commission, with top candidates from the different political forces running paneuropean campaigns.

In this crucial time of crisis in Europe, every vote counts and every voice should be heard!

EDF calls on the EU and the Members States to remove restrictions preventing citizens with disabilities from enjoying the rights to vote and to stand as candidate, guaranteed by EU Treaties, the EU Charter and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD). We also call on the European Commission to take measures to ensure that the right to vote in European elections enshrined in the Treaties is enforced for all citizens.

NOT ACCESSIBLE MORE THAN HALF OF THE POLLING STATIONS IN EUROPE

The Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) has unveiled the main findings of its EU-wide survey on the right to political participation of persons with disabilities in the EU. The survey, for which FRA cooperated with EDF, confirms that persons with disabilities face major barriers preventing them from enjoying the fundamental right to vote and to stand as candidate:

- Only 12 EU Member States out of 28 have accessibility standard for all polling stations. Moreover, most of standards focus only on persons with physical impairments, so they still exclude other persons with disabilities.
- In most Member States, the official websites providing instructions for voting and information on candidates do not meet the internationally recognised standards for internet accessibility.

ACCESSIBILITY OF TV DEBATES

The top candidates participate in a series of historic TV debates. But without sign language interpretation, nor subtitling, the first two debates broadcasted on France24 on 9 April and on Euronews on 28 April failed to reach all Europeans and excluded millions of persons with disabilities.

It is crucial that the upcoming TV debates between the top candidates, which contribute to provide information to voters across Europe in a moment that is particularly critical for Europe and its citizens, are accessible to citizens with disabilities.

In view of today’s TV debate, EDF contacted the organisers to receive their commitment that the debate foresees sign language interpretation and that the venue is accessible for persons with disabilities. EDF also calls on all broadcasters and organisers to follow that example.

The European disability movement campaigns for inclusion!

Join our campaign here!

Lila Sylviti
Communication
European Disability Forum | nothing about us without ustel +32 2 282 46 04 | fax +32 2 282 46 09 lila.sylviti@edf-feph.org - www.edf-feph.org

   

Disability Hate Crime Network: All Party Parliamentary Disability Group

Disability Hate Crime Network

All Party Parliamentary Disability Group On behalf of Baroness Campbell of Surbiton DBE and Rt Hon Anne McGuire MP, co-chairs of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Disability, I warmly invite you to a meeting of the Group on Tuesday, 10th June 2014, 2.30- 3.30 pm in Room 4A, House of Lords, Palace of Westminster The meeting will be addressed by:                            Lord Chris Holmes MBE The Disability Commissioner of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Lord Holmes MBE, will give a progress report on the EHRC Inquiry into Disability Harassment, including a summary of developments since he addressed the group in March 2013 Stephen Brookes MBE of the Hate Crime network, and Disability Rights UK, will comment on the progress and the involvement of the Third Party reporting toolkit. We very much hope to see you at the meeting. For further information or to confirm your attendance please email Philip.Connolly@disabilityrightsuk.org

follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Visit the DHCN Website.

Diabetic homeless man, evicted by a Council in the UK, needs your help

The below is a letter from Rob, and posted here with his permission:

HI SAM,

I'm still having a hellish time, getting nowhere with council.

Had bad hypo's two days in a row due to spending all my benefits

on a room and leaving nothing for food.

Even Newcastle Council wouldn't help me for food yesterday because

they said I have no local connection despite working there until i

got sick. I almost collapsed in the council office yesterday.

Were it not for people rallying around I would have had nothing to eat

today and no room. I've got something for today now but

can't keep going on like this day in day out, it's so draining.

 

 

Please help Rob by donating here: http://www.gofundme.com/6104ok.  

Thank you very much.

The DWP Jackboot

The DWP ministers have never expressed remorse for the welfare deaths and suicides of disabled people, and Esther McVey, who spewed venom at the disabled last Easter, should demonstrate contrition and be the first to condemn the brutal physical attack on Andrew Thorton, a mild-mannered young man with cerebral palsy and learning difficulties.

Yet she and her fellow DWP ministers remain silent, putting the Department's jackboot on our faces. The imprint of disability hate is ugly.

http://metro.co.uk/2014/04/05/andrew-thornton-thug-liam-chisholm-jailed-for-sick-attack-on-cerebral-palsy-sufferer-4689603/?ITO=facebook

SOUTHWARK BENEFIT JUSTICE CAMPAIGN

Supported by

Public and Commercial Services Union

How to Challenge Your Benefit Sanction

The government have a deliberate policy of increasing sanctions to force people off benefits – hitting the most vulnerable hardest. More than 800,000 people have been sanctioned in the last year, often for petty reasons like being a few minutes late for an appointment. The main union for jobcentre workers, the Public and Commercial Services union, says political pressure is putting intolerable pressure on staff. The union says: ' the government’s stricter rules have led to target-like objectives being set for staff to sanction a certain number of claimants, regardless of their behaviour. This has often come with the threat of disciplinary action and is unfair on both staff and the people entitled to benefits who they are there to help.'

If we all challenge sanctions we can help make this vicious policy unworkable.

Challenging a sanction cannot negatively affect your benefit, and it might get you your money back.

There is a two stage procedure to challenge a sanction:-

1. When you get the sanction notification letter from Jobcentre Plus, write back to the address on that letter stating that you want it reconsidered. If you wish, you can use form DR7 (available from your jobcentre). They MUST get your letter/form within one month of the date of their letter. You have to give your reason(s) for disagreeing with their decision, e.g. because it is unreasonable/unfair: see below. Keep a copy and get a free certificate of posting from the post office.

2. Jobcentre Plus may ask you for more information, but must eventually send you their written decision, called a mandatory reconsideration notice. If you disagree with this decision, then you should appeal. To appeal you should use form SSCS1, available from your local CAB (www.southwarkcabservice.org.uk) or you can complete and/or download and print it from the internet at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/181311/SSCS1.pdf . Your grounds for appeal are your reasons, and can be the same as you gave at stage (1), but you can add or substitute new reasons. Your appeal MUST reach the Appeals Centre within 1 month of the date of the mandatory reconsideration notice, and you must attach a copy of that notice to your appeal. Indicate on the form that you want to attend a hearing of your appeal (because claimants who attend are more likely to win): get advice as soon as you get the hearing date, if not before.

Your reasons for challenging decisions are basically common sense, e.g. -

• The activity you were told to do or attend would not have helped you find a job – say why. (For example, if you were sanctioned for not attending an information session that you knew was identical to one you had already been to).

• You were not given proper details of where you were supposed to be, or when you were supposed to be there.

• You did not apply for a particular job because either you didn't meet its requirements, it was impossible to do that job due to childcare commitments, the job was over 90 minutes travel time away, or taking the job would actually have left you worse off.

• List all the things you did to look for a job during the time they said you didn't do enough to look for work – check this list against your Job Seekers Agreement, which tells you what things you agreed to do every week.

• If you have done the activities you normally do (and have no different instructions) you should mention this. If you have been doing the same things for weeks and this has been acceptable then they should have informed you of any new instructions; otherwise you have a strong case to say you are meeting the job-seeking requirements.

• A “Job Seekers Direction” is a particular type of letter that the jobcentre might have given you. It basically means it is compulsory to attend whatever appointment it is telling you about. If you were sanctioned for not complying with a “Job Seekers Direction”, state that you should not have been given the Job Seekers Direction if any of the following apply to you:-
  • you were given it at your first appointment;
  • you had no history of missing appointments when it was given to you; or
  • you were given it by an adviser who did not know your circumstances.

• If you were sanctioned for being a few minutes late for an appointment, say so and give the reasons you were late.

GET ADVICE if you miss the 1 month time limit.

When your JSA is sanctioned, the computers will stop your housing benefit and council tax support: you should reclaim these immediately at the Council Neighbourhood Office. You might be able to get, from Jobcentre Plus, hardship payments, which are paid at a lower rate than JSA: claim at the jobcentre.

We are here to give support, to give advice about dealing with Jobcentre Plus and Work Programme providers, and to pressure them and government into treating us better. We do this by working together. Join our support and information group:

LONDON UNEMPLOYED STRATEGIES GROUP

TUESDAYS 10.00 am – 12.00 pm

The Employment Academy, Thames Reach

29 Peckham Road, London SE5 8UA

Or contact: southwarkbenfitjustice@gmail.com, facebook.com/southwarkbenefitjustice

Phone 07896 341964