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1940-01-012024-11-06 Government and Media Stigmatisation

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Alan McArdle
Alison Ravetz
Amber Rudd
Angus Robertson
Atos
BBC
Ben Baumberg Geiger
Black Activists Rising Against the Cuts
Black Triangle Campaign
Boris Johnson
Brian McArdle
British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
British Medical Association
British Psychoanalytic Council
British Psychological Society
Capita
Carer Watch
Carol Black
Centre for Welfare Reform
Channel 4
Child Poverty Action Group
China Mills
Chloe Smith
Christian Wilcox
Citizens Advice
Colin Traynor
Conservative Party
Court of Appeal
Daily Mail
David Barr
David Cameron
David Clapson
David Freud
David Gauke
Debbie Abrahams
Deidre Brock
Demos
Department for Work and Pensions
Department of Health
Department of Health and Social Care
Department of Health and Social Security
Department of Social Security
Diane Hullah
Disability Murals Project
Disability News Service
Disability Rights UK
Disabled People Against Cuts
Disabled People’s Direct Action Network
Disabled People’s Organisations
Dolly Sen
Dr Paul Litchfield
Dr Stephen Carty
Ed Miliband
Edward Jacques
Equality and Human Rights Commission
Errol Graham
Faiza Ahmed (Sophie)
Frances McCormack
George Osborne
Gordon Waddell
Hannah Kemp-Welch
Iain Duncan Smith
Inclusion London
Jackie Doyle-Price
James Oliver
James Purnell
Jane Bence
Jeremy Corbyn
Job Centre Plus
Jodey Whiting
John Major
John McDonnell
Joseph Rowntee Foundation
Joy Dove
Kamil Ahmad
Karen Sherlock
Keith Joseph
Ker Featherstone
Kevan Jones
Kim Burton
Labour Party
Lawrence Bond
Liam Byrne
Liberal Democrats
Lilian Greenwood
Linda Wootton
Liverpool University
Liz Crow
Liz Sayce
Lord Bach
Luke Alexander Loy
Mad Pride
Malcolm Harrington
Mansel Aylward
Maria Eagle
Mark Barber
Mark Harper
Mark Wood
Marsha de Cordova
Mary Hassell
Maximus
Mental Health and Unemployment in Scotland
Mercy Baguma
Michael Meacher
Michael O’Sullivan
Mike Penning
Mike Wood
Mind
Ministry of Justice
Moira Drury
Ms DE
National Audit Office
National Health Service
New Approach
Nick Dilworth
Nick Wikeley
Office of Population Censuses and Surveys
Pat’s Petition
Paul Donnachie
Paul Farmer
Paul Reekie
Peter Hain
Peter Lilley
Peter Schofield
Philip Pakree
Philippa Day
Priti Patel
Psychologists Against Austerity
Public Law Project
Rachel Reeves
Reclaiming Our Futures Alliance
Recovery in The Bin
Rethink
Revolving Doors
Richards Caseby
Rick Burgess
Roy Curtis
Scottish National Party
Scrap Universal Credit Alliance
Sema
Sheila Holt
Sir Leigh Lewis
Sisters of Frida
Social Security Advisory Committee
Spartacus Network
Stephanie Bottrill
Stephen Carré
Stephen Crabb
Stephen Smith
Steve Webb
Supplementary Benefits Commission
Susan Roberts
Terence Talbot
The Express
The Green party
The Mental Health Resistance Network
The National Autistic Society
The National Institute of Economic and Social Research
The One Nation Group
The Sun
Theresa May
Therese Coffey
Thompson Hall
Tim Salter
Timothy Finn
Tom Osborne
Tony Blair
Turn2Us
UK Council for Psychotherapy
Uncut
United Nations
Unum
Vince Laws
William Beveridge
WinVisible
Work and pensions committee
WOW Campaign
Yvette Cooper
William Beveridge published the Social Insurance and Allied Services report.
National Insurance (NI) Act 1965 and the Ministry of Social Security Act (MSSA) 1966.
Introduction of Invalidity Benefit for people who had to leave their trade or occupation after sustaining an injury or developing a long-term illness.
UK Conservative Government tries to minimise 1980s unemployment figures by misrepresenting statistics and also misleadingly encouraging the moving of unemployed people onto disability benefits.
Peter Lilley (secretary of state for social security) talks about “closing down the something for nothing society” and tightening up on “scroungers” and “bogus asylum seekers”.
John Major says it “beggars belief that so many more people have suddenly become invalids”, laying the foundations for the upcoming Social Security (Incapacity for Work) Bill.
US insurance company Unum Provident advise the UK government on ‘welfare reform’ to reduce the number of claimants of long-term sickness benefits.
The Social Security (Incapacity for Work) Bill and research paper published, discussing role of GPs in determining access to benefits.
Professor Wikeley publishes paper highlighting the risks of The Social Security (Incapacity for Work) Act 1994, saying that it reaffirms idea of the ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ poor, begins the move away from GP-led benefits assessments, and is designed to encourage people to take up private insurance, leaving marginalised groups with inadequate protection.
Regulation 27 ‘substantial risk’ – a key safety net for claimants at risk of serious harm if they are found fit for work – is removed from regulations.
Publication by the Blair ‘New Labour’ administration of new social security green paper “New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare”, setting out the principles of welfare reform based on the idea of “welfare dependency”.
The Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 receives Royal Assent.
‘Permanent Health Insurance’ Westminster Hall debate by Clive Efford MP debated the increasing wrongful denial of PHI claims.
Woodstock conference on “malingering and illness deception”, partly funded by UnumProvident and DWP, will play a key role in justifying welfare reform.
News programmes expose claims denial practices in the USA at Unum (who are currently advising the UK government on welfare reform).
Ministers try again to remove the “substantial risk” clause from regulation 27, reversing the effect of the Court of Appeal ruling.
Publication of “Is Work Good for Health and Well-being?”, claims to provide evidence that work is good for health, which will be used by government to justify pressuring disabled people into work.
The New Labour government publishes “A New Deal for Welfare” green paper, introducing the new employment and support allowance, which will replace incapacity benefit and include conditionality for most claimants.
Tony Blair supports welfare shake-up, warning that unemployed people, single parents and those on incapacity benefit that they could no longer expect “a lifetime” on benefit.
New Labour commission report from investment banker David Freud on “reducing dependency” in the welfare system.
Welfare Reform Act 2007 receives royal assent, introducing changes that will impact millions of disabled people, including the new employment and support allowance (ESA) and the work capability assessment (WCA).
Labour’s work and pensions secretary Peter Hain vows to “rip up sicknote Britain.”
Labour announces the new work capability assessment for claiming employment and support allowance, with DWP claiming that “Fifty per cent of those who take the assessment will not pass it”.
David Freud suggests that less than a third of those claiming incapacity benefit are legitimate claimants.
Work and pensions secretary (of the Blair administration) announces plans to get tough on “scroungers” by retesting everyone on Incapacity Benefit through the new Work Capability Assessment.
Introduction of Employment and Support Allowance and the Work Capability Assessment – key elements of Labour’s welfare reform which aims to use conditionality to cut spending on out-of-work benefits.
White Paper ‘Raising Expectations and Increasing Support: Reforming Welfare for the Future’, which claims that “everyone on incapacity benefit” will be moved to ESA, and supports use of conditionality and sanctions, is discussed in House of Lords.
The Express publishes misleading and inaccurate benefit fraud story about incapacity benefit claimants “faking their illnesses”.
Labour government voted out in general election, leading to formation of coalition between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
Budget reveals plans to slash spending on disability living allowance through a new assessment process.
Iain Duncan Smith suggests disabled people are to blame for planned cuts to Disability Living Allowance.
Prime minister adds to “benefit scrounger” rhetoric aimed at claimants of incapacity benefit.
Coroner Tom Osborne writes to the father of Stephen Carré, saying he has received no “substantive response” to his prevention of future deaths report.
Professor Malcolm Harrington publishes his first independent review of the Work Capability Assessment, finding that the system is “impersonal” but not “broken” (later evidence would emerge that he had not been informed by DWP of the coroner’s report for Stephen Carré.)
The Sun publishes an interview with Iain Duncan Smith on “Benefits Britain.”
Daily Mail article wrongly claims that 400,000 disabled benefit claimants were “trying it on”, and that 94 per cent of new claimants are able to work.
Publication of “Getting In, Staying In and Getting On: Disability Employment Support Fit for the Future” recommending end to government subsidies for Remploy factories and producing disagreement within the disabled people’s movement.
Labour’s shadow secretary of state for Work and Pensions claims Labour lost the 2010 election because it was not seen as tough enough on welfare.
Iain Duncan Smith tells Conservative party conference that incapacity benefit is abused and open to fraud.
BBC broadcasts The Future State of Welfare, which mirrors government rhetoric, and uses faulty data, about the work capability assessment system.
Research shows a ‘significant increase’ in the number of negative stories about disabled people in national newspapers over the last six years.
Evidence emerges of Unum’s influence on UK welfare reform.
Research report evidences “influence of politicians’ rhetoric” in increasing stigma against benefit claimants.
Commons invokes financial privilege to pass the Welfare Reform Act 2012, quashing Lords amendments to soften changes to the benefits system.
Welfare Reform Act, which introduces universal credit and introduces the “bedroom tax”, receives royal assent.
Email leaked from Jobcentre managers to staff after a claimant attempts suicide after being told his sickness benefit would be cut off.
Two investigative documentaries about Atos and the work capability assessment (WCA) are broadcast on the same night, showing evidence of target driven assessment culture.
Survey finds negative press coverage of disabled people, supported by government in order to justify cuts, is increasing, contributing to disability hate crime.
George Osborne refers to welfare claimants as “sleeping off a life on benefits” in speech to Conservative party conference.
Linda Wootton dies nine days after DWP upholds its decision to declare her “fit for work.”
David Cameron tells The Sun that the welfare system has “lost its way” and become a “lifestyle choice for some”
The death of Stephanie Bottrill  – her suicide note blames the government’s “bedroom tax”.
Peter Lilley, security secretary in John Major’s government and one of the architects of the Work Capability Assessment, says he has “no regrets” and denies insurance industry influence.
Rachel Reeves, the new shadow secretary of state for work and pensions, says Labour would be tougher on welfare than the coalition.
The UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights condemns “intrusive” Work Capability Assessment and the demonization of poor people as undeserving.
Publication of fourth independent review of the Work Capability Assessment – with no mention of deaths or suicides.
Despite the Court of Appeal ruling that the Work Capability Assessment discriminates against people with mental health conditions, the DWP tells senior civil servants it is “business as usual”.
The new Conservative minister for disabled people insists DWP is right to ignore reports of deaths linked to benefits.
Rachel Reeves, Labour’s shadow secretary of state for work and pensions, says: “We are not the party of people on benefits.”
Survey shows that “benefit scrounger rhetoric” is causing disability hate crime.
Iain Duncan Smith tells claimants to “work your way out of poverty”.
Iain Duncan Smith accuses government of deliberately attacking disabled people through “indefensible” cuts because “they don’t vote for us”.
Kamil Ahmad, a disabled Kurdish asylum seeker, is murdered 
Jobcentre Plus (JCP) worker caught making racist comments on the phone.
Government leaks UN committee on the rights of persons with disabilities report to Mail on Sunday in attempt to discredit its findings.
DWP data shows some groups are at substantially higher risk of experiencing a jobseekers allowance (JSA) sanction.
Portraying UK disabled people as “parasites” could lead to “violence and killings”, says UN chair.
Work and pensions secretary David Gauke admits sanctions can harm claimants with mental health issues.
Windrush scandal shows UK Government threatening, detaining, and deporting Commonwealth citizens. 
The Commons work and pensions committee finds the assessment system is undermined by “pervasive culture of mistrust”.
Research shows that benefit sanctions regime discriminates against disabled people claiming jobseeker’s allowance (JSA).
DWP admits destroying pre-2015 peer reviews into suicides and other deaths of benefit claimants.
Death of Mercy Baguma, an asylum seeker from Uganda.  
Work and pensions secretary denies DWP has duty of care or statutory safeguarding responsibilities for people claiming benefits.
Work and pensions secretary outlines DWP’s revised guidance on home visits procedures, while again saying the department has no duty of care.
Work and pensions secretary again tells the Commons work and pensions select committee that DWP has no duty of care.
Former work and pensions secretary admits harsh benefit cuts were responsible for rising poverty.
Research shows testimony from DWP staff admitting inflicting “psychological harm” on claimants to meet unofficial sanctioning targets during coalition years.
Pre-2016 internal guidance for DWP staff suggests DWP have duty of care to benefits claimants.
DWP publishes Shaping Future Support – health and disability green paper – failing to mention the internal process reviews carried out by the DWP following deaths of claimants.
 The new minister for disabled people says addressing DWP’s legacy of distrust and distress “is a big priority”.
Families outraged after government hands award to DWP safeguarding team for “outstanding contribution”.
DWP refuses to publish figures that would show how disabled people seeking to claim universal credit are experiencing the WCA process
DWP apologises to autistic man after work coach threatens to stick pins in his eyes.
Government brands Disability News Service ‘vexatious’ for trying to obtain information on 90 DWP deaths.
Figures show Internal Process Reviews (IPRs) into deaths and serious harm of claimants  have doubled in three years.