Disability News Round Up - Week Beginning 17/10/2011

10/18/2011 08:19:00 am BenefitScroungingScum 0 Comments

Provided by John Pring

• Three of the country’s leading disability organisations – the National Centre for Independent Living, RADAR and Disability Alliance – have agreed to merge within months.

• Disabled people have expressed outrage after learning that benefits claim forms containing confidential and highly personal information are being opened by Royal Mail staff in a south London sorting office.

•  Labour’s new shadow minister for disabled people looks set to spearhead a stronger line from the opposition over offensive government rhetoric on the “abuse” of disability benefits.

• Disabled people and disability charities have complained to the press watchdog after a national newspaper suggested there was widespread abuse of the Motability car scheme.

• Some of the UK’s most talented young disabled athletes are to take part in Paralympic-style events in key London 2012 venues, just weeks before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

• The possible closure of hundreds of ticket offices would make it “nigh on impossible” for many disabled people to travel by train, MPs have heard.

• The mental health anti-stigma campaign Time to Change has secured £20 million in funding over the next four years.