The Minister for Disabled People. Mike Penning has released a statement about Access to Work regarding the suspension of the controversial new ’30 hour’ rule.
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Posted in: Andy Palmer, deaf news
pennybsl
June 11, 2014
Reading the statement, it is disconcerting to see the last paragraph not saying anything about resolving the damage to deaf professionals, their employers and AtW support personnel in the last six months. It says ‘..this guidance would not be applied to new cases….’
It is evident that the implications of a decision without any form of risk / impact assessment – cascading into what is ‘harmful’ to the Deaf worker – deserves rigorous attention and a form of compensation be made available. Accountability is the KEY, we pay those government officials” and the top DWP management’s’ wages. No whitewash please.
Deaf people have exactly the same rights as anyone who sues under the Equality Act for processes which grossly undermine capability as competent workers.
Those instances must never be swept under the carpet because of what constitutes the ownership values of being employed , the Government via DWP & AtW breached legal boundaries which caused real harm to Deaf professionals, their employers an qualified BSL access professionals.
Darren Townsend-Handscomb
June 11, 2014
This statement doesn’t say anything at all about what will happen.
It doesn’t even say if it is a review, it just says they will ‘look into’! Will it be external or internal, will it take your evidence or any evidence, who will run it, what will it look at? We don’t know yet, and don’t know when we will know.
So everyone affected (interpreters, Deaf people, employers) REALLY needs to provide evidence to the DWP Select Committee inquiry on AtW, because this may be your only chance.
The date for most people to submit is Friday week, 20th June 2014 !!!
The date for people with access issues stemming from literacy issues is Friday 18th July 2014.
You can read what the enquiry wants to look at, and the rules about submitting evidence, on their website here: http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/work-and-pensions-committee/news/access-to-work-launch/
And if you’ve had serious problems, complain to the PHSO. Really, this could massively help everyone, as the PHSO have real power! If you’re going to do this, and you really should, contact me and I’ll provide more information about how to contact the right people at the PHSO.
You can also read more about the select committee, PHSO and what to say in evidence (in English and BSL) on DeafATW.com campaign page, with new information on the update page (just in English).