Atos and Capita must improve the delivery of Personal Independence Payments (Pip) or face losing their contracts, MP Frank Field has said. The government says it is looking at extending the firms' contracts by two years to "better allow for a stable transition to any new provision". And it was developing IT systems to move some of the work in-house.
Vulnerable old and disabled people will see cuts to vital care services and higher charges, council chiefs say. The annual budget survey by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services shows councils expect to spend £21.4bn this year in England. While this is a rise from £20.8bn last year, the cost of inflation combined with growing demand means this will not be enough, ADASS said. The warning comes as ministers prepare to unveil plans to reform the system. A green paper on social care is expected to be published in the coming months.
Mental health counselling for primary school pupils who need it could provide long-term benefits for the economy, a study by a charity has suggested.
Image caption - photo of Oxford Parkway station's accessible parking spaces.
A campaigner calling for improvements to disabled toilets has handed in a petition to the prime minister. Lorna Fillingham from Scunthorpe wants more toilets where disabled children and adults can be changed by their parents and carers.
A disability group is calling for a pause in the campaign to ban plastic straws. The One in Five group wants MSP Kate Forbes to halt her Final Straw campaign temporarily while concerns are addressed for disabled people. It says paper, plant-based and metal alternatives are not always suitable and could even prove dangerous. The group wants the campaign to have disability advice in place for companies looking to replace plastic.
