News

Independent Lives aims to keep you up to date on all the latest disability news, events and stories. If you would like to share some news with us or discuss anything you read in the articles below then please email comms@independentlives.org.

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Jan 27 2023

Study finds disabled people among hardest hit by cost of living crisis

A new report has revealed an enormous income gap between disabled people and non-disabled people, resulting in many more disabled people unable to afford essentials like heating and food. Analysis by the Resolution Foundation has found that two in five disabled people were unable to heat their houses this winter, and over a third had ... Read more

Jan 19 2023

New Changing Places toilet coming to Worthing

Following a survey by council staff and the borough’s Cabinet Member for the Environment, Worthing Borough Council is planning to build a Changing Places toilet. Officers and Councillor Vicki Wells inspected the town’s public toilets to determine their condition. The “Toilet Tour” findings revealed several upgrades that could be made to ten toilets throughout the ... Read more

Dec 12 2022

Adur and Worthing Council to hold Montague Place accessibility assessment

Adur and Worthing Council are holding an accessibility assessment, as part of their plans to transform and improve Montague Place. During the COVID-19 pandemic, temporary changes were made to Montague Place due to the increased need for social distancing. One of the few benefits to come out of the pandemic was a renewed understanding of ... Read more

Nov 15 2022

Report highlights cost-of-living impact on disabled people

A new report has highlighted the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on disabled people and their families. In July and August, the Greater Manchester Disabled People’s Panel held the most extensive survey of disabled people in the UK, with over 1,600 responses. They were asked about things that affected their daily lives, like money, social ... Read more

Nov 4 2022

Keeping warm this winter

Cold weather can be dangerous and bad for our health. Below is some advice on how to keep warm as the weather starts to turn colder. Keep warm Heat your home to at least 18°C (65°F). You may prefer your main living room to be slightly warmer. Keep your bedroom window closed on a winter’s ... Read more

Nov 4 2022

New research finds one in seven employees have a disability

According to research by the Resolution Foundation, the number of disabled individuals who are working age has increased by 2.3 million in the last ten years. One in every seven employees now has a disability, a 50% increase since 2013. Despite an increase in the number of disabled individuals of working age since 2013 of 2.3 ... Read more

Nov 2 2022

Building a society where everyone can take part

Have you ever felt that you weren’t able to participate in something because of the world around you? That someone else’s opinion or lack of understanding got in the way of you fulfilling your potential? As I’m writing this, one example pops into my mind. My GP suggested that I should look into yoga classes, ... Read more

Nov 2 2022

Seven reasons to work as a personal assistant

Every day, in the UK, thousands of personal assistants work to change the lives of the people they support. They make a huge contribution to health care and deserve to be recognised for the heroes they are. If you have never thought about working as a personal assistant, then here are seven reasons we think ... Read more

Nov 2 2022

Sue’s story

Sue lives in Worthing with her husband. She’s been using the Independent Lives Care Service since 2015. Sue used to be a carer before health issues meant that she needed to stop working. “I was a carer for 38 years and then I developed Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis in my sixties. I managed without support for a ... Read more

Nov 2 2022

Six million disabled people to get Cost of Living payment in September

Those being paid a qualifying disability benefit will be paid automatically from 20 September, with the vast majority of those eligible expected to receive their one-off payment within a couple of weeks by the beginning of October. Qualifying disability benefits include Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Armed Forces Independence Payment, Constant Attendance ... Read more