Six disabled people have been arrested in connection with what is believed to be the widespread abuse of a scheme to help wheelchair-users buy cars. An investigation for BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme revealed some had repeatedly bought high-value cars VAT free, then sold them for huge profits. The BBC's Shari Vahl said it was believed those involved had made hundreds of thousands of pounds.
For the eighteenth year in succession the National Audit Office has refused to sign off the Department for Work and Pensions' accounts due to unacceptably high levels of fraud and error. Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary for Work and Pensions Danny Alexander MP said:
In spite of the costs involved and people's preconceptions about who can learn to fly, the British Disabled Flying Association (BDFA) is using a number of adaptations to persuade disabled people that flying is an achievable goal. The BDFA welcomes people with all types of disabilities
Many people believe potentially harmful myths about epilepsy, a study from University College London suggests. A third would put something in the mouth of a person having a seizure to stop them swallowing their tongue - but doing so could block their airways. And 67% of the 4,605 people asked would call an ambulance immediately, Epilepsy and Behavior journal reports. This is only needed for first seizures, those lasting over five minutes, if the person is hurt or has several seizures.
A driver who had workmen paint a disabled zone around his car after he parked it has said he thought he was the victim of a television prank. And to make matters worse, John Junk found he had also been issued with a £30 fine for parking illegally. Mr Junk said the space on Castlereagh Street in east Belfast had not been specially designated when he left his vehicle.
Campaigners have urged the Royal Welsh Show to provide electric scooters for visitors with disabilities. Disability Wales and a sister group in Powys said the show was one of the few major events not to hire them out. Manual wheelchairs are only available at the moment, but the size of the show and its steep hills prove a challenge for those pushing them, claim users.