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The government has joined with disability charity Scope to develop a new Disabled Persons Passenger Charter for bus, coach, taxi, private hire vehicle and rail. The charter aims to “provide a straightforward explanation of disabled peoples’ rights, providing them with easier travel and bringing confidence to use the public transport network.

MPs have backed a proposal to give British Sign Language (BSL) legal recognition and to ensure it is used more in public services. Labour MP Rosie Cooper, who put forward the private member’s bill, said making BSL a legally recognised language would send a clear message to every deaf person that “their language is equal and should be treated as equal”. British Sign Language is the 4th most commonly used language in the UK.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has introduced new rules to make it more difficult for most disabled students to claim Universal Credit. These new rules apply to Universal Credit claims made on or after 15 December 2021. Students who already get Universal Credit are not affected by these new rules.

A disabled mother-of-two has accused the government of “financial blackmail” and discriminating against claimants of legacy benefits*, after she was told she could only claim vital financial support for her baby’s nutrition if she agreed to transfer onto universal credit. Allie Bennett-Cox, from Winchester, said this week that no parent should be left fearing that they will not be able to feed their baby.

Two types of transparent face masks have now met the specification for use in clinical settings, and have been approved for use in the NHS across the four UK nations. These can be bought by NHS Trusts and used as an equivalent to the usual Type IIR masks. The Department for Health and Social Care will start piloting transparent face masks in 2022. These pilots will explore the usability and effectiveness of masks for communication between staff and patients.