The Disabled Students' Allowances Observatory – News, research, evidence and testimony that supports DSAs, to help protect disabled students' right to higher education.

First round up of responses to cuts to DSAs

Written by slewth on December 4th, 2015. Leave a comment

Buried beneath the Syria vote and launched into a higher education sector distracted by government Green Papers outlining the biggest restructuring for Higher Education since 1993, cuts to DSAs have received coverage – but digested analysis of the BIS consultation response is currently slow. Here are the responses we’ve seen so far….

Sector responses:

Disability Rights UK: Our statement on the Government’s response to DSA proposals

Green Party statement (via Economic Voice blog): Disabled students allowances cuts criticised by Green Party

National Union of Students: NUS disappointed by DSA consultation response

National Deaf Children’s Society (via Deaf News): NDCS hits out at government over cut to disabled students allowance

Media coverage

Times Higher Education: Government confirms cuts to disabled students allowance

The Guardian: Government to cut funding for disabled university students

SL Magazine: Cuts to Disabled Student’s Allowance will especially disadvantage Deaf students

BIS Consultation on Targeting of DSAs: Full outcome

Written by slewth on December 2nd, 2015. Leave a comment

BIS have published their conclusions on the recent consultation on DSAs. Today they published 2 documents: Consultation on targeting funding for disabled students in higher education from 2016 to 2017 onwards – government response [opens PDF] Ref: BIS/15/657 Published: 2 December 2015, PDF, 243KB, 46 pages. Consultation on targeting funding for disabled students in higher education from […]

Jo Johnson: Statement on Disabled Students Allowances

Written by slewth on December 2nd, 2015. Leave a comment

Today Joseph Johnson (Minister of State for Universities and Science) made a written statement on Disabled Students Allowances. He describes this as the response to the recent consultation on targetting DSAs. It reads as follows. “Today I am announcing the Government response to a consultation on better targeting of Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs), which are available […]

Million+ Parliamentary Briefing on DSA

Written by slewth on November 18th, 2015. Leave a comment

In addition to the House of Lords debate and ECU reports, the Million+ Think Tank released a parliamentary briefing on DSAs earlier this month. 3 November 2015 million+ Parliamentary Briefing – changes to Disabled Students Allowance Lord Addington secured a Question for Short Debate on 2 November to ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to […]

Equality Challenge Unit – new statistics on DSAs

Written by slewth on November 12th, 2015. Leave a comment

On Friday 6th November, the Equality Challenge Unit released two new reports (one staff focused, one student focused). The Equality in Higher Education statistical report 2015 offers new evidence that supports previous research reporting the effectiveness of DSAs. Using data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) the ECU’s reports ‘aim to focus attention on areas where […]

DSAs Question for Short Debate, House of Lords, 2nd November 2015

Written by slewth on November 3rd, 2015. Leave a comment

They Work for You have published an article ‘Disabled Students’ Allowance. — Question for Short Debate – in the House of Lords at 7:49 pm on 2nd November 2015‘ This details the debate on DSAs, tabled by Lord Addington, complete with hansard references. ‘They Work For You’ also offer an alert function, so you can be […]

Short debate on DSAs in Lords Tues 27th October

Written by slewth on October 23rd, 2015. Leave a comment

Lord Addington’s short debate on Disabled Students Allowances is coming up in House of Lords Main Chamber on Tuesday 27th October 2015. I’ll post links to video/details of the debate after the event.

Consultation on DSAs closes Sept 24th

Written by slewth on September 8th, 2015. Leave a comment

This is a reminder that the current consultation on Disabled Students’ Allowances closes on September 24th. Many organisations and individuals are marshalling their responses. As I’ve worked on my response I’ve discovered more recent Disability and Higher Education literature and evidence submissions which may be useful to others. Roger, J., Wilson, P., Roberts, H., Roulstone, A., […]

Consultation on Disabled Students Allowances (DSAs)

Written by slewth on July 29th, 2015. Leave a comment

BIS have announced a consultation on DSAs – the timing (over the academic summer break) is bad for the universities. Full details follow… “This email is to notify you that we have today (1st July 2015) launched a consultation on Disabled Students Allowances (DSAs). The Government remains committed to the principle of ensuring disabled students […]

DSA Land: Crumbling cuts schedule announced by BIS

Written by slewth on March 16th, 2015. Leave a comment

Amanda Kent’s DSA Land blog offers a stinging indictment of the current cuts schedule offered by BIS: Bearing in mind a judicial review has been granted to two disabled students, the phrase “the Government would prefer to move forward in a consensual manner (as far as is reasonably possible) rather than through litigation” leaps off […]