³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

The UK is not alone when it comes to welfare reform backlash.

In Ireland's budget address on Tuesday, the government announced that disability allowance payments would no-longer be made to 16 and 17 year olds and payments to 18 to 21 year olds would fall from 182 to 100 Euros per week.

The decision was met with %3Ca%20href="https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/1208/1224308743796.html">concern from backbenchers, disability organisations and families of severely disabled children.

On Thursday, while introducing the details of Ireland's 2012 social care bill, minister for social protection Joan Burton dropped the proposed %3Ca%20href="https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/1209/1224308799116.html">disability allowance reforms. She said, "I am sorry if these proposals caused anxiety among people with disabilities and their families".

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a report released by Pricewaterhousecoopers at the end of last week, shows that Australians with a disability are at a greater risk of living in poverty and far less likely to be able to find employment than those in other developed nations in the OECD.

Tom Bridge summarised the report's key findings for the %3Ca%20href="https://www.abc.net.au/rampup/articles/2011/12/01/3381418.htm">ABC Ramp Up website.

"The report said that 45% of people with a disability in Australia are likely to be living at or near the poverty line. The most horrific part of that statistic is that it places Australia at 27th of 27 nations in the OECD.

"Australia is still well and truly in the bottom half of countries when it comes to employment prospects, ranking 21st out of 27 OECD nations ... with only 31% of people with a disability in active employment."

Elsewhere in the news:

%3Ca%20href="/news/health-16094906">Abortion 'does not raise' mental health risk (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News)

%3Ca%20href="/news/health-16086004">Rare gene links vitamin D and multiple sclerosis (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News)

%3Ca%20href="/news/uk-england-manchester-16067795">Bullied David Askew unlawfuly killed after 'years of torment' (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News)

%3Ca%20href="/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-16051775">Bullied council boss Christine Laird highlights mental health issues (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News)

%3Ca%20href="https://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2011/dec/02/wheelchair-access-gigs">Behind the music: So you like going to gigs. Ever tried doing it in a wheelchair? (The Guardian)

%3Ca%20href="/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-16074234">Ministers urged on Welfare Reform Bill (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News)

%3Ca%20href="/news/health-15969234">When having a baby can cause you to 'lose your mind' (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News)

%3Ca%20href="/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-16061057">Nottingham mother warns of disabled care pressure (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News)

%3Ca%20href="/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-16035816">Staffordshire council fined for stress of woman and autistic son (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News)

%3Ca%20href="/news/uk-england-london-16000124">Blind man left stranded on Tube platform by staff (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News)

%3Ca%20href="/news/uk-england-leicestershire-16077020">Disabled group calls for better UK cinema facilities (³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News)

%3Ca%20href="%3Ca%20href="https://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/dec/08/conservative-compassion-disabled-sick">Conservative compassion seems to exclude the disabled and sick (Comment is Free, The Guardian)

%3Ca%20href="https://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/dec/07/cutting-disabled-ill-people-benefits?INTCMP=SRCH">No alternative to cutting disabled and ill people's benefits. Really? (Comment is free, The Guardian)

%3Ca%20href="https://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/dec/03/two-thirds-disabled-people-oppose-paralympics">Merge Paralympics with Olympics, say 65% of disabled Britons (The Guardian)

%3Ca%20href="https://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/dec/06/disabled-people-benefits-dla">Disabled people on benefits shouldn't have to fear being active (Comment is free, The Guardian)

%3Ca%20href="https://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/dec/04/ian-birrell-prejudice-against-disabled">The demonisation of the disabled is a chilling sign of the times (Comment is free, The Guardian)

%3Ca%20href="https://www.guardian.co.uk/society/joepublic/2011/dec/06/dont-blow-paralympics-budget-opening-ceremony?INTCMP=SRCH">Don't blow the Paralympics budget on opening ceremony (Joe Public blog, The Guardian)

%3Ca%20href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/8938981/Mental-health-claim-at-New-Star-hearing.html">Mental health claim at New Star hearing (The Telegraph)

%3Ca%20href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8938523/Gold-standard-stem-cells-created-by-British-scientists.html">'Gold standard' stem cells created by British scientists (The Telegraph)

%3Ca%20href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2071076/Stem-cell-therapy-poised-shake-medicine-dozens-clinical-trials-early-success.html">Stem cell therapy poised to transform medicine as dozens of clinical trials show early success (Mail Online)