Barely days after proudly pledging her support for the rights of disabled people on International Day for Persons with Disabilities, Department for Work and Pensions minister Maria Miller has now announced that Disability Living Allowance, used by disabled people to pay for everyday things like heating or specialist equipment, is “unsustainable”, with the government launching a consultation on plans to scrap it and replace it with Personal Independence Payment.
On December 3rd, Maria Miller, Minister for Disabled People at the Department for Work and Pensions, said:
“The UK has a strong history of disability rights and this is recognised by the international community. We ratified the UN Convention last year, and we are now working with disabled people, organisations that represent them, business and the voluntary sector to ensure that the things we have committed to become a reality.
“We want disabled people to fulfill their potential.”
Support for disabled people to “fulfill their potential”, however, appears to have ebbed away to reveal a government who will not even protect the most vulnerable from the cuts.
The consultation document says that “the rising caseload and expenditure [of DLA] is unsustainable” and will introduce a new assessment from 2013 for all recipients. According to the Disability Alliance, this will have the “primary objective of restricting access to this essential benefit for disabled people”.
The government says that DLA will be reformed to make it a:
“…clearer, more targeted benefit, with an objective assessment. The reforms will also aim to help disabled people take part more fully in society.”
But Disability Alliance disagrees. Speaking to Left Foot Forward, director of policy Neil Coyle said:
“It is bitterly ironic that the government has chosen to announce radical cuts to disabled people’s support so soon after the International Day of Disabled People. It also seems ironic that one of Thatcher’s last acts was to introduce ‘The Way Ahead’ white paper which introduced DLA, but one of the first acts of the coalition government is to axe 20 per cent of the support it provides disabled people.”
What does not appear anywhere in this consultation document is the fact that the government were already planning to cut DLA, with the Treasury stating in the 2010 Emergency Budget that 20 per cent of DLA ‘caseload and expenditure’ would be cut. This is a point not missed by the Disability Alliance, as they argue that this new assessment:
“…has the primary objective of restricting access to this essential benefit for disabled people.”
91 Responses to “Supporting disabled people not sustainable says coalition”
eleonor
We need general election, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
Demonstrations do not work. M.Thatcher used dressed as miners police to provoke violence during miners’ demonstrations to put the public against them, so did USA during the Anti Vietnam war protests, and possibly during these recent demonstrations – why they all wore balaclavas/masks? I was circulating message that journalists are to inquire into violent participants ID within Freedom of Information Act since Thursday morning, may be because of that only 7 arrests! as they could not arrest the police/hired violators, it would have come out!
New Government, as suggested by Ken Livingstone should raise taxes for the higher earners, introduce better standard free education for everyone, better medical care like in France.
Also:
make agreement with ALL off shore places not to provide off shore services to the UK nationals/residents/businesses, like France did long time ago and the French businesses have to pay ALL taxes in France since and stopped seeking residence in off shores;
abolish Royal Prerogative by which antidemocratic Acts are implemented ( re Iraq War, etc etc;
People should participate in the daily decisions/votes directly, without EXPENSIVE CORRUPT MIDDLEMEN/MPs, all have to be given free internet and vote on everything by pressing a button – no useless debates, useless PM’s speeches spending most time attacking the opponents – useless rhetoric costing too much.
Monarchy/aristocracy concept should be revisited.
They have to work, as aristocracy do in Europe, do good for their people. Not a single penny should be paid from taxes. They have enough.
Revolting, how billions are to be spent on the useless Royal wedding while the same money taken from the vulnerable, in fact same young people as William or Katie – why 2 should cost more than the rest of the nation?
We are not in the Middle Ages any more.
Royalty and aristocracy are the same human beings as any one else, no exceptions.
Their argument that they attract tourists have to be looked into: if so, employ them to parade at the shows – or may be wax figurine/look alike do better? No one will care/notice! Just look for a cheaper contractee.
Existence of apartheid ( private v state education, health care) existence of the parasiting class milking millions if not billions out of the people are violating human dignity within Article 8 HRA. UK is the last in EU retarded in mediaeval state of savageness, disrespect to the people whom the “untouchables” owe everything without giving back anything.
Reading a book aloud by Duchess of Cornwall to the poor children in Westfield does not compensate billions spent on her upkeeping.
Let them be a part of the big society, let them work hard, like anyone else.