If the Welfare Reform Bill passes, the results will be horrific and at the Department for Work and Pensions, they are confident that it is a price worth paying.
Sue Marsh blogs at Diary of a Benefit Scrounger
Recently, it was reported that Crisis, the charity for the homeless, had warned 11,000 young disabled people were at risk of losing their homes due to the coalition’s housing benefit cap:
“Although 4,000 of the most vulnerable disabled claimants will be exempt because they need help through the day or night, most ill and disabled people will be forced to move into cheaper accommodation, often outside the area where they live.”
Those aged 25-34 will now only be able to rent shared accommodation rather than a one bed flat, on average, losing £41 per week towards their rent. The article makes the point that:
“This disturbing cut will force people suffering serious physical disabilities or mental illness to share with strangers, even if it damages their health.”
Well, yes it will and it is shocking. Not too shocking of course until we start to see things that make us feel uncomfortable. Not too shocking until we pass twisted bodies on the streets, their collecting cup lodged into their wheelchair handles, but shocking nonetheless.
Actually the really shocking thing is the accumulation of all the cuts faced by sick or disabled people and the effect it will have on their lives and almost certainly, their homes.
We already face the squeeze that able bodied people face. The VAT rise, the high inflation, the public sector cuts, the pay freezes, but overwhelmingly this group already live in poverty. On top of all of this, Scope report that sick and disabled people will lose £9.2 billion over the term of this parliament.
“The government’s proposed welfare reforms will see 3.5 million disabled people lose over £9.2 billion of critical support by 2015 pushing them further into poverty and closer to the fringes of society.”
The figure 9.2 billion is more than 10 per cent of Mr Osborne’s entire UK cuts to reduce the deficit. A full 10% taken from those with extra costs, extra needs and very, very difficult lives; it doesn’t matter how often I write it, I am shocked and terrified by its implications.
That’s 3.5 million people. Again, I write it and can hardly believe it’s true. Many don’t yet know what they face. Some will never know – their disabilities are too severe – but they will be affected just the same.
I have no idea how many of those 3.5 million will lose their homes, but the maths seems fairly clear. The entire cost (xls) to the welfare budget of sickness and disability benefits is £16 billion. 9.2 billion is over half of that.
I’m sure that unlike me, you won’t want to read this lengthy transcript of the Welfare Reform Bill committee, currently on its last stages through parliament, but I wish you would. After all these points were made and more, after a full discussion of the horrors that lie ahead for the sick and disabled, the poverty they are facing, the categorical failure of work programmes to help when their benefits are removed, Chris Grayling, Minister of State for Work and Pensions, had little to say.
To summarise, his answer was “I don’t care, we can no longer afford it…”
I don’t exaggerate – I wish I did. You can read it for yourselves. So, if I were you, I’d get used to seeing sick or disabled people on the streets. If this bill passes, the results will be horrific and at the DWP, they are confident that it is a price worth paying.
152 Responses to “The shocking impact of Osborne’s heartless cuts on the disabled”
Sue Marsh
“Sue Marsh is a Labour Tribalist”
I still have absolutely no idea how that affects the argument I make in the article. I’m a cricket fan too and quite obsessive about Elvis Presley. I adore shellfish and Shakespeare.
As I made the same arguments abut the sick and disabled under a Labour government, perhaps anyone with an aversion to the bard might like to start a little discussion here too?
Sue Marsh
Never let Anon E Mouse say I’m not generous. I saw this and thought he might be interested.
http://eoin-clarke.blogspot.com/2011/06/minimum-wage-workers-who-rent-privately.html
Anon E Mouse
Sue Marsh – You missed off the end of the very line I used: “Sue Marsh is a Labour tribalist, who according to Robert is putting her desire to get Labour re-elected before the needs of people with disabilities”
So I am not alone in my assessment of your position Sue Marsh and I’m sure there are many others who feel the same as I do but are afraid of voicing an opinion here for fear of smearing in a Labour Party style.
Your articles are coloured by your tribalism, it’s as if your hatred of any political party other than Labour prevents you from being able to differentiate between what is right and wrong.
Then when I look at the thousands of innocent people killed overseas in Labour’s desperate need to support George Bush with their warmongering bloodlust (which I supported I’m ashamed to say) I realise just how bad Labour actually were and when their activists, like yourself start rewriting history it just isn’t credible.
You have an attractive writing style – you are articulate and show an intelligent approach to the content of your articles and then the whole thing is spoiled by your obvious support for the Labour Party and whatever idiot you allow to write your headlines. Labour needs critical friends and not sycophantic supporters.
To comment that Chris Grayling said: To summarise, his answer was “I don’t care, we can no longer afford it…”
When in fact it was qualified in his statement: “We have had to take difficult, challenging and ongoing decisions about how we bring down the level of spending to one that we can afford, and this is one of them.”
At no point can I remember any member of ANY government saying they “didn’t care” about the plight of anyone.
What you stated Grayling said is not true and even if it that is your opinion you should have made that clear by qualifying it with “In my opinion he has … blah blah”. What you said in “summary” was nothing more than your opinion.
That’s the problem with Labour tribalism – it’s just dishonest and you should be trying to bring people onside not alienate them with dishonesty.
(Regarding Elvis try and listen to Brian Setzer and the BSO version of Mystery Train from “Live in Japan” (surely the kings finest hour). It’s probably on youtube somewhere or
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brian-Setzer-Orchestra-Live-Japan/dp/B00008Y4JG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307519461&sr=8-1
You’ll love it I guarantee…..
Sue Marsh
You’re just digging yourself a bigger hole Mr Mouse when it’s clear from almost every other comment that my politics in no way colours this issue.
You sound silly and aggressive when I’ve done nothing but try to engage with you. In fact it does your whole argument a disservice, because people will read this thread and just think you unreasonable and unwilling to engage with the actual points. It also gives lots of other people a chance to answer you and put intelligent, factual comments in reply, widening the debate and meaning that much more info is shared here. So I suppose should say thank you for that.
Anon E Mouse
Sue Marsh – I don’t see anything agressive in my stance at all – you’re being too precious.
Remember on this very page DavidG compared government cost cutting to Ethnic Cleansing and so far I haven’t seen you condemn it once: http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/africa-atrocities-pictures/15969
Also, despite your link, you won’t tell me if you think it’s fair a minimum wage worker like myself is forced to pay to keep others in a luxury unaffordable to me.
All you are doing is the normal Labour “outrage” over small niggling points and ignoring the real issues in your personal hatred of another political party you don’t support.
Your issue is “coloured” where you make something up, such as a comment a person didn’t say in your case and then condemn them for the thing YOU made up.
To be clear. You lied about what he said, which is why your response is about me personally and not the comments YOU made up.
But do listen to Brian Setzer and the BSO Live in Japan. I’m right about that as well…..