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”
Bill Scott
Hi Sue,
Just wished to congratulate you on the series of excellent articles that you have written. Unlike your critics they are factual and logical. We at Inclusion Scotland don’t give a toss about which party is cutting disabled people’s benefits – the Coalition or New Labour but rest assured that you do speak for the thousands of disabled people we come into contact with. All the Best, Bill Scott, Manager Inclusion Scotland
Anon E Mouse
Selohesra – Maggie Thatcher did exactly the same – kept claiming to be cutting when she wasn’t.
After George Osbourne gave that snotty cow on Today this morning a good slapping down I was cheering.
When will Labour activists realise that their approach is having no effect and start being honest and present a party that actually represents working people? You know people might actually vote for that.
It’s certainly better than the nonsense here from Sue Marsh which will encourage no one to vote Labour again…
13eastie
Since when was it the norm for 25-34 year-olds to live in a place of their own?
There are millions of people in this age group who work hard and yet cannot afford a home of their own or to live in an up-market neighbourhood. Many among them remain with their parents. Others search on Gumtree for “strangers” with whom to share.
To what premium of provision, above that with which others (who provide for themselves) are expected to be satisfied, are recipients of state welfare “entitled”?
And at what point does it become simply distasteful to suggest (while offering no supporting evidence) that to provide an individual in need with accommodation at the expense of future tax payers could be somehow injurious?
Sue Marsh
Wow, some desperate responses from those not willing to engage at all with my points.
The article says very little about housing benefit and surely the main thrust is that overall, this will actually have a fairly small though horrible affect on the disabled?
The main point I make is that around a million people who the DWP themselves know have serious medical conditions will soon lose everything, whilst a further 3.5 million will lose a huge percentage of their incomes.
Robert, your comment is just silly. You know very well, that I am equally scathing of Labour’s role in all of this. You yourself are disabled, and you know very well that I fight daily to highlight issues that will affect you and people like you.
As for the person who claims there are no cuts, well you’re just so misguided, there’s nothing to really say. Osborne is spending for sure, but he’s spending on higher debt, higher inflation, higher unemployment and pet projects like Lansleys Health bill (3 Billion) Universal credit (3 billion) and Libya (who knows??)
I point out in this article that sick and disabled people are about to lose 9 billion from a 16 billion budget. I suggest they will not be able to bear this.
No amount of mock outrage will stop the fallout of this, so why not stop it before it goes too far?
Pete
Comment 1 hits the nail on the head, and sarcastic responses will only further alienate those like “Anon E Mouse”, whose support you should be trying to gain.
I wish “the left” would admit that it is wrong “that people on minimum wage like myself should pay to allow the unemployed to live in houses costing more in rent than I earn a week”. If the left conceded this, it would nullify the arguments of the right, and we could move on to have a sensible debate about who actually does deserve money (eg, Sue).