New welfare reform proposals will result in many disabled children facing a cut of up to £1,400 per year (£27 per week) compared to their current welfare entitlements.
By Sam Royston, Policy Adviser the Children’s society
A coalition of 30 national organisations and charities, led by The Children’s Society, are calling on the Government to reverse their planned cut to support for disabled children under the new Universal Credit.
The organisations have identified that new welfare reform proposals will result in many disabled children facing a cut of up to £1,400 per year (£27 per week) compared to their current welfare entitlements. By the time a disabled child reaches 16, this could cost the family £22,000.
Raising a disabled child is extremely expensive. The range of costs can include higher travel costs, increased fuel bills, extra childcare and loss of income due to hospital appointments.
The government estimates that 100,000 disabled children will be hit by this change.
The £27 lost per disabled child a week (which could double or triple if there are two or three disabled children in a family) is more than half the average family’s food budget. This can make the difference between a family coping or falling below the breadline. This shift will force families into poverty.
So why is the government making this change? It claims that the measures are being introduced in order to align child and adult rates of disability support.
But the group of adults with whom support is aligned are at some point likely to be able to move back into work. Children cannot work to raise extra money to increase their income, so have no way to escape poverty. It must be recognised that disabled children face additional barriers to escaping poverty and therefore require extra support.
It is absolutely crucial for people to join us in petitioning the government to understand the significance of this change for disabled children and their families. For many low income families already living on the breadline, this will make the difference between meeting their children’s basic needs and finding themselves unable to cope.
Click here for more information and to see the list of organisations that have signed up.
77 Responses to “Help stop government changes to welfare penalising disabled children”
TheCreativeCrip
RT @leftfootfwd: Help stop government changes to welfare penalising disabled children http://t.co/FvzYXOs
DavidG
“Mr Mouse’s inevitable attack on Labour is undercut by his own words”.
Nope.
Read the government’s response before you start criticising words that aren’t mine please: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2011-06-08b.57941.h&s=disabled+children+universal+credit+curran#g57941.q0”
Which confirms precisely the point I made, protection is ‘at the point of transition’ and only for those with an existing claim. If your child is newly disabled, no protection, and no £27/week.
“And btw DavidG you say you’d signed a petition “before even seeing it”. Enough said…”
Indeed, you misunderstood what the minister was saying and then misunderstood that I had signed the petition before reading the article.
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[…] also: • Help stop government changes to welfare penalising disabled children – Sam Royston, August 15 […]
Simone F. Meiszner
RT @leftfootfwd: Help stop government changes to welfare penalising disabled children http://t.co/0hsDWEQG
Simone Farrugia Meiszner
The problem is not all parents are even aware of the Welfare Reform Bill.I have spoken to many who do not know anything about the proposed changes but they will soon and that is when they will wake up. I know of the hardship as my daughter is now older. It takes away your life and it is not only the affect of money but to the health of the carers, mothers and fathers and the stress it puts on their relationships. I am disgusted with this current bill.They have not informed people or consulted enough carers or disabled individuals.