The government claims disability organisations support its welfare reform agenda and say disabled people are protected from cuts. These 2 myths need debunking.
Neil Coyle is the director of policy and campaigns at Disability Rights UK and a Labour councillor and Deputy Cabinet Member for Welfare in Southwark
The prime minister has claimed disability organisations support his government’s welfare reform agenda – and the DWP Minister for Disabled People has suggested disabled people are protected from cuts.
These two myths need debunking.
Firstly, many disability organisations do support welfare reform which delivers improvements in the way benefits are delivered or which cut the bureaucracy involved. Some aspects of current reforms deserve support – for example the taper in Universal Credit which allows people to keep more of their earned income when starting work.
But there is no disability organisation supporting the total package of government reform because the combined effect is catastrophic.
Just a quick recap on some headline figures:
• 100,000 disabled children to lose under Universal Credit;
• 600,000 disabled people 16-64 years of age to lose Disability Living Allowance (DLA); and
• 300,000 disabled people to be cut off from all out of work support after just 365 days despite 75% receiving regular NHS treatment.
So it’s no surprise the most representative group – the Disability Benefits Consortium (almost 60 national disability, advice and welfare-focused organisations) – doesn’t support the government agenda. Nor is it a surprise the prime minister can’t name any relevant, representative organisation which does. If there was such an organisation ministers would name it.
Secondly, DWP minister Esther McVey suggests disabled people are protected from the cuts. Saying this may make the minister feel better about making drastic reductions in support but it is somewhat undermined by the statistics above.
Usually, ministers suggest disabled people ‘with the highest needs’ are protected but here’s two points showing how even this is inaccurate:
• The government has confirmed that the Independent Living Fund (ILF) will close in 2015 – the ILF supports 19,000 disabled people with the highest care needs to live independently; and
• Under the abolition of DLA and introduction of the restrictive Personal Independence Payment, 430,000 disabled people with the highest mobility support needs lose out.
Ministers must come clean about the lack of support for the cuts it is imposing on disabled people. Sadly, we are about to witness a vast rise in poverty and social exclusion for disabled people, and, with an NHS and councils also facing a significant squeeze, the ability of the state to proffer alternative assistance is reduced. With charities also facing a tough financial climate and unable to fill the gap, the future is far from bright for disabled people in the UK.
But the government is refusing to assess the impact fully – as requested by Disability Rights UK, carers’ organisations, the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Labour and an e-petition. The reason appears to be ministers are in denial.
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60 Responses to “The government is in denial over the impact of cuts on disabled people”
LB
What bets has the state made? Gambling with other people’s money? Ah yes, lost the lot haven’t they.
rongraves
“In denial” isn’t even close.
“Don’t give a toss” is far more accurate.
Andrew Miles
The best policy Darling should have enacted was to ring fence the debt the financials caused and have them pay it back. Therefore no need for stupid cuts by stupid cuts (oops letter missing). Giving millionaires a massive tax cut then taking £70 a week of a carer and disabled child’s budget is a disgrace.
Tris
So the solution is not to stop having nuclear weapons, or going to war at Washington’s command, it is to make already difficult lives more difficult…or impossible,so that people die because of the cuts? .
Unemployment is only coming down because people are being forced into underemployment. They are taking part time jobs with incomes around £100 a week, which doesn’t pay the rent, and so they need in-work benefits.
No decent society attacks the weak and the ill while there are people lighting their cigars with £20 notes, or as we saw recently on St Andrews beach, pouring £65 bottles of champagne over their heads.
LB
It’s part of the solution.
However, you’re still in la la land if you think that getting rid of nuclear weapons goes any way near to dealing with the deficit, let alone dealing with the 4,700 billion debt that has been hidden off the books.
But there you go, those in the public sector such as peers force us to pay out 2,700 a day so they can attend parliament, get their subsidised lunches, get the expenses, get access to the wine cellar.
However I do note that we’re no longer going to be forced to subsidise their foi gras.
However, even that won’t solve the pensions debts.
How are you going to get taxes and spending in line?
How are you going to deal with the debt, because debt payments won’t go to the unemployed, it won’t prevent people from dying because their money is going on debts, not on the NHS. It won’t pay them a pension.
Do you really think that the young will accept paying tax for no services?