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Government breaks disability benefit “promise”
Tuesday 08 January 2013
Welfare Benefits Uprating Bill sees ESA rise by just 1%
On 8 January, work and pensions secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, published the Welfare Benefits Uprating Bill. The bill aims to cap increases of most working-age benefits to just 1% – well below the rate of inflation.
In his autumn statement, published in December, the Chancellor of the Exchequer said that disability-specific benefits would rise in line with inflation, in order to recognise the extra hardship that disabled people already face.
Despite this commitment, the Welfare Benefits Uprating Bill reduces the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) for those in the Work Ready Activity Group to a 1% rise. In real terms, households receiving this ESA will be £87.65 worse off per year. This is in addition to reductions from non-disability-specific benefits, such as Housing Benefit.
Mencap has warned that the reduction would punish 500,000 disabled people, including those assessed as too sick or disabled to work.
Not skivers
“In his autumn statement, the Chancellor said disabled people would be protected from government plans to cap benefit increases at 1%,” said Dan Scorer, Mencap’s senior campaigns manager. “Yet half a million vulnerable, disabled people will see cuts. These are not skivers, snoozing behind drawn curtains in the morning, these are people who are either unable to work, or who would dearly love to with enough help and support.
“This is yet another cut to hit disabled people, who have already experienced a £500 million drop in support since 2010. We want to see the Chancellor honour his commitment to protect disabled people, by excluding people on Employment and Support Allowance from the cap on benefit increases.”
Comments
Shocked really that anyone believed a "promise" made by a conservative, especially perhaps concerning welfare. Tories do not like the welfare state and are currently in the process of dismantling it.
We already know that 20% of people who get DLA will not get PIPs. That many thousands are likely to loose their mobility vehicles for example. This has always been the Tory plan and they have been enabled to move it forward by the lib-dems. These people really do not care about anything apart from the prospect of making more money for themselves, if others suffer because of that, so be it.
Anyone who cares, please see "Diary of a Benefits Scrounger" by Sue Marsh who is a tireless campaigner for the rights that should never be faced with destruction.She recently wrote a blog, begging for people's help and support to fight against these benefit "reforms". Please at least read what she says.
The problems disabled people face are vast. What is most disturbing is there seems to be little concern about it. Many people are praising it and some are actually saying it is not harsh enough. I remember the disabled jokes in the commons about one politician being called autistic and the amusement they had about tourettes. I just think back to those moments and wonder was that a sign of what would happen? With bedroom tax, below inflation increases to benefits, hospital closures, terminally ill people found fit for work, changes to how people are assessed, some buildings for assessments with no disabled access and cuts in care etc, it makes you think - where will all this end?
I have found the benefits system to be an absolute nightmare to negotiate on behalf of an autistic son and two elderly parents with dementia. There appears to be a presumption that we are cheats and fiddlers. Letters are offensive and illiterate, forms are sent, resent and resent again and we have no named contact. I work full time; I pay taxes and have no tax relief or support for the very many hours I put into caring duties. My parents both worked all of their adult lives and deserve better treatment. My son's benefits come nowhere near his independent living costs and I am therefore subsidising him from an indifferent and lowish salary as a main scale teacher. These benefit cuts are not hitting scroungers (who are a bit of a myth anyway) but ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances and causing genuine stress and hardship
There are real concerns over the impending changes to welfare. I seriously get offended when being on benefits and other people calling it a "lifestyle" choice. Carers for example have to care for over 35 hours a week to claim it in the first place. I would'nt call being a carer being a lifestyle choice when carers have option to care for very little reward . They get paid peanuts and save the care system millions Also trying to claim benefits is one of the most undignified things what you can do . and l hate everything about it . l'm lucky l can explain things quite well but others can't and it them l have the most concerns for.
What EVERY commentator, those for the cuts, those against the cuts, thiose being accurate, those being inaccurate, ignore is the REAL effect the very discussion of them has on the mentally disabled.
Having suffered multiplied anxiety for months awaiting a WCA, feeling relief, or added anxiety depending on the result, those suffering from anxiety related illnesses now gace months, years of anxiety waiting to see if they are hit by cuts or not.
The row over skivers vs strivers completely ignores the real effects these discussions have on REAL people with REAL illnesses.
Caring Conservatism. Hah!
I'm afraid the news is even worse than reported here.
People in the support group are also hit by the cut as it applies to the main component of ESA which is received by ALL ESA claimants.
This means that support group claimants will see a benefit rise cap of approximately 1.4% instead of inflation.
Whether in the WRAG or Support group, all 991,000 disabled people receiving ESA will see their benefit cut in real terms over the next 3 years.
Yes. The government misled and broke its promises.