Mencap responds to the Welfare Reform Bill

Thursday 17 February 2011

David Congdon, Mencap's head of campaigns and policy, said:

"The government has previously assured us that all would become clear once this bill was published. But more detail is needed, and until then people with a disability across the country will still be fearful about losing vital benefits.

"The principle of ‘making work pay' is welcome as long the welfare system is a fair one, geared to providing the specialist help and support that disabled people need to achieve paid employment. It also needs to support those people who, because of the severity of their disability or condition, are unlikely ever to be able to work.

"We eagerly await further details from the government and the assurance that vital support will not be taken from the people that need it."

ENDS

For more information please contact Jenny Brannan on 0207 696 6017 or email jenny.brannan@mencap.org.uk.

Notes to editors

• About Mencap

There are 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK. Mencap fights on their behalf, and on behalf of their carers and families, to change laws and improve services and access to education, employment and leisure facilities, supporting thousands of people with a learning disability to live their lives the way they want.

We are also the largest service provider of services, information and advice for people with a learning disability across England, Northern Ireland and Wales. See http://www.mencap.org.uk/ for more information.

• About learning disability

A learning disability is caused by the way the brain develops before, during or shortly after birth. It is always lifelong and affects someone's intellectual and social development. It used to be called mental handicap but this term is outdated and offensive. Learning disability is NOT a mental illness. The term learning difficulty is often incorrectly used interchangeably with learning disability.