Mencap responds to the Welfare Reform Bill vote in the House of Lords

Thursday 12 January 2012

Mencap responds to the Welfare Reform Bill vote in the House of Lords, which saw a number of contentious reforms being overturned by peers. Mencap's chief executive Mark Goldring believes 'it is now imperative that the Government acknowledges the strength of feeling on this issue and the important points raised by peers when the Bill goes back to the Commons.'

Mark Goldring, Mencap’s chief executive, said:

"We are delighted with the outcome of this vote, but itis now imperative that the Government acknowledges the strength of feeling on this issue and the important points raised by peers when the Bill goes back to the Commons.

The Government's proposal to time-limit contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) for those in the work related activity group (WRAG) completely undermines the very purpose of the benefit. The benefit was designed tobetter recognise the additional barriers that disabled people face in order to move towards and into work. By definition, those in the WRAG group still have ‘limited capability for work’.

Putting in placing arbitrary time limits is nothing more than a cost saving measure which ignores the needs and challenges which many people with a disability face when trying to find employment."

Contact Pasca Lane in the Mencap media team on 020 7696 6017 or email pasca.lane@mencap.org.uk

·       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 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 It used to be called mental handicap but this term is outdated and offensive.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.