MPs from all parties have publically expressed opposition to the £30-a-week cut that will affect new claimants from April 2017.
Ahead of a debate in the House of Commons on
cuts
Cuts are when there is less money to pay for things like clubs and support.
to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit, 70 charities – all members of the Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC) – have signed an open letter to
the Government
The Government are the people who run the country. The Government decide how much
tax
Tax is the money that pays for things like schools, hospitals and the police. There are different types of taxes like
income tax
Income tax is the money that is taken out of the money you earn every month. It helps to pay for things we all need like hospitals and schools.
,
VAT
VAT is also called Value Added Tax. VAT is the extra money you pay when you buy things. The money goes to the government to pay for things like schools and hospitals.
and
council tax
Council
A council is also called a
local authority
A local authority is also called a council. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live like schools,
social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it.
(support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live. These include: schools, social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
Tax is the money that people pay to the
council
A council is also called a
local authority
A local authority is also called a council. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live like schools,
social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it.
(support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live. These include: schools, social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. It helps to pay for things like social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
.
people should pay and how things like the National Health
Service
A service gives people what they need, like healthcare services that help people when they are ill, and support services that give people support.
(
NHS
The NHS is the National Health Service. The NHS gives free healthcare to everyone in the UK and includes things like your GP (doctors) surgery and hospitals.
) should work.
, warning of the devastating effects the cuts would have on people with a disability and urging MPs to take this debate as an opportunity to re-assess the cuts.
The charities argue that the cuts to the Work Related Activity Group of ESA and the equivalent in Universal Credit will undermine the Government’s commitment to halving the disability employment gap, which was outlined in the recent Green Paper on Work and Health.
The Government has however suggested that sick and disabled people who get this benefit are not being incentivised to find work because of the £30-a-week more they get compared to those on Job Seeker’s Allowance.
However, the DBC strongly disputes this claim and a
survey
A survey is when someone asks you to answer some questions.
of over 500 disabled people found this to be completely false:
- almost 7 in 10 (69%) say cuts to ESA will cause their health to suffer
- more than a quarter (28%) say they sometimes can’t afford to eat on the current amount they receive from ESA
- almost half (45%) of respondents say that the cut would probably mean they would return to work later
- just 1% said the cut would motivate them to get a job sooner.
Thursdays debate on reductions to ESA and Universal Credit, has been called by the Backbench Business Committee following a representation from SNP MP Neil Gray.
Both SNP and Conservative MP’s have challenged the legislation enforcing the cuts which became
law
Laws are the rules that everyone in the country has to follow. If you don't follow the rules you can get in trouble with the police.
in March this year; with Thursday’s debate offering a rare second chance to re-assess the cuts before they are implemented.
Jan Tregelles, Chief Executive of Mencap which co-chairs the Disability Benefits Consortium, said:
People with a learning disability
A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things. are deeply concerned about the Government’s plan to push through further cuts to their benefits from April 2017; it’s encouraging to see these concerns shared by MPs across all parties – it’s clear urgent action is needed.
The Government claims that cutting disabled people’s benefits will incentivise them to find work, yet the opposite is true. The cuts to Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit will do nothing but make life harder for disabled people who are already seeing support drastically reduced by a collapsing social care system. At a time when 1 in 3 families with a disabled person live below the poverty line, a £30-a-week cut is a devastating blow.
The Government has promised that those in the Work Related Activity Group from April 2017 (those affected by the cut), will have more support to help them move towards work; however, there is very little on this in the recent Green Paper.
Furthermore due to the way that Universal Credit works people with a learning disability in work and on low wages will also be hit. Combined, these cuts will make it harder for people to look for work while denying them much needed support to stay in work.
Second chances come rarely in politics, we urge the Government to consider its commitment to protecting disabled people by reversing this cut and instead focus on a real programme of support that will help disabled people move closer to employment.
Open letter to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, published here:
Dear Secretary of State for Work and Pensions,
With today’s debate MPs have been given a rare second chance to speak out against £30 a week being taken away from sick and disabled people. The £30-a-week cut to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit has caused deep unease amongst MPs from all parties. We believe this cut will undermine the Government’s welcome commitment to halve the disability employment gap set out in the Green Paper published just last month.
The Government recently committed to protecting disabled people’s benefits from further cuts, but have decided to continue with this damaging cut to new claimants in the Work-Related Activity Group (WRAG) of ESA and within Universal Credit (UC). From April 2017 this cut will affect many people found currently ‘unfit for work’ but will also affect many disabled people in work and on low wages under UC.
The Government promised further support would be given to disabled people in the WRAG to find work, however the recent Green Paper offers little detail as to where this would come from or how it will mitigate the effects of the cut.
Almost 70% of sick and disabled people we surveyed say this cut would cause their health to suffer and just under half said they would probably not be able to return to work as quickly. We urge MPs from all parties to act –at a time when 1 in 3 households with a disabled member are living in poverty – and halt this cut immediately.
Signed by:
- Action for Blind People
- Action Duchenne
- Action for M.E.
- Action on Hearing Loss
- Advice UK
- Advocard
- Age UK
- Ambitious about
Autism
Autism is a disability. Autistic people find it difficult to understand what other people think and feel. They also find it difficult to tell people what they think and feel. Everyone with autism is different.
- Arthritis Care
- Arthritis
Research
Research is a way of finding out information which could come from books, or asking people what they think.
UK - Aspire
- British Lung Foundation
- Capability Scotland
- Carers UK
- Child Poverty Action Group
- Citizens Advice
- CLIC Sargent
- Contact a Family
- Council for Disabled Children
- Crohn’s and Colitis UK
- Cystic Fibrosis Trust
- Deafblind UK
- Dimensions UK
- Disability
Agenda
An agenda is a list of things to talk about at a meeting.
Scotland - Disability
Rights
Rights are the things everyone should be allowed to do like have a say, or go to school.
UK - Down’s Syndrome Association
- ENABLE Scotland
- Epilepsy Society
- Epilepsy Action
- Equalities National Council
- Guide Dogs
- Haemophilia Society
- Hafal
- Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE)
- Inclusion London
- LASA
- Leonard Cheshire Disability
- Livability
- Mind
- Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association
- MS Society
- Muscular Dystrophy UK
- Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) Trust
- Myeloma UK
- National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society
- National AIDS Trust
- National Autistic Society (NAS)
- National Children’s Bureau
- National Deaf Children’s Society
- National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society
- Niamh
- Papworth Trust
- Parkinson’s UK
- Rethink Mental Illness
- Royal British Legion
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
- Royal Mencap Society
- Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)
- RSI Action
- Scope
- Scottish Association for Mental Health
- Spina bifida Hydrocephalus Information Networking
Equality
Equality is when everyone is treated fairly.
(SHINE) - Sense
- Sense Scotland
- St Joseph’s Hospice
- The Stroke Association
- Sue Ryder
- Terrence Higgins Trust
- Thomas Pocklington Trust
- Together For Short Lives
- Transport for All
- TUC
- Vitalise
- Zacchaeus 2000 Trust
-ENDS-
For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact the Mencap press office on 020 7696 5414 or media@mencap.org.uk.
Notes to editors
DBC Survey of disabled people
The Disability Benefits Consortium surveyed over 500 people aged 18 plus between August 3rd and 15th October across the UK. The surveys were conducted across the country and all relevant responses can be found below:
Q: The Government are proposing to cut support for people in the WRAG by around £30 per week. If this was to apply to you, what do you think the impact would be? Please note, this will only affect people who apply for ESA from April 2017 onwards.
Percentage
Sample
It would make no difference at all
6%
27
I would struggle to pay my bills
69%
292
I would struggle to maintain my
independence
Independence means doing things on your own. Making your own choices.
70%
297
I think my health would get worse
69%
291
It would motivate me to get a job sooner
1%
6
It would make it harder for me to recover and probably mean I return to work later
45%
190
Other (please explain)
21%
88
Total: 422
Q: Do you feel that the amount of ESA you receive is/was enough to live on?
Percentage
Sample
Yes
29%
134
No
57%
265
Not sure/don't know
15%
68
Total: 467
Q: If you don't feel the money is enough, what impact has this had on your financial situation?
Percentage
Sample
I have been unable to pay bills
43%
129
I have missed rent payments
12%
36
I have missed mortgage payments
9%
26
I couldn’t afford to eat
28%
85
I haven't been able to travel to medical appointments
19%
56
I struggled to stay healthy
52%
157
I’ve been trapped in my house as I haven’t been able to afford a taxi
36.%
110
I haven't been able to heat my home
38%
114
Other (please explain)
40.5%
113
Total: 303
Q: If you have had your ESA withdrawn or reduced, what has been the impact on your life? (please tick all that apply)
Percentage
Sample
I can't afford to pay my bills
30%
38
I can't afford my weekly food shop
24%
31
I'm now in debt
22%
28
I’ve had to borrow from my friends and family
28%
35
I’ve had to borrow from a payday lender
6%
7
I am more isolated and less able to see friends and family
40%
49
I miss medical appointments because I cannot afford to travel to them
14%
18
It has negatively impacted my relationship with my family/spouse/partner
28%
35
It has caused me severe anxiety
48%
61
It has made my health condition worse
42%
53
It has had little impact
2%
3
The amount I receive has not changed
26%
33
Other (please explain)
22%
26
Total: 127
About the Disability Benefits Consortium
The Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC) comprises more than 60 national
organisations
Organisations are groups like companies and businesses.
that represent the needs of people who rely on disability benefits.
The DBC is committed to achieving a benefits system that:
- is built on the rights of disabled people
- is informed by the needs and experiences of all disabled people
- is fair in its design and administration
- reflects the reality of the challenges faced by disabled people seeking work
- contributes towards tackling disability poverty and interacts with other government measures to achieve this.
More information on the Disability Benefits Consortium can be found here: disabilitybenefitsconsortium.wordpress.com/.
About Mencap
There are 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK. Mencap works to support people with a learning disability, their families and carers by fighting to change laws, improve services and access to
education
Education is when you learn things. When you fill in a form to get a job, education means you write where you went to school, college or university.
, employment and
leisure
Leisure is when you have time to do things you enjoy like playing sports or going to the pub.
facilities. Mencap supports thousands of people with a learning disability to live their lives the way they want.
For advice and information about learning disability and Mencap services in your area, contact Mencap Direct on 0808 808 1111 (9am-5pm, Monday-Friday) or email help@mencap.org.uk
What is a learning disability?
A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability which can cause problems with everyday tasks – for example shopping and cooking, or travelling to new places – which affects someone for their whole life.
People with a learning disability can take longer to learn new things and may need support to develop new skills, understand difficult information and engage with other people. The level of support someone needs is different with every individual. For example, someone with a severe learning disability might need much more support with daily tasks than someone with a mild learning disability.
Learning disability is not a mental illness or a learning difficulty. Very often the term ‘learning difficulty’ is wrongly used interchangeably with ‘learning disability’.