The Department for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions is sometimes called the DWP. It is part of
the government
The Government are the people who run the country. The Government decide how much tax people should pay and how things like the National Health Service (NHS) should work.
and manages payments and benefits like Universal Credit,
Personal Independence Payment
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is the name of a benefit that some people with a disability or health condition get. The money is to pay for extra help you might need to look after yourself and to get around. Some people who used to get
Disability Living Allowance
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is the name of a benefit that some people with a disability get. The money is to pay for extra help you might need to look after yourself and to get around. Disability Living Allowance is being replaced by a benefit called Personal
Independence
Independence means doing things on your own. Making your own choices.
Payment (PIP).
(DLA) now get PIP instead.
,
Employment
Employment means having a job.
and Support Allowance, and Income Support.
has just published it’s Green Paper on Work, Health and Disability in full.
Despite welcoming it’s plans to work closer with employers to help halve the disability employment gap, Mencap outlines deep concerns over changes to those in the Support Group of
Employment and Support Allowance
Employment and Support Allowance is sometimes called ESA. It is a benefit for people who find it harder to get a job because of a disability or a long term health condition.
.
Mencap's response
Dan Scorer, Head of Policy at Mencap, said:
The government’s long awaited Green Paper sets out an important 10 year vision for changing attitudes and working with employers to transforming disabled people’s access to employment. However, disappointingly, it does not set any milestones in terms of meeting the government’s important commitment to halve the disability employment gap.
We want to work with the government and employers to open up access to the Labour market for 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. . However, we are concerned by proposals that could undermine the position of people with a learning disability in ESA’s Support Group, who have been assessed by the Government as being unable to take steps towards work. This would come on top of the £30 a week cut to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) coming in next April, which we believe will be deeply damaging to disabled people’s wellbeing and ability to find work. It would also go against recent Ministerial assurances that there will be no further cuts
Cuts are when there is less money to pay for things like clubs and support. to disabled people’s benefits.
With just 6% of people with a learning disability known to social services in employment, future reforms need to focus on providing tailored support to individuals, whilst providing them with financial security. Many of the Green Paper proposals are welcome, but changes to the Support Group could cause deep concern to sick and disabled people, who the government must listen to and understand the impact these proposals would have on their lives.
-ENDS-
About Mencap
For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact the Mencap press office on 020 7696 5414 or media@mencap.org.uk or for out of hours 07770 656 659.
Notes to editors
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’.