Next Vital Steps to Stop Welfare Reform Bill
URGENT ACTION NEEDED.
This bill goes back to house of commons 1st Feb.
The 'Responsible Reform' report by disabled people critiquing the =
government's efforts to slash their benefits known as the Spartacus =
report on twitter as #spartacusreport managed to lobby for some reforms =
shown below. Now the government wants to overturn these reforms so we =
need to lobby our MPs now
The template letter below refers to the problems of and the effects of =
the reforms to people with chronic, fluctuating conditions such as MS,
ME.
easy to read version of the Spartacus report can be found here:
http://bit.ly/xy0elw
Next Vital Steps to Stop Welfare Reform Bill shar.es/ffTbA
DISABLED PEOPLE AGAINST CUTS (UK)
Next Vital Steps to Stop Welfare Reform Bill
Ministers want the welfare reform bill to become law by the end of this =
parliamentary session in May. Ministers are targeting a total of =A318bn =
in welfare savings by 2015. Introducing time limits for ESA is expected =
to save =A32bn a year while the benefit cap will save an estimated =A3270m=
a year. Plans to remove the =93mobility component=94 of DLA from people =
in residential care =96 which have already been abandoned =96 were meant =
to save =A3135m a year. However the bill has already made much progress =
through Parliament so is unlikely to run out of time before May. Iain =
Duncan Smith says he is determined that his reforms will get through =96 =
and says MPs will overturn any defeats from the Lords, when the Bill =
returns to the Commons.
What this means and what we=92ve won in the Lords
Concessions already won can be overturned with a majority of Tories and =
Lib Dems in the house. That=92s why we must work to convince our MP=92s =
to oppose even more misery for disabled people. We=92ve already lost a =
lot. In the House of Commons vote we risk losing on other key issues of =
fairness and equality-we=92d like to see the whole welfare reform bill =
scrapped but here are the things we need to save
Peers voted down plans that would have meant some cancer patients =
receiving contributory ESA would have been means tested for the benefit =
after 12 months. Instead they voted to make it two years to give them =
longer to recover.
They also rejected the 12-month limit for ESA claimants who are judged =
capable of working at some stage in the future.
And they rejected moves to stop disabled young people who have never =
worked, due to illness or disability, from receiving contributory ESA =96 =
usually paid to those who have been paying National Insurance
Plans for a =A326,000-a-year household benefit cap were also rejected
The Bill goes to House of Commons this month =96act now!
You can find out how to contact your MP at www.parliament.uk or write to =
them at www.writetothem.com
You can tweet to your MP from http://tweetminister.co.uk/mps
Below is a template letter to send or individualized saying what changes =
in the welfare reform bill will mean to you and your families.
Dear MP,
I/We are writing to express our concern over numerous aspects of the =
current Welfare Reform proposals and to ask you to vote against it as =
you are now being asked to consider and vote. Many of these measures =
will adversely affect the lives of disabled people and children and will =
in many cases remove disabled people=92s rights supposedly guaranteed =
under the UN Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities. If =
passed as they are many of these changes will result in widespread =
increases in poverty and homelessness and further exclusion of disabled =
people from society.
A number of my/our concerns around the Welfare Reform Bill include the =
introduction of Personal Independence Payments to replace Disability =
Living Allowance with a stated aim of reducing the number of claimants =
by 20% when the fraud rate for DLA is according to DWP figures only 0.5% =
and the social security advisory committee have said they can see no =
reason for the changes. Re-testing of claimants regularly although their =
conditions will never change will be a further waste of =A3675 million =
of public money and will merely add another test for disabled people to =
fear. 500,000 disabled people (already assessed as having high support =
needs) will lose their DLA, not because of a change in circumstance but =
a change in attitude.
Capping overall maximum benefits will lead to massive increases in =
poverty for those living in areas such as London and the South East =
where rents are so high. Disabled people cannot easily move to cheaper =
properties as care funding is not portable and cannot be moved from one =
local authority to another. Many families with disabled children are =
forced to give up work to care for them due to the lack of adequate =
alternatives.
There is a massive lack of accessible properties, both in the social and =
private rented sectors, available thus making it almost impossible for =
disabled people to find cheaper alternative accommodation. Further for =
anyone with a visual impairment or a learning difficulty it is often =
vital for them to remain in surroundings that they are familiar with and =
to maintain contact with medical and other professionals who know them =
well.
Another potential problem with housing is that the bill will link Local =
Housing Allowance rates to CPI index, which excludes housing costs. =
Already with the changes to LHA made it is becoming increasingly =
difficult for disabled people who have additional housing needs e.g.. to =
use a wheelchair, or have non-resident carers to find accommodation they =
can afford in the private rented sector.
Limiting of Employment and Support payments to either 12 months or 2 =
years for those in the Work Related Activity Group seem particularly =
illogical as disabled people=92s impairments are not likely to go away =
and may in fact deteriorate. It ignores the effects of chronic, =
fluctuating conditions such as MS, ME, inflammatory bowel diseases etc. =
and even the impact of cancer on people=92s lives.
The Welfare Reform Bill has at its heart the key assumption that many =
disabled people don=92t want to work because of ready access to high =
levels of benefits. But the truth is that the real barrier to employment =
isn=92t unwillingness to work. The real barriers include attitudes, =
discrimination, the built environment and getting the right support pre =
and in-work. At a time when sweetheart deals, bailouts and tax breaks =
reveal figures usually reserved for telephone numbers, 40% of families =
with 1 disabled child live in abject poverty. This figure rises to 50% =
where there are 2 disabled children.
Disabled young people who have never worked, due to illness or =
disability should continue to receive contributory ESA usually paid to =
those who have been paying National Insurance.
In addition, the universal credit and welfare reform will bring in =91a =
commitment=92 for those who fail to =91apply themselves=92 to proper =
work seeking activities to tougher sanctions. Once again this will not =
address the complexity of employment related barriers that disabled =
people face, even if they really are =91fit for work=92. Cuts to Access =
to Work funding will put in place additional barriers to disabled people =
in trying to secure employment.
Many families with disabled children will face a cut to the financial =
support they receive. The new system will result in these children =
losing up to =A31400 per year The Government estimates that 100,000 =
disabled children would lose out under this change.
The proposed abolition of the Independent Living Fund coupled with the =
reduction of local authority funding will result in massive numbers of
disabled people losing their right to live independently in total =
contradiction to the UNCRPD which was ratified by the UK government. =
This fund should not be scrapped without an adequate and ring-fenced =
alternative being put in place. In other countries where similar moves =
have been made the costs to the state increased as large numbers of =
disabled people ended up being admitted to hospital for lengthy periods =
of time. This proposal in particular will be disastrous for disabled =
people=92s rights.
The reforms suggest that all claims should be processed via the Internet =
which is not accessible for many disabled people. What alternatives are =
being proposed for those who do not have or cannot access this method of =
claiming?
We hope that you will ensure these issues are fully addressed before you =
vote on this bill; the future of disabled people now lies in your hands.=
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