As Lords debates DLA reforms, charities call for pause to welfare reform bill

By Helen Sampson of the Papworth Trust

Ahead of today’s debate on Disability Living Allowance reforms in the Lords, the Papworth Trust charity is leading a coalition of 16 major charities and organisations in calling for a pause to the welfare reform bill. The bill is now in the final stages of its Parliamentary passage, but the details of how the reform would affect disabled people have not been fully investigated.

Motability-car However, it was revealed by the government yesterday that the proposed changes will lead to half a million disabled people no longer being eligible for this benefit.

Last week, the Responsible Reform report (pdf) (known as the Spartacus report) revealed strong opposition from disabled people, charities and other interested groups to the government’s proposed changes to Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

As Matthew Lester, director of operations at the Papworth Trust, says:

“We support the report’s concerns that the decision to reduce DLA by 20% may have been based on incomplete or misleading data about the reasons for growth in DLA.

“Our recent survey of over 2,200 disabled people found that almost 9 out of 10 would have to cut back on essentials such as food or being able to get out and about if their DLA payments were reduced or stopped.

“This proposed 20% cut will push more disabled people into poverty. This report was entirely researched, written, funded and supported by the people that these changes will affect. We believe that there should be a pause so that the questions it raises can be answered.”

The charities and organisations asking the government to pause the welfare reform bill are the Papworth Trust, Action on Hearing Loss, Brandon Trust, Campaign for a Fair Society, Disability Rights UK, Disability Wales, Ekklesia, Leonard Cheshire Disability, MS Society, the National Autistic Society, Rethink Mental Illness, RNIB, Sense, Three Cs, United Response and the Westminster Society.

If you would like to support the call for a pause, please visit www.papworth.org.uk.

See also:

• Employment minister Chris Grayling does not appear to understand his own disability reforms – Daniel Elton, January 13th 2012

• Welfare reform bill in tatters after Lords defeats – Shamik Das, January 12th 2012

• Children’s commissioner slams welfare bill – Alex Hern, January 11th 2012

• Everyone concerned about welfare reform needs to step up to the mark – Declan Gaffney, January 10th 2012

• Time to step forward on the Spartacus report – Alex Hern, January 9th 2012

http://twitter.com/livvstannard/status/159258838653079552 Olivia Stannard;

Survey of 2,200 disabled people found almost 90% wd hv 2 cut back on essentials such as food if DLA payments were cut: http://t.co/oNfS6Pva
http://twitter.com/iganesha/status/159259385749700608 iGanesha

Survey of 2,200 disabled people found almost 90% wd hv 2 cut back on essentials such as food if DLA payments were cut: http://t.co/oNfS6Pva
http://twitter.com/pete_tinley/status/159260456140275712 Peter Tinley

Survey of 2,200 disabled people found almost 90% wd hv 2 cut back on essentials such as food if DLA payments were cut: http://t.co/oNfS6Pva
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2012/01/will-the-government-take-away-money-from-disabled-people-on-a-hunch/ Will the government take away money from disabled people on a hunch? | Left Foot Forward

[...] also: • As Lords debates DLA reforms, charities call to pause to welfare reform bill - Helen Sampson, January 17th [...]
http://twitter.com/aspiemum/status/159311455638921219 Vanessa

Survey of 2,200 disabled people found almost 90% wd hv 2 cut back on essentials such as food if DLA payments were cut: http://t.co/oNfS6Pva
http://twitter.com/aspiemum/status/159311488744554496 Vanessa

As Lords debates DLA reforms, charities call for pause to welfare reform bill: http://t.co/pPm81cRn by @Papworth_Trust’s H Sampson
http://twitter.com/hrafndot/status/159313172090728448 Shirley Knott

As Lords debates DLA reforms, charities call for pause to welfare reform bill: http://t.co/pPm81cRn by @Papworth_Trust’s H Sampson
http://twitter.com/labour_dave/status/159339522520383488 David Marsden

Survey of 2,200 disabled people found almost 90% wd hv 2 cut back on essentials such as food if DLA payments were cut: http://t.co/oNfS6Pva
http://twitter.com/sammy_unsworth/status/159391595857326080 JH

Survey of 2,200 disabled people found almost 90% wd hv 2 cut back on essentials such as food if DLA payments were cut: http://t.co/oNfS6Pva
http://twitter.com/invernessfibro/status/159393001607671808 joyce littlejohn

RT @leftfootfwd: As Lords debates DLA reforms, charities call for pause to welfare reform bill http://t.co/LJBaHKiC
http://twitter.com/yasjenks/status/159422860757172225 Yasmin

Survey of 2,200 disabled people found almost 90% wd hv 2 cut back on essentials such as food if DLA payments were cut: http://t.co/oNfS6Pva
http://twitter.com/stuartcroft/status/159561761182318592 Stuart Croft

RT @leftfootfwd: As Lords debates DLA reforms, charities call for pause to welfare reform bill http://t.co/cGcgVWnh
http://twitter.com/spsot/status/159705601197350912 Spir.Sotiropoulou

RT @leftfootfwd: As Lords debates DLA reforms, charities call for pause to welfare reform bill http://t.co/7lSmHuLL
http://twitter.com/creativecrip/status/159762374960746496 TheCreativeCrip

Survey of 2,200 disabled people found almost 90% wd hv 2 cut back on essentials such as food if DLA payments were cut: http://t.co/oNfS6Pva
http://twitter.com/pat_raven/status/159763747316039680 Pat Raven

Survey of 2,200 disabled people found almost 90% wd hv 2 cut back on essentials such as food if DLA payments were cut: http://t.co/oNfS6Pva
http://twitter.com/wtbdavidg/status/159766987193597952 David Gillon

Survey of 2,200 disabled people found almost 90% wd hv 2 cut back on essentials such as food if DLA payments were cut: http://t.co/oNfS6Pva
http://twitter.com/feralmustard/status/159767235307634688 Feral Mustard

Survey of 2,200 disabled people found almost 90% wd hv 2 cut back on essentials such as food if DLA payments were cut: http://t.co/oNfS6Pva
http://twitter.com/virginiamoffatt/status/159767642989793281 Virginia Moffatt

Survey of 2,200 disabled people found almost 90% wd hv 2 cut back on essentials such as food if DLA payments were cut: http://t.co/oNfS6Pva
http://twitter.com/reptileman1975/status/159776775612801024 Rob Smith

Survey of 2,200 disabled people found almost 90% wd hv 2 cut back on essentials such as food if DLA payments were cut: http://t.co/oNfS6Pva
http://twitter.com/oldtrekkie/status/159785558476988416 Ann Woods

Survey of 2,200 disabled people found almost 90% wd hv 2 cut back on essentials such as food if DLA payments were cut: http://t.co/oNfS6Pva
http://twitter.com/k_smith07/status/159791367755804672 Kate Smith

Survey of 2,200 disabled people found almost 90% wd hv 2 cut back on essentials such as food if DLA payments were cut: http://t.co/oNfS6Pva
http://twitter.com/andthensuzsaid/status/159791583137513473 Suz

Survey of 2,200 disabled people found almost 90% wd hv 2 cut back on essentials such as food if DLA payments were cut: http://t.co/oNfS6Pva
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2012/01/look-left-20-01-12/ Look Left – The human cost of the government’s inhumane welfare reforms | Left Foot Forward

[...] replacement for disability living allowance is not fit for purpose; the Papworth Trust’s Helen Sampson on the growing calls for a pause to the welfare reform bill; and Declan Gaffney on whether the [...]
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