Wednesday, 23 February 2011

The Coalition Gets A Bloody Nose On DLA

The Social Security Advisory Committee has echoed The Broken of Britain's concerns about the reform of Disability Living Allowance. The statutory body is questioning the motives for the proposed replacement of DLA with the Personal Independence Payment. This line of attack originated with The Broken of Britain and CarerWatch. The committee is also opposing outright the separate move to withdraw DLA entitlement from people living in care homes.

The reasoning for the reforms has been The Broken of Britain's main line of attack on DLA reform over the consultation period, and the SSAC say that it is "concerned that the aim of reducing the number of working-age claimants of DLA by 20% appears to be driving the need for reform of the benefit". The committee wants "some clarity" on the aims of the reform. The SSAC also echo The Broken of Britain by pointing out that research for the Department for Work and Pensions, published last summer, found conclusively that DLA made "a real difference" in assisting disabled people to manage their daily lives and contribute to society.

This is further major embarrassment for the Government, and for Maria Miller in particular, and gives The Broken of Britain some ammunition to fight DLA reform as presented in the Welfare Reform Bill. The Coalition is still reeling from Amelia Gentleman's expose of ESA, and other humiliations. The Broken of Britain fully intends to keep the pressure up.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh god I pray you can do something I pray you can I am so scared of losing my DLA or being thrown on ESA or JSA I am so fearful that this is making me so ill with fear and worry that I will lose everything - If i could work i would work but the fatigue and the pain and stuff (wont go into the more embarrasing bits) i just cant do it.

I am so scared i feel like the govt want me to just die to leave them in peace. I am so praying that they will stop attacking the disabled, just pension off the ones who cannot be cured or something - if they want to fiddle the numbers to make it look like they did something. If there was a cure for me I woulod take it but there is no cure, and probably wont be in my lifetime!

I am so scaredd crying wriging ths as i am so full of fear for my future as i feel i wont have a future if cameron gets his way.

I pray someone can save us

Anonymous said...

I'm also so very scared of the cuts to DLA. Like many people have said, 'I didn't ask to be disabled'. But I am. DLA helps me maintain a certain independence in the form of allowing me to pay for travel costs. Remove DLA and with the help of all other benefits cuts, financially and politically motivated, I see myself becoming housebound then soon after homeless. I'm sure some independent healthcare institution will welcome me with open arms and plenty medication. I seem to be on a negativity trip. Wonder how that started ? Will the people of this country really allow a Tory millionaire with his group of super rich buddies to walk over the most vulnerable in this "big society", OUR society ?