Essay on DLA reform #TBofBTT

by Lucia (notcrazy on The Broken of Britain forum) - an essay for a disability studies degree course

The recent proposal for a change in Disability Living Allowance (DWP 2010a) contained in the Welfare Reform Bill (DWP 2011) was thoroughly researched as part of the legislative process. The research seemingly aimed to involve disabled people through various means such as consultations (DWP 2010b). This was intended to enable disabled people to influence the reform and its policies. However analysis and comparison with Emancipatory disability research (Oliver 1997) clearly shows that this may not be the case in practice. Emancipatory disability research is one of many theories that policy makers can adopt when conducting research (Barnes 2003). The characteristics provide a different approach to traditional research methods employed when researching disability. Traditional methods tend to have an individualised and medicalised view of disability underpinning them with disabled people as passive research subjects (Barnes 2003).

One of the primary characteristics of Emancipatory research is that disabled people are actively involved in all stages of the research (Barnes 2003). For policymakers and researchers this can be a challenging task (Mercer 2003). Using the Welfare Reform Bill (WRB) as an example it was the government that set the agenda (and provided the funding) for reform (DWP 2010a). From the questions and the resulting outcomes of the research undertaken this piece of research had a medicalised and individualistic perspective underpinning the research (DWP 2010b). If the consultation had been more Emancipatory, which is underpinned by social model values (Mercer 2003) then more focus would be placed on the societal barriers to equal participation that exist and how welfare reform can best reduce their impact, However only one question focused on this (DWP 2010b). Twelve questions in the research were focused on how best to capture the medical proof needed to fulfil the qualifying criteria and how impairment and the impact that impairment has on everyday life (DWP 2010b). By utilising a medicalised perspective the research also implies that disabled people are passive recipients of care and support (Campbell and Oliver 1997), which places the power balance with the researchers and the governments own agenda. This can make it difficult for disabled people to influence policy.

Another key characteristic of Emancipatory research is that its ultimate aim is to empower disabled people (Barnes 2003). The government’s rhetoric surrounding the reasons for reform state that ‘The Coalition Government is committed to helping disabled people to exercise choice and control over their lives’ (DWP 2010b, p5). However upon analysis the reality of this statement doesn’t fit within an empowering Emancipatory research agenda. For it to be Emancipatory the source of the empowerment would have to be initiated by disabled people themselves making it authentic (Oliver 2002). This is another key characteristic linked with empowerment in Emancipatory research. The governments stated outcome of independence actually translates to less reliance on welfare provision. Disabled people have argued that it is only through this state reliance on provision that true independence can be achieved (Franklin 2010a, 2010b and 2011b). In reality this conflict would make an Emancipatory research agenda problematic for the government.

Another of the aims of this welfare reform is a reduction in claimants to Disability Living Allowance (DLA), which according to the government is essential to reduce costs (BBC News 2010). If disabled people were allowed to conduct and influence the outcome of research in the area of welfare reform the fear that the government would have is that it would increase the welfare bill and not reduce it. However, it is important to consider that disabled people have argued that by reducing the eligibility criteria for this benefit will increase the need for other types of assistance which are more expensive and that ‘DLA is already the cheapest way of funding these kind of care needs.’ (Franklin 2011a). She uses a case study to demonstrate that impairments still exist when criteria change and that taking away the funding for support doesn’t take away the need for its provision.

Another key characteristic of Emancipatory research is accountability (Barnes 2003). The research has responsibility to its subject group. This differs from the research undertaken surrounding DLA reform which is more accountable to the government. The shift to a more Emancipatory approach would also need a significant shift in the structure of how research is funded (Barnes 2003). Practically, it is in the best interests of those who undertake the research to conduct and report their findings aligned to whoever has invested in it (financially or otherwise). In order to enable Emancipatory research to become more widespread the bias and resulting outcomes would need to be allowed to develop during the course of the research itself. Emancipatory research doesn’t claim to be without bias but developed through the research itself instead of external factors influencing it.

Although Emancipatory research may seem to be limited to an ideological method of research when applied to a real life policy making process it still can play an important role in the shape of how research is conducted. Before the concept of Emancipatory research emerged through the social model ideology there was an imbalance in research approaches. If different types of research methods are considered along a spectrum, with a medicalised and individualised approach being at one end, the furthest extreme to counter that has only been participatory research. The introduction of Emancipatory research which allowed for the researched to also be researchers extended the scope, range and the shape that research can be undertaken with (Campbell and Oliver 1997). In the same way that the social model countered the dominance of the medical model, Emancipatory research was designed to provide an alternative to a more traditional research focus when the researcher held power over their subjects (Barnes 2003). Although this approach may be a practically problematic proposal, its influence to alter and offer an alternative method is undeniably important. By employing elements of Emancipatory research within the existing research framework, especially if social model underpinning is allowed to guide the development of the research would be a viable compromise, and a distinctly different approach to disability research. In much the same way as the social model has influenced societies attitude to disability so too should Emancipatory research be an influence to the way research is undertaken. Both ideological extremes of conducting research present flaws, but are both valuable and essential to enable a more balance approach to be adopted when conducting research.

Franklin, Kaliya (2011b). A stitch in time can sometimes cost you nine. Benefit Scrounging Scum. [online]. Posted April 19th 2011. Last accessed 13th May 2011 at: http://benefitscroungingscum.blogspot.com/2011/04/stitch-in-time-can-sometimes-cost-you.html
Franklin, Kaliya (2011a). The Queen and the Soldier. Benefit Scrounging Scum. [online]. Posted April 18th 2011. Last accessed 13th May 2011 at: http://benefitscroungingscum.blogspot.com/2011/04/queen-and-soldier.html
Franklin, Kaliya (2010b). To the Disabled People of Great Britain. Benefit Scrounging Scum. [online]. Posted October 24th 2010. Last accessed 13th May 2011 at: http://benefitscroungingscum.blogspot.com/2010/10/to-disabled-people-of-great-britain_24.html
Franklin, Kaliya (2010a). The government response to the petition to save DLA and AA. Benefit Scrounging Scum. [online]. Posted February 10th 2010. Last accessed 13th May 2011 at: http://benefitscroungingscum.blogspot.com/2010/02/last-week-government-published-their_10.html