Criticism as £30-a-week disability benefit cuts go ahead

[Conniff]

Criticism as £30-a-week disability benefit cuts go ahead

 

Peers have backed down in their battle with MPs over cuts to disabled people's benefits after ministers invoked special powers to push them through.

 

The government was twice defeated in the House of Lords over a £30 a week cut to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) for certain claimants.

 

But it is set to go ahead after peers deferred to the elected Commons.

 

Ministers claimed "financial privilege" to assert the Commons' right to have the final say on budgetary measures.

 

Ministers argue the changes will encourage people to get into work, but this is strongly disputed by opponents.

 

The cuts in weekly support from £103 to £73, contained in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill, will apply to new ESA claimants in the work-related activity group, bringing the rate into line with Job-seeker's Allowance.

 

It will affect people who are deemed unable to work at the moment but capable of making some effort to find employment, including attending work-focused interviews and taking part in training.

 

Ministers argue that too few people in the category are moving into work and that while the lower benefit rate would save £55m in the first year, £60m would be spent on supporting claimants to take steps towards finding work.

 

'Harmful impact'

 

Work and Pensions minister Lord Freud acknowledged peers were only withdrawing their opposition with "great reluctance" after the Commons asserted financial privilege - its right to overrule any Lords proposal that has cost implications.

 

He insisted that the Lords had "discharged their duty" by scrutinising the bill to remove "unintended consequences" and sending back concerns for the Commons to reconsider.

 

But Paralympic gold medalist Baroness Grey-Thompson said she was disappointed such a "dreadful and punitive" part of the bill - which has been opposed by more than 30 charities - was going ahead.

 

"It may be seen as a victory in terms of voting numbers in the Commons but we can't forget there are many disabled people who will lose out," the cross-bench peer said.

 

 

Link

Edited March 8, 2016 by citizenB

[Nystagmite]

They appeared to keep pushing this one through until they got what they wanted.

[citizenB]

I think this is disgraceful.

[Conniff]

They have to cut somewhere, that I think we all agree on.

 

They were stopped with the other two cuts they tried to bring in, so maybe this is some sort of trick so now the opposition can make claims

about cutting the benefits of the most vulnerable especially if the higher rate of income tax has it's threshold increased in the budget.

 

Cutting a benefit with a label of 'disabled' would seemingly have a bigger stigma than working credits so they could shout about it more.

Edited March 8, 2016 by Conniff

[Nystagmite]

I don't think anyone's denying they have to make cuts. But why always the people who need it the most? Not all will ever be able to work. Many have long term, serious health issues.

[citizenB]

I don't think anyone's denying they have to make cuts. But why always the people who need it the most? Not all will ever be able to work. Many have long term, serious health issues.

 

Possibly because they wont have the energy to fight this ?

[Nystagmite]

True and it seems that many charities either aren't listened to or aren't overly bothered. When they announced (and went back on their promise) the tax credits cut last year, there was a huge uproar, therefore, they wouldn't do it.

[ripples]

I wonder when this will be introduced ? It is a money saving thing but also appears to be an attempt to stop people claiming ESA and you can bet long term they will try to get rid of the WRAG category completely

[tommy456]

All we can hope for is for the uk to leave the EU and the tory government to leave office

As for cuts are needed what nonsense based on lies, Also if cuts where needed then they should start with stopping their expenses altogether, and all top level m.p's should take a pay cut, after all as the div dave said we are all it it together, Make no mistake about it, they are in nothing together with us, some may of bought the lies but i didn't

[tommy456]

To add to my previous, they can always find money to bomb other countries, find it to give aid to all and sundry, and also spend lots of money on hair brained ideas and trying to bring them into law, or dumb ideas like HS2

[sadone]

They have to cut somewhere, that I think we all agree on.

 

No.

 

They do this terrible thing and yet still manage to vote in a huge pay rise for MP's. Funny that.

[Sparks_]

Why do we have to tighten our belts but MPs give themselves an above inflation pay rise plus dont forget all the other benefits and expenses they claim?

 

I just can not see how disabled/ill people can live on just over £70 a week and still expect them to regain their health and look for work!

[sadone]

Yeah, and funny how the emphasis changed from austerity caused by the banking industry to the sick and disabled of this country.

 

Very clever bait and switch routine, eh? But then the Tories always have been masters of propaganda.

[Nystagmite]

I wonder when this will be introduced ? It is a money saving thing but also appears to be an attempt to stop people claiming ESA and you can bet long term they will try to get rid of the WRAG category completely

 

April 2017

[jason2723637]

why hasn't sumone taken DWP to the high/supreme court or the ECHR over ESA its WCA (being found fit for work when their not), cutting 30 quid etc etc surely only matter of time then no more WCA! (as in surprised it not happened already)

 

 

side note - the UK and others should take on ISIS tho....

[speedfreek]

One thing most people are completely missing is that...........

 

This was already implemented in the Universal Credit regulations.

 

Like the WTC cut..... you do know that's still/already in the UC regulations.?

 

Anybody seeing a pattern here?

 

It's always been the plan to strip away these claimants and thus the premiums they received.. The only reason these cuts are noticeable is because UC is running at least 4 years behind schedule. Hence all this aligning legislation for legacy benefits.

 

UC as it's single payment makes it so much easier for cuts to take place and it will become a simpler benefit (as advertised) by culling the types of claimant classifications we have now.

 

Give it a couple of years and I'd expect to see PIP and ESA amalgamated under UC into a single payment.with a single just as shoddy test..

[sillygirl1]

I still think UC will be thrown out. It is a waste of time trying to get the benefits under one banner when each council is allowed to do its own thing with regard to the amount of housing benefit and council tax relief the unemployed or disabled have to contribute towards.

 

Bring on a General Election in August after the EU vote - I am voting for out as I've never believed in the single market practice - nor its bringing in other countries who hve little or no economic benefit to the whole group.

[sadone]

Oh sadly I don't think it will ever be thrown out as the Tories have invested to much time and energy in creating this mess. To say nothing of that bloody psycho IDS who's baby it is and who seems willing to shift heaven and earth to protect it even though it's an ill thought out mess.

 

But it achieves one thing and thats starving people and keeping claimants in constant fear of sanctions. Just wait till more working people are moved over from working tax credits to UC. Then the 'fun' will really begin.

[ripples]

A lot of us haven't encountered UC yet . I received a notice of rent increase to take place in April and I note that if someone is on housing benefit it automatica'ly adjusts but if you claim UC you have to tell the DWP. Everything is set up to make it harder for claimants

[sadone]

Bring on a General Election in August after the EU vote - I am voting for out as I've never believed in the single market practice - nor its bringing in other countries who hve little or no economic benefit to the whole group.

 

Personally I think in is better, which this article manages to touch on.

 

http://www.thenational.scot/comment/tasmina-ahmed-sheikh-gove-says-the-eu-limits-tory-ministers-good.14761

 

Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: Gove says the EU limits Tory ministers. Good ...

 

 

WHEN some Tory Ministers in Westminster recently bemoaned the fact that they’ve been unable to implement their full right-wing plans in Government because of our membership of the EU, I personally breathed a sigh of relief. Imagine the potential damage that David Cameron, George Osborne or Michael Gove could do without the safety net provided by the EU?

 

What if Cameron and his now dis-united team had no checks or balances on their power? Could the prospect for families and communities here in Scotland be any more depressing?

 

The argument that right-wing pro-Brexit Tories like Michael Gove seem to have been making recently is that our EU membership prevents their current crop of ministers from further dismantling workers’ rights, polluting the environment or abandoning the health and safety protections we have in place for consumers. If this is true, then you can place me even more firmly in the Remain camp.

 

In particular, in the week when International Women’s Day has been celebrated worldwide, we certainly shouldn’t underestimate the part Europe has played in protecting and promoting equality, and the rights of women across our continent.

 

The impact that our membership of the EU has had in this area is considerable.

 

For example, the EU has played a central role in ensuring the equal treatment of men and women at work, and in outlawing government discrimination in social security schemes so that women and men have equal entitlement to benefits.

 

Parental leave is another issue which is currently protected by Europe. New parents now have a legal right to both take time off work to care for their families. It wasn’t that long ago that pregnant women could be immediately dismissed by employers, who had no responsibility whatsoever to re-hire mothers who had taken leave to have a baby. Now specific rights have been enshrined in EU regulations which provide protection to pregnant workers and new mums.

 

Over and above these specific rules to promote equality for women, EU legislation guarantees workers’ rights in areas such as protecting everyone’s entitlement to have paid holidays, and making sure that part-time, fixed term or agency workers all get fair and equal treatment in the eyes of the law. These rules protect everyone, but women in particular reap the benefits of a fairer, more equal workplace.

 

The Tories want to roll back the clock on progressive measures like these. We, on the other hand, must do everything we can to protect them.

 

Lets face it, can anything IDS wants be good or fair for the not wealthy people of this country?

[Guest Miss Anxious]

Telemark...I agree with you......

[AndyOrch]

Off topic posts removed..the thread is about £30-a-week disability benefit cuts...not the EU or ISIS.

 

Please keep to the thread topic.

 

Regards

 

Andy

[speedfreek]

Give it a couple of years and I'd expect to see PIP and ESA amalgamated under UC into a single payment.with a single just as shoddy test..

 

And as if by magic

 

http://www.smf.co.uk/press-release-new-report-urges-end-to-sanctions-in-disability-benefit-system/

 

The report recommends:

 

Splitting benefit eligibility from setting the setting of conditionality requirements by abolishing the controversial Work Capability Assessment;

 

Equalising the rate of benefit received in Universal Credit for jobseekers and disabled people;

 

Assessing eligibility for a new benefit to meet the costs of disability with a reformed version of the current Personal Independence Payment assessment;

 

Ensuring that benefit levels are adequate to support those with a disability to fully engage in society;

 

Instead of sanctions, providing voluntary assistance to disabled people who wish to engage with support to enter work; and

 

Giving a ‘Steps to Work Wage’ and support contract to disabled people who choose to engage with the system of support, whether at Jobcentre Plus, the Work and Health Programme, or wider services.

 

About the author:

Matthew Oakley joined the SMF as Senior Researcher in July 2015. Prior to SMF Matthew had been Chief Economist and Head of Financial Services Policy at Which?, Head of Economics and Social Policy at Policy Exchange and an Economic Advisor at the Treasury. He is also a member of the Social Security Advisory Committee and he led the Independent Review of Jobseeker’s Allowance sanctions that reported to Parliament in 2014. He is a recognised expert on public policy, welfare reform and consumer issues.

[sadone]

Yeah I saw that. I'm sure they will end up removing the support group of ESA completely and If you need any extra help you will have to claim PIP, which judging by todays news will be even harder to claim.

 

This government stinks!!!

[sadone]

Oh and theres this to rub salt in the wounds....

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/budget-2016-george-osborne-to-use-a-cut-in-benefit-payments-to-disabled-people-to-fund-a-middle-a6927056.html

 

George Osborne is reportedly poised to use a reduction of £150 a week in benefit payments to disabled people in order to fund a middle-class tax giveaway at next week’s Budget.

The decision by Ministers to remove the PIP – Personal Independence Payment – benefits from more than 600,000 disabled people over the next five years, saving around £1 billion a year, could give the Chancellor leeway to bring down taxation for the middle-class.

 

According to the Daily Telegraph Mr Osborne wants to “accelerate progress” towards the Conservative manifesto pledge of raising the threshold to £50,000 at which people start paying 40p tax – a policy that could see thousands of high-earners pulled out of the higher rate of income tax