Welfare reforms will plunge thousands into poverty, report claims
HUNDREDS of thousands of people could be plunged into poverty with coalition plans to scrap the Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
That is the view of a group of 90 disabled organisations, which estimates around 500,000 people will lose out when the benefit is replaced by a personal independence payment next year.
The Tipping Point report, written by The Hardest Hit charity coalition, also suggests the change could see 50,400 disabled people dropping out of the workforce.
Susan Walters, secretary of the Cheltenham and North Gloucestershire branch of Mencap which is part of the group, said: "The lack of knowledge is a great source of worry to anyone with a disabled person in their family or a disabled person themselves.
Sunday and Monday evenings £12.00 per head for an all inclusive meal with Indian and Thai cuisine (normal price £14.50).
Bring this voucher to the restaurant complete with your name and email address on it.
Terms: Expires 31st July
Contact: 01452 223782
Valid until: Wednesday, July 31 2013
"The financial angle is extremely worrying.
"We are not sure how some people will be able to afford to live. It will add an awful lot of uncertainty to people's lives."
The Government hopes the new system will address the issue of some people being overpaid when their condition improves.
But concerns have been raised about the way in which people are interviewed to assess their needs.
The DLA report found that 65 per cent of interviewees said that disability assessors 'did not understand their condition' while 87 per cent of welfare advisors have argued that 'constant re-assessments for benefits are damaging people's health'.
Meanwhile, this week the government has also faced severe criticism for another of its welfare reforms with critics claiming it is now too late to implement the planned cuts to child benefit payments.
The proposed changes will see families where a parent earns more than £50,000 receiving less in payments, while those where a parent earns more than £60,000 will lose the hand out entirely.
Gloucestershire-based tax expert Mike Warburton, senior tax partner at Grant Thornton, is sceptical that all of the work needed can be done in time for the planned January 7 launch of the new system.
He said: "There was always going to be a drawback, it was inevitable there was going to be a bedding-in period and that's what we're going to see now."
Comments
by Dave_t10
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 11:58PM
“Surprise Surprise
Organisation with vested interests doom mongering.
About time they scrapped it, I know of people who get DLA because they have Eczema!
Fraud is rife, its about time that benefits become about what you can do, not what you can't.
We hear so many complain, I can't sit all day or I can't stand all day.....how many jobs are like that. Somehow they manage to stay home all day watching daytime TV.
The number of genuinely disabled people who are incapable of any work is absolutely tiny, yet we have millions on disability benefits.
Just have to look how many are getting signed off, the assessments by Atos and the like have been brilliant, long may it continue.”
by eyeopener
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 11:55PM
“@ Bonkim2003 "yes a few might come off worst - it is all about what we can afford as a society and how the cake is to be distribited - looking up at some of the figures - social benefits often exceed what the person involved could hope to earn - that is unfair to the tax paying and working people."
Exactly how many would want to change places with the disabled?”
by Ms_Superstar
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 8:22PM
“The fact is that no-one really knows who will be better off and who, if any, will be worse off. It's all scepticism and scaremongering.”
by TIMONLINE2010
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 7:57PM
“Nothing wrong with that nikonman if he's been paying into them all his life.”
by nikonman2010
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 6:19PM
“I know of a gentlemen who is in his 90s and with all his allowances pensions etc (public sector) has a income net of £2650 a month, this incs disabilty and war pension,”
by TIMONLINE2010
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 4:56PM
“In fact I know people on this benefit (or its predecessor) and they did indeed get a new car every 3 years and free taxi rides.”
by MarkC11
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 4:50PM
“So as the details are not known as yet, and as the DLA is not an income related benefit surely before jumping up and down and scaremongering the detail needs to be seen. I know a number of people who had a review and were given a higher allowance, and not on appeal but by the DWP. I do think a lot of the bodies complaining could well be accused of crying wolf, that helps no one. When the detail is knwn then yes there may be grounds to raise concerns but dont try to second guess and in doing so scare vulnerable people.”
by MissyMadDog
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 4:29PM
“Of course it does TIMONLINE, a brand new car every 3 years or taxi fares to anywhere in the country! Or is that just what you want to believe because your ignorance gets in the way of the truth.
Only people on the highest rate of the DLA mobility component are eligible to lease a car, powered wheelchair or scooter through the mobility scheme and they use the DLA to pay for it.
MarkC, yes I do agree with you, but I don't believe it's scaremongering, the goal posts are being drastically moved by narrowing the criteria for eligibility of PIP, which means many peoples needs will not be met.
The problem with you Bonkim and some others for that matter, is you fail to understand or just don't want to understand, how much harder and costly it can be living with a disability or certain long term illnesses and to say "a few might come off worst" just shows how limited in knowledge you are about this whole policy and the consequences of it.”
by MarkC11
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 3:25PM
“Timonline DLA does not entitel anyone to taxis whenever they want, it is a fixed amount on mobility of £54.05 per week if on the higher element, as for the car scheme it would depend upon the amount that could be used and type of car etc. It is not always as is portrayed, and Missymaddog, as the details etc are not yet known to say peole will lose out is perhap scaremongering at this stage, it will depend upon each person and their needs surely you must agree that is right.”
by Bonkim2003
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 3:22PM
“comments too polical - in the real world - yes a few might come off worst - it is all about what we can afford as a society and how the cake is to be distribited - looking up at some of the figures - social benefits often exceed what the person involved could hope to earn - that is unfair to the tax paying and working people - natural to consider whay someone on benefits should get more than you can working - all said and done - the consolidated income supplement should provide that bit extra who need it and also keep people in work motivated to work and not stay home on benefits - the question od disability - yes they also need to tighten up, many working people paying taxes do without many amenities the disabled appear to get such as subsidised vehicles, transport, etc. No right or wrong answer - just belt tightening all round as the country just can't afford the generous system we had in the past decades. Not sure if Mr Milliband is promising to loosen up the benefits system if elected. I doubt it.”