The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

Why more action is needed on cuts to disability benefits

A letter from leading charities criticising cuts to mobility allowance is a good starting point – but we must do more.

By Samira Shackle Published 12 January 2011 10:47

The cuts to Disability Living Allowance (DLA) are among the cruellest announced in last year's Spending Review, given the devastating impact they will have on the quality of life of an already marginalised group.

Let's just recap. DLA – a hard-won benefit – currently costs £12bn a year and faces cuts of 20 per cent. For the first time ever, medical examinations will be introduced in 2013-2014 to assess eligibility for the benefit. Charities including the Disability Alliance are sceptical about this, suggesting that its aim is to remove 380,000 claimants from the benefit, rather than "simplify" the system.

In addition to this, George Osborne announced plans to save £135m by abolishing the mobility component of DLA for the 80,000 severely disabled people resident in care homes. This is a weekly payment of up to £50 a week, used to pay for taxis, petrol for staff cars and powered wheelchairs, and to lease specially adapted cars. With severe mental or physical disabilities, most are unable to use public transport. The money allows them to have a social life and prevents them from becoming prisoners in their residential homes.

The Times (£) reports today that a group of 27 leading charities, including Mencap, Mind and RNIB, has written a letter to the Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, and the Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, urging them to reverse the decision.

"Removing this benefit will take us back to the Dark Ages, essentially stripping people of control over their lives and leaving them stuck in residential care homes," says Mark Goldring, chief executive of Mencap.

It is an important move, and one hopes it will highlight the issue. But more needs to be done to mobilise public opinion against this particular inhumane cut and to put pressure on the government. A leading disability lawyer, Mike Charles, told the BBC at the weekend that there could even be a legal basis to challenge it:

The Human Rights Act says individuals have a right to family life, have a right to a quality of life. The whole purpose of the DLA is to put them on an equal playing field with everyone else.

Any proposal that fails to appreciate those fundamental rights could find it is an infringement of the law. My view is even if it's not against the letter of the law, it is against the spirit of the law.

At the Netroots conference last Saturday, the difficulty with highlighting the budgetary assault on the disabled was raised repeatedly: it is not a "sexy" issue, and there are the obvious difficulties of mobilising large numbers of people for protest action. The key must lie in humanising the matter – people will be unable to get out of the house once a week to socialise, and there are others who, as we heard in a fringe session, are contemplating suicide because of their fear of losing their DLA.

This message must be publicised in an accessible way, with innovative protest action that brings it to people's attention.

As the (partial) reversal on school sports budgets shows, changes can be won. The consultation on DLA ends on 14 February. We have a duty to do as much as possible before then.

More from Samira Shackle

21 comments

Wed, 2011-01-12 14:39 — Pi**sed off (not verified)

What does it say about David C.A.Moron and his scheming chumleys when they are attacking the weakest in our society?
The man is a disgrace.
His ideas are idiotic.
Get this moron out of there before he causes irreperable damage to Britain.

Thu, 2011-01-13 02:48 — bunny (not verified)

what the govermeant are doing to the sick,disabled and carers is disgraceful something needs to be done and soon as this is not right targeting the sick,disabled.

Wed, 2011-01-12 16:05 — Gerald Phillips (not verified)

An excellent article. Is there a place for putting short newsworthy ads in the newspapers. The British public are sympathetic to a cuase when thay have the facts. The idea of compelling an MP to tell a youngster that he cannot have his mobility chair and then strapping him to a almost defunct NHS chair and wheeling himself down the street is a superb idea. The tabloids are most appalling for their portrayal of sick and disabled people, the worry is that some people believe them. Would one tabloid like to step out of the filth written daily and do an honest report and lend it's support to the sick and disabled. They would find plenty of readers, more than their misinformed garbage does now. I remember when The Daily Mirro allng with The Times were considered to be essential reading for children at school. At one age a child was tested on ability to read a tabloid. The Mirror was chosen because of it's eloquence and superb reporting. At a later age the child was expected to show ability to read The Times. Both were very highly respected newspapers. The Mirror now I am afraid to say is regarded as gutter press. That is a great shame as I was tested on the newspaper idea when at school. I loved The Mirror. Now - Fish and Chip paper. Come on Mirror publish some support for the sick and disabled. Do your homework, like you did in the old days and stand proud again.

Thu, 2011-01-13 04:36 — M GRIFFITHS (not verified)

The best of luck to all as maybe the consultation date's end, 14th February is going to become another 'Valentines Day Massacre'

Sat, 2011-10-15 17:42 — Parent of Autistic Child (not verified)

My 8 year old son has just been diagnosed with Autism after being misdiagnosed in 2009 and discharged from the system. I have applied for DLA for my son and after reading this I am shocked and appalled by this governments changes. If my son had been diagnosed properly in 2009 I could have had the DLA and Mobility and Carers Allowance already in place. The pittance you receive hardly covers extra costs in clothing (autistic children often chew their clothes), bedding (my son often wets the bed), laundry costs, extra electricity costs because we have to leave lights on at night, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Cameron has no clue as to how real people have to live.

Tue, 2011-02-22 17:26 — Jan Podsiadly (not verified)

"pubic opinion" - para 6. Can you tell me more about how this can be mobilised.

Tue, 2011-02-22 17:28 — Jan Podsiadly (not verified)

Hear what disabled people themselves say about these cuts at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcozfulzMN8

Thu, 2011-01-13 11:57 — EMILY (not verified)

Hi my father is in receipt of dla for mental health issues bi-polar he was supposed to be on it for life what is happening here it is making him very poorley he never goes out anyway and on a good day i try and get him out for a little walk but since hes heard this in the news he isnt intersted in life anymore somethings got to be done get that cameron out of downing street now he'd be happy if all the poor sick and disabled were in the gutter and him and his nerds laughing down on us ha ha we did it DONT LET THIS HAPPEN TO US

Thu, 2011-01-13 11:58 — stuart lonsdale (not verified)

GET CAMERON OUT
GET NICK CLEGG OUT
NA NA NA NA NA

Thu, 2011-01-13 12:06 — natalie homles (not verified)

LETS GO TO DOWNING STREET AND RID THESE NASTY MEN THEY SAY LABOUR WERE BAD THEY WERE GOOD IF YOU ASK ME THEY WERE FOR THE LESS UNFORTUNATE AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES NOW THESE PRICKS WANT TO SEE US ALL IN HELL AND LETS FACE IT, IT WILL BE HELL THEY ARE SAYING ITS GOING TO GET BETTER YEAH RIGHT LOOK AT ALL THE JOBS THAT ARE BEING AXED IS IT WORTH LIVING ANYMORE ASK YOURSELF NO MORE HEALTH IN PREGNANCY GRANT
NO MORE £250 GRANT FOR BABIES
SCRAP DLA
SCRAP CHILD BENEFIT
SCRAP INCOME SUPPORT
SCRAP SICKNESS BENEFIT
INFACT WHY DONT THEY JUST GO AHEAD AND SRAP THE LOT OF IT THATS WHAT THEY WANT TO DO ISNT IT SO THEY HAVE GOT MORE MONEY FOR THEIR NUMBER 10 DOWNING STREET GARDEN HE HE THERE IS NO CUTS FOR THESE PRICKS IS THERE WHAT PAY ARE THEY ON WE ASK TOO BLOODEY MUCH AND FOOTBALLERS £250,000 A YEAR ISNT THAT A BIT HIGH WHEN WERE SUPPOSED TO BE IN DEBT

Fri, 2011-01-14 00:04 — Penny Ledger (not verified)

DLA is increasingly been grabbed by councils in the form of charges for essential support services, leaving little for other additional costs arising from disability such as heating, special diets and lack of choice of accessible shops and services.

Wed, 2011-01-12 10:56 — PC (not verified)

An important part of the debate is how it is portrayed in the press.

Check out this examination of how the Daily Mail portrayed DLA fraud and error, ignoring that fact that underpayments were worth more than overpayments...

http://bit.ly/genZHs

Wed, 2011-01-12 11:21 — Ernest Arthur (not verified)

What's with the sad disabled person picture eh? Most of us disabled folk are quite groovy and cool and not sad and lonely stereotypes...
This mobility cut is deeply cruel, are we not entitled to have transport, I want to see a Minister telling a young kid they can't have a powerchair and can't go out and hang out with the other kids, then I want to see that Minister strapped in a shit NHS manual chair and push themselves along the street and see how far they get before they cry...

Wed, 2011-01-12 22:42 — hindle-a

The PM was asked about this at PMQ today-his level of ignorance and dismissive answer -to make it the same as when you are in hospital-was disgraceful revealing his ignorance at best or contempt for the whole raison detre behind DLA

Wed, 2011-01-12 11:24 — Yurtl (not verified)

good article. this is a really important issue that doesn't get nearly enough coverage. most of us working in the area feel like we're banging our heads against a brick wall with a media that can't or won't understand

Wed, 2011-01-12 11:45 — mark (not verified)

are we blind too fact that the condems government or really tory lite do not care about evidence and stats , they have it in for all the poor it seems. I do hope my view is proved wrong but it seems unlikely that is so. Maybe they did get scared with the student demos but not sure how much they moved on tutor fees. Will it be the same with the disabled.

Wed, 2011-01-12 11:53 — Sue Davies (not verified)

An excellent review of the impact of these changes on those with disability and long term health problems is Sue Marsh's blog.

http://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.com/2011/01/nowhere-to-turn-for...

Wed, 2011-01-12 14:34 — Lou (not verified)

Excellent article however,there's a bit of a misconception here about DLA and medicals.

Medicals can and do already take place regarding DLA, not for everyone claiming but then a medical assessment of all claimants claiming sickness benefit is not made either.

You are visited in your own home by a GP on behalf of the DWP and you are medically assessed. A typical assessment is expected to take at least 45 minutes. They then provide a medical report to the DWP who use that in conjunction with your forms and your own medical notes from GPs and/or Consultants in making a decision.

The media portrays DLA claimants in a fraudulent light, either sensationalising the worst and rarest of fraud cases - as per the golfer yesteray - or implies that it's a fiddled benefit that anyone can get with little effort or need.

It's not the case, the majority of claimants are genuinely in need of it, medically qualified to receive it and will live very different, poorer quality of lives without it.