The Coalition Government has published proposals to change the structure of benefit payments: to remove most existing welfare benefits and replace them with a single benefit, which it is calling ‘Universal Credit’. The White Paper can be found at the following site: www.dwp.gov.uk

We explain how the proposals ignore the complexity of disabled people’s lives. They will be accompanied by harsher sanctions and tighter conditions. Decisions will be less transparent and less easy to challenge. While we agree that the existing benefit system is extremely complex, that reflects the complexity of disabled people’s lives to some extent. We do not think the government’s proposals, including punitive sanctions and cuts in the level and eligibility for benefits, are the way to tackle complexity.

The proposal is part and parcel of cutting spending on benefits, tax credits and public services. The White Paper itself sees Universal Credit as building on the cuts to benefits introduced already since May. We do not believe such changes will make the welfare benefit system fairer, as the White Paper claims. They will increase poverty while doing nothing to tackle the disadvantage and discrimination disabled people face. Disabled people will lose benefits just at the time that services and jobs are being cut.

The proposals set out since this government took office include restricting eligibility to disability benefits, tightening up the conditions that accompany them, lowering the real value of the benefit and the money disabled people will receive, cutting the numbers of people receiving benefit (DLA recipients are to be cut by 20 per cent) and removing certain benefits altogether (such as the mobility component of DLA for people living in care homes) and proposals to remove Legal Aid (including for challenges to welfare benefit decisions).

The White Paper says that a Welfare Reform Bill will be introduced in the New Year to take forward these proposals. The Work and Pensions Select Committee is holding an inquiry into the proposals. The information paper gives details of the timetable and process and tells DPOs and disabled people how to get in touch with MPs to express their views.

You can download the information paper from the link on the right.

19/11/10