The Centre for Welfare Reform has already demonstrated that the fiscal impact of UK government policy targets cuts and income reductions on people in poverty and disabled people is extraordinarily severe. The overlapping impact of social care cuts and benefit cuts for people with the most severe disabilities means that the average burden from the cuts, per capita, is 19 times greater for people with the severest disabilities. This is a shocking state of affairs and an unprecedented attack on a minority group. It is obvious nonsense to suggest that no reasonable Cumulative Impact Assessment of the cuts could have been made. It is clear that the failure to make such an assessment puts the UK Government in breach of its duty to respect human rights.
Simon Duffy
*****
Baroness Hollins backs Report
Baroness Hollins back the latest report from The Centre for Welfare Reform:
A FAIR SOCIETY? – HOW THE CUTS TARGET DISABLED PEOPLE
Baroness Hollins says:
“I welcome the report. It provides stark reminders of the cumulative effects of the current round of so called ‘reforms’ on disabled people. National debt is being turned into personal debt for some of the poorest people. We know that a reduced income does lead to debt, and we also know that debt leads to mental health problems for many, thus turning a financial crisis into a health crisis. Where is the sense in that?”
Baroness Hollins of Wimbledon is also Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry of Disability, St George’s University of London, President of the BMA and Past President, Royal College of Psychiatrists.
The report provides an overview of all of the cuts in public spending and shows how the combined impact of these cuts targets people in poverty and disabled people, including older people.
The report also describes how the burden of cuts falling on these groups is many times greater than the burden falling on the rest of us:
- People in poverty will lose an average of £2,195 per person, per year – this is 5 times more than the burden placed on most other citizens.
- Disabled people will lose an average of £4,410 per person – this is 9 times more than the burden placed on most other citizens.
The combination of cuts in benefits and services means that:
- People with severe disabilities will lose an average of £8,832 per person – this is 19 times more than the burden placed on most other citizens.
These cuts are not the inevitable result of austerity. Instead the cuts seem to be targeted on those minority groups that lack political influence.
Jim Elder-Woodward OBE, chair of the UK Steering Group of the Campaign for a Fair Society says:
“The UK government is targeting disabled people and others on welfare, mainly for political reasons. The Campaign for a Fair Society has demonstrated the injustice of the government’s plans. There are much more humane ways of cutting the deficit, other than cutting the lifelines to so many vulnerable people. It is time that the opposition, charities and disabled people’s organisations made it clear that these plans are unjustified, unfair and extremely dangerous. In order to do this, the electorate must be made aware of the true facts, not the scurrilous stigmatising misinformation presently being disseminated by the government which labels all on welfare, as lazy scoundrels, crooks and n’er-do-wells.”
Dr Simon Duffy, the author of the report says:
“Since 1948 there has never been such deep cuts in services and benefits as these and these cuts target most the very people you would expect a fair and decent society to protect first. The lack of public awareness about what is really going on is shocking and I hope this report will help people become more aware.”
The report is free to download here:
http://www.centreforwelfarereform.org/library/by-date/a-fair-society1.html
Tags: benefits, disability, fair society, simon duffy
I am a disabled person facing these cuts. I would like ti know if these figures include the cuts to Housing benefit. On top of the coming financial hardship I also face loosing my small two bed home. I spend a lot of time indoors, I can’t bare to face living some where smaller, I may as well be dead, as the quality of life , such as it is, will be even more restricted.
I do not have the money to move, the ability or the energy, If I did or could. the latter would affect my ability to redecorate, change furniture to fit the very small properties, not that the one I have now is by any means large. I will not be able to have my friends to stay over to look after me when I’m at my lowermost.
Kindest regards
JUlie
Only had to watch pan aroma the other evening I am not worried its just a system last 4years people have come to me to ask what do I do simple go in job centre say you want to registar for work even if you are in a wheelchair for sure they will take you through the process of this then when it’s sign produce your paperwork all medical stuff this will then get a manager who will agree you aren’t fit for work it won’t automatically get you back your money but you have made a start go to equality if you believe your human rights are breached they will give you advice and are an amazing organisation don’t do what I did find out for yourself it takes time and for sure make sure your mp knows 5years ago I would have said disability discrimination what a load of tosh I now know what this means in all areas of my life and disabled people should all be treated as others are and be given the same rights to live there life’s as such all the idiots that say oh there disabled we might be but we are human and deserve our rights just last week a person who lives near me learning disability s they shoved him in a flat his parents elderly clearly worried about his future and wanted him to start being independent makes sense 6months on police come flat cleared there has been problems poor chap shouting pure frustration depression loneliness I know how he felt I don’t have these problems hours days in 4walls why because society is ignorant where was the support for him people just wanted to see what they wanted it saddens me greatly myself I have no probs just a simple hello how you doin from the neighbours might have stopped this and this attitude is wrong he was a target from day 1 communication is what’s needed not what we have now high time people realised it could be you as for the people who think they understand most involved are glory hunters look at me look at what I have done I just got an asbo on this person clearly all wrong I work on say it as it is communication logic and most of all kindness works wonders
What I would like after 4years is a home for my needs to have no more micro meals a nights sleep and my friends and grandchildren to visit and oh to have a shower free from upstairs who for 2years have banged on the floor so hard the ceiling is split why you say they object to the pump noise from walk in shower but what would be the icing on the cake is to have the right to walk and go outside in September 2011ot did a report on communal door its to heavy not a lot to ask is it considering I functioned for 49years on an untreated congenital heart block finally stopped in 2008 this is what I would like the rest I can do
I am a disabled lady. I have recently been placed in the ESA WRAG without a medical. I requested copies of all the information that the ATOS healthcare professional used to make the decision. Today I received a sheet of paper naming what was used; my esa50, med 3 and PREVIOUS reports and advice. Well, firstly, if my previous reports and advice was used to decide I was unfit for work before (over 3 years ago!), why not now? Secondly, my health has deteriorated since then. Did my form actually get read because it doesn’t feel like it! How could my old information still be referred to AND trusted to be accurate? Obviously I am appealing and my Doctor was right behind me when I told him what has happened. He checked that I was appealing and offered straight away to write a letter about my health. Such an extra waste of time for doctors after already filling out forms for these assessments. My doctor has seen me for years so as far as I am concerned he has the most authority, judgement and information regarding my health. I am SO angry that a ‘trained nurse’ who has never seen me can make my life SO hard, frightening and stressful! This government has blood on its hands now that its coming out just how many people have died through suicide or their health conditions that weren’t belived or recognised. Thanks for all the people who are fighting for us all!
Received via email
I was made Disabled during a routine varicose veins operation, that has left me with saphenous nerve damage, it has left me with chronic pain, pins & needles, cramps and severe infections, in 2012 I had 5 serious infections to my left leg, which has resulted in a maintenance programme of antibiotic on top of all my other medication. The recent changes to the mobility allowance, has left me frightened, worried and scared for the future, because without my motorbility car I would struggle to get anywhere as I am so unsteady on my feet I would not be able to use public transport as I cannot lift my left leg high enough to step on a bus and the gap between the platform and a train is too wide. I have to walk a certain amount to ward off the threat of deep vein thrombosis as prescribed by my pain management consultant and to keep my lymph glands open and working.
My wife is having to do 2 jobs to keep us going at the present moment if we lose any more she is looking at a third job which is distressing me even more, and as she is my carer I am getting less care than I should. I am already suffering with depression and anxiety all this is making me worse.
Please ask Liam Byrne MP to help all disabled people and to end this nightmare.
Thank you Pat for caring.
Yours Faithfully
Paul & Gillian Parmenter