MP’s campaign against disability benefits cuts
5:11 pm - April 28th 2011
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A Welsh MP has launched a campaign to stop cuts to disability benefits through Parliament today.
Hywel Williams, MP for Arfon in North Wales, has tabled two Early Day Motions: one against the abolition of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA), and another against time-limiting the employment and support allowance.
Williams is has personal experience of disability and is a former social worker.
In a debate in Parliament last month on DLA reforms he said:
A close relative of mine, a young person severely injured in a car accident, was in just such circumstances in the early 1970s and was living in the community after extended medical treatment. At the time, mobility allowance made all the difference. It transformed his life then, and it still does now, given that he lives in a remote rural area and depends on his own transport.
The EDM against the abolition of the DLA states:
That this House is deeply concerned by the abolition of disability living allowance (DLA) and its replacement with the personal independence payment (PIP) as provided for in the Welfare Reform Bill; believes that the Government is yet to make a convincing case for reform, as noted by academics, campaigners and the Social Security Advisory Committee; notes that, whilst there may be a case for objective evidence-gathering, the Government’s plans for a face-to-face assessment will disadvantage some claimants and will mean that specialist evidence is not given due priority; further believes that the Government is misguided in its claim that PIP will be better targeted than DLA as the reforms involve a simplification of the benefit rates of payment which reduces the ability to personalise payment according to need; further notes that the Government’s target of a 20 per cent. reduction in DLA expenditure, as announced in the 2010 Budget, will lead to up to 620,000 disabled people being denied support with no justification of this policy forthcoming; and urges the Government to remove from the bill all provisions relating to DLA reform.
The EDMs are intended to keep up the pressure on this Government as the Welfare Reform Bill is subjected to Parliamentary scrutiny in the Welfare Reform Bill Committee.
The second one against time limiting of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) states:
That this House notes with extreme concern the provisions for time-limiting contribution-related employment and support allowance (ESA) to 12 months included in the Welfare Reform Bill; recognises that ESA claimants will be means-tested for income-related ESA when this period has elapsed, and that an ESA claimant with a spouse or partner working over 24 hours a week will not then be eligible for the benefit; believes that time-limiting ESA isa serious disincentive to work for the partners and carers of ESA claimants, leading to a situation where unemployment is more financially sustainable than work; further believes that time-limiting ESA punishes working families where one member claims ESA; and urges the Government to remove time-limiting ofESA from the bill prior to its Third Reading.
Rhydian Fôn James of disability rights campaign The Broken of Britain, told Liberal Conspiracy that he was extremely fortunate to be one of Mr. Williams’ constituents.
He said the government’s proposals were ludicrous for, “severely punishing working families with a disabled member – and clearly designed to slash the bill for benefit payment without thought for the thousands left in poverty.”
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Sunny Hundal is editor of LC. Also: on Twitter, at Pickled Politics and Guardian CIF.
· Other posts by Sunny Hundal
Story Filed Under: News
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Reader comments
Ah, my MP. Useless on most things, quite good on this issue.
It is so heartwarming to see the subject of benefits back on Liberal Conspiracy. What with disability rights, and gender equality being at the heart of the left.
I think we on the left should be discussing this very seriously. First question, while an MP putting forward an EDM is a great thing, and it is heartwarming to see a politician trying to bring this to debate after it has been pushed from our news cycle- it has become clear that the issue of welfare reform is quite difficult. While I hope someone debates the EDM – is never guaranteed in the house.
Sunny, in your opinion what contributed to welfare debate being pushed out of the mainstream agenda and the ‘new media’ agenda that feeds welfare debate?
Do you think that if more voices affected were heard, that debate would change? That perhaps if our media were aiming themselves at looking outside that Westminster bubble, using New Media to perhaps drive the debate beyond debates about deserving and undeserving poor- perhaps the debate wouldn’t be dominated by political interests who view their parties interests as about ‘being more than people on welfare’?
You know, bring MPs back in touch with the reality of what is happening- and move past the right wing debate which assumes people on welfare are dirt under their shoes, and address the impact of welfare spending on the wider economy? Perhaps force debate about the equality impact of removing the state support that masked deep inequality within our society? The consequences on domestic violence figures of women being unable to leave their husbands? The consequences if people on even above average salaries become sick- in the context of current house prices and debt burden?
Do you think that given ‘the left’ is as unrepresentative as the ‘right’, addressing the ‘left’s perception of people on welfare might be a good start? Perhaps address when ‘the left’ works to exploit the issue of welfare reform for lefty kudos- then drops it like a stone when their parties positions change? I think these debates are all good for the left- don’t you Sunny?
So far i think 17 MP’s have decided the welfare reforms are wrong, the rest including Miliband and his Newer labour cronies think the welfare reforms are right.
Robert @ 3
I wonder though, Robert. It could be even worse than that. If Milliband and the other New Labour people really do think the disabled are being treated fairly, then that is bad enough.
However, I think it would be worse if they understood the real issues, but where unwilling to stand up for badly treated people for fear of being seen in support of this Country’s ‘losers’ and ‘unfashionable people’, See the blog regarding ‘Blogging for disablism’ above. I think that would really be an utterly depressing thought.
I have to say, though, I geniunely think the latter is the case. I think New Labour have forgotten about the battles we have fought over the decades to get the powerless a voice and status.
How strange how Sunny deletes posts that dare to mention HARD MEDICAL AND LEGAL FACTS concerning disabilities and physical atrocities occurring in the UK that are almost (if indeed not all) directly linked to Islam and Islamic communities and practices.
Has he not Googled his own name and seen the hate spat at him by Muslims?
The seemingly endless blog/forum posts calling him an enemy and hater of Islam?
Seems he’s defending the rabid dog that wants to rip his throat out.
Tis a foolish act, no?
Reactions: Twitter, blogs
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Liberal Conspiracy
MP launches campaign against cuts to disability benefits http://bit.ly/kPVyyf
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dhugoza
RT @libcon: MP launches campaign against cuts to disability benefits http://bit.ly/kPVyyf
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Richard N
RT @libcon: MP launches campaign against cuts to disability benefits http://bit.ly/kPVyyf
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Wail Qasim
RT @libcon: MP launches campaign against cuts to disability benefits http://bit.ly/kPVyyf
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Ms C
RT: @libcon: MP launches campaign against cuts to disability benefits http://bit.ly/kPVyyf
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Kirstie Bebbington
RT @libcon: MP launches campaign against cuts to disability benefits http://bit.ly/kPVyyf
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Pucci Dellanno
RT @libcon: MP launches campaign against cuts to disability benefits http://bit.ly/kPVyyf
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Jo
RT @libcon: MP launches campaign against cuts to disability benefits http://bit.ly/kPVyyf
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Bill Kruse
RT @libcon: MP launches campaign against cuts to disability benefits http://bit.ly/kPVyyf / About time!
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Sean Gittins
RT @libcon: MP launches campaign against cuts to disability benefits http://bit.ly/kPVyyf
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paurina
RT @libcon: MP launches campaign against cuts to disability benefits http://bit.ly/kPVyyf
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Nick H.
RT @libcon: MP launches campaign against cuts to disability benefits http://bit.ly/kPVyyf
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Len Arthur
RT @libcon: MP launches campaign against cuts to disability benefits http://bit.ly/kPVyyf
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Lee Hyde
RT @lisaansell: Welfare returns to radar of @libcon. https://liberalconspiracy.org/2011/04/28/mp-launches-campaign-against-cuts-to-disabi …
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Daniel Pitt
MP launches campaign against cuts to disability benefits http://bit.ly/kPVyyf #ConDemNation
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