Labour FINALLY accept that their approach to disability benefits isn’t working
9:30 am - September 27th 2012
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Every single email and phone conversation I’ve had with Labour over the last two years have started with the line “If you don’t accept your part in ESA and that it is NOT working as you hoped, you can never move on. Sick and disabled people will always blame you and will never believe you really want things to change.”
So far, it has been the last major sticking point. Unwilling to say the actual words, we had reached a kind of impasse.
Yesterday morning, in a last ditch attempt to move things along, I emailed Liam Byrne and Anne McGuire. The time for “tinkering around the edges” had passed. Oh how I would like to tell you more, but I was clearer than I’d ever been.
Finally, after nearly two years of lobbying, pleading cajoling and VERY hard Paddington bear stares, with just a few days to go before conference, here are the words I’ve been waiting to hear. Enjoy.
Labour will call on Thursday for a “fast and fundamental” review of the test that determines who is eligible for sickness benefits, acknowledging that the policy the party introduced while in government is not working. Launching a consultation with disability campaigners in Glasgow, the shadow work and pensions secretary, Liam Byrne, will defend his party’s decision to bring in the Work Capability Assessment, which was designed to reduce the benefits bill, but will argue that the system needs to be reformed.
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“That experience is telling us now that the test puts a bureaucracy against disabled people. It doesn’t put a team behind them, to help disabled people into work.”
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Byrne said he would also be highlighting the combined impact of cuts to disability benefits and services, and argue that they are higher than the new levies imposed on banks.A discussion paper which will be released by the shadow work and pensions team on Thursday states: “We believe that this government is forcing disabled people to pay for its economic mistakes.” The party has calculated that cuts to social care and disability benefits will total £8.6bn over the course of this parliament.
As if we didn’t feel the above article was enough of a breakthrough for one night, the lead story on Channel 4 News was that of Colin Naylor.
Finally, the country gets to hear of a story where the WCA has failed utterly. Colin lost his life and the inquest concluded that the assessment had been a factor in his death. at last, the country is listening.
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Sue is a regular contributor to Liberal Conspiracy. She blogs on Diary of a Benefits Scounger and tweets from here.
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Story Filed Under: Blog ,Fight the cuts
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Reader comments
“Liam Byrne, will defend his party’s decision to bring in the Work Capability Assessment, which was designed to reduce the benefits bill, but will argue that the system needs to be reformed.
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“That experience is telling us now that the test puts a bureaucracy against disabled people. It doesn’t put a team behind them, to help disabled people into work.””
I really wouldn’t be too sure this is anything other than cosmetic. We’ve already had the harrington review, which is still gathering dust, so another review is a pointless token gesture. Furthermore the fact he still wants to defend the WCA, merely asking for a reform.
The part about ‘putting a team behind them’ I read as simply stating that he thinks the test should remain, but that those found ‘fit for work’ should be given more help with job-search. Implying basically he wants to simply fast track people into a new deal style scheme.
This is just spin and damage control.
Minimum demand should be abolition of WCA with immediate termination of ATOS contract. Any future replacement Assesments should always be carried out by medical profesionals who will not be paid by the amount of people found fit for work.
Naivety? or hanging around with the wrong types? they are in opposition, seems the Goldfish are swimming around and 13 years have elapsed from their memories.
As expected Sue Marsh has been rubbing up with the enemy , and hasnt grasped that the likes of Liam Byrne and his mob are loathed by the disabled, never mind Sue you can get comfort from that other “campaigner” whom you knock about with Tanni Grey-Thompson , better known as the Face of Glaxosmithkline, who have damaged the lives of the sick and disabled, obviously a “selective” disabled campaigner!!! sickening. Fast tracked by the Labour next?
Some people are too willing to carp. This is great news and very welcome. Congratulations for all the work you’ve put into this. I’ve no doubt you have some scepticism due to the timing but this is something that Labour can be held to account on during and after the next election.
(I particularly liked the emphasis that disabled people are effectively being harder hit than banks.)
Labour would do the same again, but Sue of course believes now in Labour, why I’ve no idea. Three months ago I was at a meeting which discussed welfare and labour made it plain people who have lost a leg cannot spend a life time on benefits, people who are in wheelchair now have access and can work Blah blah blah.
Labour are in fact totally with the Tories on this.
As if we didn’t feel the above article was enough of a breakthrough for one night, the lead story on Channel 4 News was that of Colin Naylor.
This is a particularly tragic case and his parents come across as very decent people indeed. However the link between his death and the treatment he received in his assessment is tendentious, at best.
And if you are going to continue to manipulate individual tragedies to provide ammunition for your politic crusade, you could at least try to get their names right.
@5
Fred, care to tell us with whom this meeting was with and where it was?
Was it down the pub with some Labour voting mates?
Oh look, Ed the Tory in the Red coat and his posh, privileged, careerist, elitist , expenses cheating shadow cabinet members [ harman, jowell, balls, cooper etc] along with high flying new girl shadow to the secretary to the treasury no less and slave owner of unpaid interns Rachel Reeves m.p have signed EDM ATOS 295 FINALLY , Pigs will fly first, naivety indeed at best .http://uk.search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A7x9QV5ZQ2RQ1wwAqZlLBQx.;_ylu=X3oDMTE1ZmZjcWdtBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2lyZAR2dGlkA1JDRlVLMzNfOTA-/SIG=11s9p9bgh/EXP=1348776921/**http%3a//www.parliament.uk/edm/2012-13/295
I’m not sure if Liam Byrne is sincere, but well done to Micheal Meacher for raising this mans death in parliament.
@ Pagar.
Once again, you resort to the “people suffering are simply making it up” excuse.
@ 6
Once again, you resort to the “people who are suffering aren’t really, they are making it up” line.
If anyone is manipulating personal stories here it is the people who exaggerate and lie about the scale of fraud within the system.
If you want libertarianism in the UK to go beyond simply a collection of useful idiots for the authoritarian tory right, you might consider that it could be helpful to start relating how libertarian policies – if you have any beyond tax cuts and allowing racist abuse – would be able to help solve the problems people face, rather than telling people they are liars and frauds.
@ Planeshift
I’ve often been told that libertarianism would solve ALL our problems, because mumble mumble mumble mumble.
The fact is this WCA and the medical of which I’ve just gone through was and is Labours.
Miliband has had his say on what he thinks with his I knocked on a door story.
Sue say Labour is changing we will see at Conference I bet some other minister has knocked on a disabled person door and without asking what is wrong with him he will say I know he could do something.
Bankers this year have been paid £35 billion in bonus payments I get £96 a week for working 32 years.
I’m now appealing my WCA on the grounds that Paraplegia allows me to use my hands and arms
Hmm. So Byrne is taking baby steps in the right direction. Good. But then words are cheap, and Byrne is part of the whole fag-end of Blairism clique. I go with one of the commenters here – nothing less than abolition of the WCA will do.
@3
What’s the alternative? If we never give a political party credit when they admit that they were wrong, what motivation is their for them to change their stance?
I’m not saying vote Labour, but if we never give them credit when they do or say the right thing, they’ll assume it’ll make them look better if they try to out-Tory the Tories
Also, @3, your remarks about Sue and Tami are offensive and unfounded.
Assuming — as we must – that the welfare budget remains roughly as it is (as a % of gdp and of the revenue budget), what other items within the welfare budget should be cut to meet the increased and increasing demands of the disabled?
Imagine you were in power as a Cabinet Minister, and you had to face these choices. Answers, please…
@ 16 TONE
“Answers, please…”
The military? Trident? Go the other way and legalise drugs? But to be honest I’d put up with small cuts to things I care about if the money was needed to prevent throwing people on the woodpile.
I would only vote Labour in the next election if they promise something better for the disabled and sick and reform. We’re having the worst time of our lives currently 
They did bring in AtoS and WCA but they now need to take a stand to help the very poorest and struggling in society. The Conservatives and Lib Dems are not offering any help in their future policies, just cuts and even less support.
Many disabled people sadly voted Conservative in the last election because of Labours actions to benefits and the disabled. They mistakenly believed that David Cameron with a disabled child would understand what they are going through. In reality they made the changes Labour made even worse. Labour could get those disabled peoples votes if they choose future policy and promises wisely.
I like the 5m+ who have abandoned Labour since 1997 wont be voting for Labour in Northampton North for ex-m.p 100% Blairite posh, privileged, careerist, elitist, privately educated and expenses cheat Sally Keeble, elected in 97 with 27,000 and rejected in 2010 with 11,000 votes. As a disabled, sheltered council housing resident, Labour left office with a Council Housing Deficit of 46,000, in 2003 Sally Keeble a junior minister to expenses cheat Prescott removed our resident wardens, the damage done i see daily, as for her 13 years of actively being the Labour that spent its time outdoing the Tories, i will be hoping for a credible alternative to vote for, independent, NHAParty…, in short, i fight my abusers NOT crawl to them………..OH AND I DONT DO PROMISES.
Watched the C4 News story, and while I’m glad that this issue is finally getting airtime on prime time news, I found the DWP’s statement quite despicable. It basically implied that Colin’s ‘fit for work’ verdict was his own fault for not providing enough medical evidence. Whereas:
a) We don’t know how much evidence Colin provided with his ESA application;
b) The DWP act on the Atos assessor’s opinion in over 90% of cases (this figure was quoted in either the Panorama or Dispatches programme about the WCA, can’t remember which!), extra medical evidence nonwithstanding;
c) Anyone who has been through this process will know that medical evidence from specialist doctors is often ignored by the DWP until the appeal stage.
So shame on them, shame on the DWP for their weaselly statement. No wonder they didn’t want to send someone to be interviewed. Cowards.
“Imagine you were in power as a Cabinet Minister, and you had to face these choices. Answers, please…”
1 million fewer people out of work would be a substantial ‘cut’ to welfare, as well as a substantial rise in income tax to the treasury.
So given you have generously enabled us a fixed budget on welfare, such a move would enable us to support disabled people financially by an order of magnitude. Personally I was willing to settle for simply abolishing ATOS and the WCA, thus giving us a small administrative saving, and replacing it with a medical profession led system of assessment and support where the results of assessments did not influence the fee paid to the assessor. But I’m now approving of your idea of maintaining welfare spending at 110 billion in real terms for the next decade regardless of the wider economic and employment context, although I suspect the taxpayers alliance will have their press release ready quicker than you can say “learn what automatic stabilizers and cyclical spending actually mean for economic policy you idiot.”
TONE, I think the point is that making sure disabled people aren’t on the breadline should be right up top of the list of priorities. So you could pinch a bit of cash out of nearly anywhere and it would be worth it. Disability welfare ain’t all that much in the grand scheme of things.
Make no mistake. NuLabour are responsible for the dysfunctional WCA. Purnell and Blunkett have primary responsibiliy. Purnell, a learned friend and new responsibilities at the IPPR. Blunkett and his £30k consultancy with the A4e scammers and friend of Sheffield’s own Emms Harrison and her £8.6m in dividends on the taxpayer.
Easy for Greyling and IDS. Just blame NuLabour. Ever been chauffer driven.
When Labour cleanses itself of WCA and much more they may be worthy of some trust. It could take some time.
Reactions: Twitter, blogs
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Jason Brickley
Labour FINALLY accept that their approach to disability benefits isn’t working http://t.co/INrVTQ4q
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linda kirk
Labour FINALLY accept that their approach to disability benefits isn’t working | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/41DNVew5 via @libcon
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sunny hundal
Genuine break-through: Labour party *finally* accept their approach to disability benefits isn’t working http://t.co/ERbgY7ih
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Louise Bolotin
Genuine break-through: Labour party *finally* accept their approach to disability benefits isn’t working http://t.co/ERbgY7ih
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Margo Milne
Labour FINALLY accept that their approach to disability benefits isn’t working | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/eP2pVMnf via @libcon
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Carl G
Genuine break-through: Labour party *finally* accept their approach to disability benefits isn’t working http://t.co/ERbgY7ih
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Richard Nicholl
Genuine break-through: Labour party *finally* accept their approach to disability benefits isn’t working http://t.co/ERbgY7ih
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Carl G
We're finally getting somewhere @UKLabour @Ed_Miliband http://t.co/2jKeaVWc Thank you! Now, about fighting the 'scrounger' rhetoric … ?
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Vanessa
Labour FINALLY accept that their approach to disability benefits isn’t working | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/eP2pVMnf via @libcon
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Sean O'Connor
Genuine break-through: Labour party *finally* accept their approach to disability benefits isn’t working http://t.co/ERbgY7ih
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Gemma Taylor
Genuine break-through: Labour party *finally* accept their approach to disability benefits isn’t working http://t.co/ERbgY7ih
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PhilipHammond
Genuine break-through: Labour party *finally* accept their approach to disability benefits isn’t working http://t.co/ERbgY7ih
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miss crazy
Genuine break-through: Labour party *finally* accept their approach to disability benefits isn’t working http://t.co/ERbgY7ih
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leftlinks
Liberal Conspiracy – Labour FINALLY accept that their approach to disability benefits isn’t… http://t.co/mRZaqLlq
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Liberal Conspiracy – Labour FINALLY accept that their approach to disability benefits isn’t… http://t.co/mRZaqLlq
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Gods & Monsters
Genuine break-through: Labour party *finally* accept their approach to disability benefits isn’t working http://t.co/ERbgY7ih
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Gods & Monsters
Genuine break-through: Labour party *finally* accept their approach to disability benefits isn’t working http://t.co/ERbgY7ih
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Genuine break-through: Labour party *finally* accept their approach to disability benefits isn’t working http://t.co/ERbgY7ih
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Tim Murray
Genuine break-through: Labour party *finally* accept their approach to disability benefits isn’t working http://t.co/ERbgY7ih
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Noxi
RT @sunny_hundal Genuine break-through: Labour party *finally* accept their approach2 disability benefits isn’t working http://t.co/WatCsxNO
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Labour FINALLY accept that their approach to disability benefits isn’t working | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/bv1wM0HU via @libcon
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Teddy Mcnabb
Labour FINALLY accept that their approach to disability benefits isn’t working | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/GLNvWE0y via @libcon
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Teddy Mcnabb
Labour FINALLY accept that their approach to disability benefits isn’t working | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/GLNvWE0y And Pigs Fly!
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margaret
Labour FINALLY accept that their approach to disability benefits isn’t working | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/GLNvWE0y And Pigs Fly!
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Anwen
Genuine break-through: Labour party *finally* accept their approach to disability benefits isn’t working http://t.co/ERbgY7ih
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William Hill
RT @sunny_hundal Genuine break-through: Labour party finally accept their approach to disability benefits isn’t working http://t.co/CIn0UA43
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Graham Day
Genuine break-through: Labour party *finally* accept their approach to disability benefits isn’t working http://t.co/ERbgY7ih
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Marsha de Cordova
Labour FINALLY accept that their approach to disability benefits isn’t working | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/DKyjVBhR via @libcon
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IRejectFPTP
Labour FINALLY accept that their approach to disability benefits isn’t working | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/GXLSGXn4 via @libcon
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Freddy
Labour FINALLY accept that their approach to disability benefits isn’t working | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/GXLSGXn4 via @libcon
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janice
Labour FINALLY accept that their approach to disability benefits isn’t working | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/aZYTwDde via @libcon
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ClarePalmer
Labour FINALLY accept that their approach to disability benefits isn’t working | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/OEI3MsTB via @libcon
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Stuart White
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Sam Morecroft
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Jerry Hall
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Labour accept that approach to disability benefits isn’t working | http://t.co/LNtX5tTE via @libcon @lbc973 @PetrieHoskenLBC #LABconf
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Carole Ford
Labour accept that their approach to disability benefits isn’t working | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/LNtX5tTE via @libcon
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memtitued
Labour accept that approach to disability benefits isn’t working | http://t.co/LNtX5tTE via @libcon @lbc973 @PetrieHoskenLBC #LABconf
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David Taylor
Labour FINALLY accept that their approach to disability benefits isn’t working http://t.co/ZsP1mMSB
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