Paralympians, DJ and Music Artist Support End to Disability Cuts

Friday 02 June, 2017 Written by Paul Gallager, iNews

BBC Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills

More than 16,500 people and a coalition of 80 charities have signed a letter urging party leaders to put an end to disability benefit cuts. Paralympians Kadeena Cox and Anne Wafula Strike as well as BBC Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills and Felix White, guitarist with rock band The Maccabees, are among those to have signed the open letter to all the political parties urging them to protect disability benefits from further cuts in the next parliament. “Too many disabled people have been stripped of the security and stability they need to live independent lives.”

Laura Wetherly, Policy Manager, MS Society Charities in the Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC) say disabled people have borne the brunt of welfare reforms to the point where their benefits have been reduced or removed altogether.

There are more than 13 million disabled people in the UK, who spend an average of £550 extra every month on costs related to their condition. More than 50,000 people have had specially adapted motability vehicles taken away since personal independence payments (PIP) were brought in to replace the disability living allowance (DLA) in 2013

Earlier this week the Conservative minister for disabilities Penny Mordaunt was grilled by people with disabilities and campaigners at the UK’s National Disability Hustings, organised to give disabled voters a rare opportunity to speak directly to the major parties about the issues that affect them. Nearly two-thirds of people rejected for PIP who take their case to an independent tribunal have the decision overturned in their favour.

Other issues include a £30 a week cut to new claimants in the employment and support allowance (ESA) work-related activity group, as well as issues with the work capability assessment, which tests people on whether they are fit to work.

Ms Mordaunt said this assessment treated people “like they’re in a sausage factory” as she pledged to reform it if the Tories were returned to power.