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LABOUR accused the government yesterday of turning its back on disabled people after claiming ministers had hidden a £70 million cut to disability benefits in the Autumn Budget.
Shadow secretary of state for women and equalities Anneliese Dodds sent a letter yesterday to Disability Minister Chloe Smith demanding she “come clean” over alleged moves to reform disability benefits.
The Budget confirmed the government would be adopting two proposals raised in its health and disability Green Paper which relates to benefits.
Plans to delay access to the universal credit health element until age 22 have triggered fierce opposition from disabled people’s groups, who warn it would deepen poverty and entrench discrimination against young disabled people under the guise of ‘encouraging work.’ DYLAN MURPHY reports
LOTTE COLLETT welcomes the arrival of a new party for the left, a vehicle for councils to finally fight for progressive policies on housing, green spaces and public facilities, rather than administering cuts and misery from central government
A new report from the Citizens Advice destroys the government narrative about disabled people ‘choosing’ not to work, showing the £3,000 annual cuts will create a two-tiered system based on claim dates rather than needs, writes DYLAN MURPHY
In the current climate, it is vital to bust the myths and put forward the case for a humane and decent social security system that supports people, argues FRAN HEATHCOTE