Wokingham MP John Redwood has revealed that he wants the Government to review a planned cut in benefits to disabled people.
In George Osbourne’s budget earlier this week, the Chancellor announced that Personal Independence Payments – known as PIP – will be reviewed.
The payments, which replaced the Disability Living Allowance, give additional benefits to people who have disabilities or long term ill-health issues. The government plans to tighten rules to receiving the benefit, with an aim of saving £1.3bn by 2020, and affecting 640,000 people.
Mr Redwood, writing in his blog today, said: “I have received a few complaints from constituents about the proposed changes to PIP payments. I am asking the government to review its plans to ensure disabled people in need of financial support are not damaged by these changes.”
Earlier this month, Mr Redwood supported a £30 cut in the Employment and Support Allowance, despite more than 30 national charities writing to the Government ahead of the vote to warn them that the plan would “push disabled people further away from work and closer to poverty.”
The charities also warned that the changes would cause significant hardship to people who receive the ESA.
Research by the Disability Benefits Consortium counters the Government’s assertion that sick and disabled people who get the ESA benefit are being disincentivised from finding work because of the £30-a-week more they get compared to those on Job Seeker’s Allowance. However the DBC strongly disputes this claim and a recent survey in October 2015 of over 500 disabled people found this to be completely false:
- Almost half (45%) of respondents say that the cut would probably mean they would return to work later
- Just 1% said the cut would motivate them to get a job sooner
- Almost 7 in 10 (69%) say cuts to ESA will cause their health to suffer
- More than a quarter (28%) say they sometimes can’t afford to eat on the current amount they receive from ESA
- 40% have become more isolated and less able to see friends or family after their ESA was withdrawn or reduced.
Mr Redwood’s decision to back the £30 cut has been criticised by Wokingham’s Labour party. You can read the story here.
