The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been warned about its planned spending cuts on disability benefits. The warning comes from the Disabled Peoples Organisation (DPO) Forum, which has written an open letter to DWP Minister Stephen Timms. In the letter, the group say that it is "deeply worried" and has "serious concern" about the direction of some of the proposals put forward and believes they may "disproportionately impact disabled people".
The forum wrote: "We believe that these cuts would not only undermine disabled people’s right to a decent quality of life, but could also further entrench the barriers to access, employment, and social inclusion that many disabled people face. We are also concerned about the further distress and trauma which cuts to the benefit system will cause disabled people and the likely increase in deaths already being caused by the way the system operates.”.
Labour's overhaul plan has not yet been published. However, it is set to be before Chancellor Rachel Reeve's Spring Forecast in March. Although, the exact date has yet to be confirmed. It has been widely reported that the government is considering big changes to the Work Capability Assessment (WCA). This is the test used to decide someone’s fitness to work and their access to Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
This was also part of a previous plan under the former Tory government. If continued, it would mean more than 450,000 claimants currently judged unable to work and not required to find work to look for work. Tightening eligibility for the “limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA)” category could result in disabled claimants each losing £417 per month - or around £5,000 a year.
Alongside this, the government reportedly could change the eligibility criteria for the disability benefit Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and have more regular assessments for the benefit. The Labour government has confirmed that it is committed to making the same level of cuts as the former Tory government planned to make. This would be cuts of £5.4billion by 2029-30. The DPO) Forum has urged the DWP to take this level of cuts "off the table" and to "co-produce improvements to the benefits’ system with disabled people." It added: "We ask that you release the responses to the previous PIP Green Paper consultation, as well as clarify whether the WCA proposals will be included in the upcoming Green Paper. The results of these consultations are vital in understanding the perspectives of Disabled people and ensuring that future policies reflect their needs and lived experiences.”.
The forum added several other concerns and recommendations in its letter to the DWP minister, closing it by highlighting the recent report by Pro Bono Economics called "More than money: The lifelong wellbeing impact of disability benefits." This report urged the government to prioritise improving access to disability benefits for those whose quality of life depends on this support and concluded that failure to do so could exacerbate public health issues and have severe economic consequences.
