Welfare reform changes 'may still go ahead'

16th January 2012

The government has claimed it is planning to go ahead with planned welfare reform changes, despite a recent defeat in the House of Lords.

On January 11th peers voted by 260 to 216 to protect up to 15,000 young disabled people from impending cuts to employment support allowance (ESA) - a vital lifeline for many workers.

Incapacity benefits have since been replaced by the ESA, which has also been charged with reassessing many disabled people to determine whether they are fit for work.

Employments minister Chris Grayling told BBC Newsnight that the government was not seeking to take away benefits from people with no other income.

"We are making changes to people who have got another income or thousands of pounds of savings in the bank," Mr Grayling claimed.

He argued that the current system allows young people to receive unconditional benefit support, despite them having access to considerable other financial means.

The MP claimed that this is unfair on taxpayers on relatively low incomes "to pay the money to people who already have got money themselves".

However, despite these claims, disability campaigner Sue Marsh raised some serious issues on the show, commenting that children with profound disabilities "shouldn't have to rely on parents or family to look after them" once they get older.

Ms Marsh added: "One of the debates is about how terminally ill you have to be to qualify for benefits," claiming that the current system is "shocking" in that your terminal illness type can determine how much state support and financial help can be given.

Long-term disabilities in particular have been discussed in great detail, with many discussions as to the level of unconditional support that should be offered by the government.

Commenting on this topic, Ms Marsh indicated that there was a distinct lack of assistance being given by the ESA for those with more serious of debilitating conditions.

David Cameron has since claimed that some of the changes will go ahead, however concessions will be made after the reforms failed to gain widespread support.
 

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