Proposed Benefit Cuts and How They Will Effect You!
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the proposed cuts to essential benefits that allow the disabled population to support themselves.
Since the UK Budget last week the Chancellor George Osbourne proposed over the next 5 years, 4.4 billion pounds will be cut from disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment and Employment and Support Allowance to cut the deficit. What that means for those who rely on these benefits would lose £30 a week from their benefit.
Over the weekend there has been some drastic changes that have come from this with a huge backlash from major disability charities such as Scope who have been outraged and disgusted with the governments choices, Conservative back benchers calling for the chancellor to rethink the cuts to vital benefits and also more importantly the resignation of The Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith who in his resignation letter said:
"I have for some time and rather reluctantly come to believe that the latest changes to benefits to the disabled and the context in which they've been made are a compromise too far. While they are defensible in narrow terms, given the continuing deficit, they are not defensible in the way they were placed within a Budget that benefits higher earning taxpayers. They should have instead been part of a wider process to engage others in finding the best way to better focus resources on those most in need."
The proposed cuts will affect 640,000 disabled people in the UK on various benefits from PIP to ESA.
What this would mean for Autistic Adults who currently receive ESA or the standard rate of PIP out of the 640,000 disabled people effected, 241,000 will be those with Autism and other learning difficulties as well as those with Mental Health problems.
Jan Tregelles, chief executive of Mencap said:
“This Parliamentary Review looks at the impact on disabled people of the £30 a week cut to ESA WRAG, something the Government has failed to carry out.
“This review shows that the cut would directly hinder the Government’s desire to halve the disability employment gap, and instead push disabled people further away from employment, closer to poverty and actively harm people’s health.
“Cuts to people’s benefits are clearly having a huge impact on the lives of disabled people, and with further cuts being planned the impact is only likely to get worse. We know from speaking to people with a learning disability and their families that they are very concerned that the cuts to benefits and social care are likely to leave people being left isolated in their own communities.
“We call on politicians from all sides to urgently assess this new evidence and ensure that they stop the harmful effects cutting ESA-WRAG will have on disabled people in the UK.”
In simple terms, if the cuts go ahead, more disabled people could face being out of work, not able access employment and even face poverty due to the cuts.
With this in mind, and as someone who speaks on behalf of others with Autism it frightens me and enrages me that support will be removed for those most in need! Whilst the wealthy receive more tax breaks and other benefits that will increase their income whilst those who are already marginalised and isolated from the rest of society would be put into poverty due to lack of understanding and discriminated against by a organisation and service provider there to protect those who are in need.
The government forget that disabled people are apart of this society and Mr Cameron our Prime Minister promised in 2010 that:
"We're all in this together"
It has felt over the last five years, that in fact we are NOT all in this together, with cuts to front line services that provide support to those who are most in need. This comes in the form of the NHS, Councils and Charities that receive funding to help those who can not fend for themselves.
Luckily we have someone on our side in the form of Labour Leader Jeremy Corbin who openly in the houses of parliament condemned the cuts and attacked Mr Osbourne and the Conservative Government on their choices surrounding the budget.
If you watch this video, I would like to draw your attention to the behaviour of the MP's in the Conservative camp who behaved like in my opinion School Children, this is more disgusting and if I was there I would employ the 'Fingers on Lips' strategy that is done by teachers in primary schools as well as 'Putting your hand up' if you wish to speak.
With backlashes from inside his own party, a consultation period has been suggested to see whether or not the proposed cuts would work and there has been suggestions that Mr Osbourne might have to rewrite the budget in the next budget this autumn.
Whatever the outcome might be, it is a time where many of us are struggling with the anxiety of losing vital income, accessing opportunities in employment and even isolation due to cuts.
My message is one that pleads with those in power to rethink what they are doing and understanding that when you promise that the whole country is in this together, that you are committed to protecting those most in need and making those who are better off to put in their fair share also.
I might be called out for being an idealist or even a liberal thinker but in this case, I care and empathise with those who are vulnerable and in need.
It disgusts me what has happened in the last few weeks and I hope that the government reconsider their budget and stop discriminating Disabled people. They don't know that we are differently abled but we need the opportunities to shine!
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