News

Many disabled people risk losing essential payments under planned benefits changes, a charity has warned.

Scope says the proposed test of claimants'​ need is flawed for focusing on the disability but ignoring relevant factors like housing and transport.
Thousands could be left with little or no financial support, Scope warns.
The government argues new payments will be more effectively targeted to those in greatest need, while cutting overpayments of £​600m a year.

Some 3.2 million disabled people, including children, receive the existing disability living allowance.

It is in line to be replaced by the personal independence payment, which features in the government'​s Welfare Reform Bill.

A new medical assessment has been drawn up that will be carried out on disabled people of working age, of whom there are about two million.
But, according to Scope, that assessment "​doesn'​t take into consideration all the barriers that disabled people face in daily life"​.

It highlights examples including unsuitable housing, inaccessible public transport, and a lack of informal support networks that "​create significant extra costs for disabled people that in most cases are not related to the direct effect of an individual'​s condition and impairment"​.
Scope chief executive Richard Hawkes said: "​We recognise that disability living allowance needs reforming and we fully support the government'​s ambitions to create a more active and enabling benefit."​

Maria Miler Minister for disabled people quote:

I want to see money really getting to disabled people who need the help the most”​

Full Story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15398051