Legal advice is vital for disabled people if they fall foul of poor decision-making, red tape or administrative error," Scope's chief executive Richard Hawkes said. "For welfare reform to work, disabled people have to get support to appeal decisions relating to their benefits, especially within a system where errors are commonplace.
"Cutting legal aid in this area will make it harder for disabled people to get the right support and ultimately could drive more people further away from work."
Citizens Advice has warned the plans could be counter-productive since the £16m in anticipated savings will be exceeded in the long-term by the costs to the state as peoples' problems "spiral out of control".
'Cuts targeted' The Ministry of Justice said the move was necessary as part of plans to scale back the legal aid bill.
"We have one of the most expensive legal aid systems in the world which in the current financial climate we just cannot continue to afford," a spokeswoman said.
The review of legal aid, she added, would ensure it was "targeted at the most serious cases and those who most need legal support".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15512827
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Warning over legal aid cuts for disabled people
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