EDCM Campaign against cuts to benefits paid to parents of disabled children

[KateMumsnet]

Hello

Today Every Disabled Child Matters, with whom we worked on our Respite Care Campaign, is calling on the government to rethink its decision to cut support for up to 170,000 families who have disabled children.

The Welfare Reform Bill proposes to cut benefits paid to low income or out of work families with disabled children by 50%. This amounts to a drop of £1400 per year - although these families often face higher basic costs than others, and may also find it harder to get employment which allows them to continue caring for their children.

If you'd like to write to the PM and ask him to reconsider, EDCM have made it easy to do so via this link. And don't forget to let us know what you think here on the thread.

Thanks

MNHQ

[CMOTdibbler]

Its crap isn't it - families find it very hard to get work as they can't access childcare, may have many medical appointments to get to, and everything is just more time consuming and harder, but yet they are targeted for cuts ! I just do not see how this is justifiable

[Peachy]

This might be relevant here- welfare changes and human rights.

We have 2 diabled children (plus one with lots of SEN stuff and one being assessed). The cuts will see us severely affected- already are doing, can't afford to heat much and the boys sickness absences are far higher than ever before.

DH works PT and is a Ft student so we are praying when he graduates this Spring he can up his hours hugely (self employed) but otherwise- scary.

[deepandcrispandsevenfold]

imo it is disgusting that families with a disabled member or members are being targeted like this, it is alos very shortsighted as a lot of families are already at breaking point and this will break, the end result will be more disabled people in residential care, which will be way more expensive in the long run.
the government have made disabled people their scapegoats, have labeled them scroungers and rather than looking at the real culprits for the deficit are using vulnerable people

[deepandcrispandsevenfold]

thanks for the link, have done it, but doubt DC will care

[belledechocchipcookie]

So much for them supporting the vulnerable of society. I think they should be ashamed.

[SammyHills]

I agree - shamefull

[hildathebuilder]

Thanks for the link. I have also done it. I have a disabled child (Cerebral palsy) and am extremely fortunate that I am self employed and earn a good income, and DS care needs are not 24/7.

Being self employed means I juggle, the income means I don't worry that I spend money on DS care which is not covered by his DLA. In that way I do the best I can. Those on a low income do not have the luxury and they are not scroungers. DLA is peanuts compared to the often real costs of having a disabled child, and carers allowance and respite care are largely non-existent. Taking more away from the most vulnerable makes me ashamed to be british.

[TheNinjaGooseIsARoasting]

done, he seems hellbent on hitting those worst off.

[GossipWitch]

Surely this is classed as disability discrimination?????

[TeWiharaMeriKirihimete]

Yes, one of the committe's looking at the human rights impacts is cagily saying it might be.

I certainly feel it is hugely discriminatory - no real understandinf of how life really works at all.

[Peachy]

One of the changes that confuses me about teh changes is that we will be classed as only having one disabled child, nobody can have two under the new syste,

Which child should I hand over? Whose needs are less important? given they both attend SNU provision so are definitely in need in their own, different ways.

[ouryve]

It's pretty shocking isn't it. I've noticed they've been keeping pretty quiet about it, too - probably in the hopes that it will slip through unopposed.

Both of my boys have ASD (one of them ADHD, too), and while they don't have the associated costs that come with having a child with a severed physical disability, things don't last them 2 minutes. Their school uniforms get covered in paint and ink because they like to get stuck in with messy stuff. Food and drinks are spilt and smeared on furniture and clothes. I have to buy some of DS2's nappies because he isn't supplied with enough (and he can't wear them all day, anyhow because they're sweaty plastic and give him rashes). DS1's shoes often end up soaked in muddy water within weeks of buying them. Books get torn, wallpaper peeled, chipped plaster picked at.... DS1 has an MP3 layer which helps him keep calm when he's somewhere busy. He chewed through his earphones the other week and will no doubt do it again.

They're expensive.

[Peachy]

Extra costs for us include every time I have to get to either SN School (whya re they enver ever close to either home or each otehr?) and the fact we need an extra bedroom due to ds1's aggression and ds3's wandering and vulnerability.

And yes all the clothes / specialist foods / calming therapeutic activities..

It stacks up.

[Dillydaydreaming]

I've signed!

I actually do not have words to voice the utter contempt I feel for this so called "caring" Government who care for nobody as long as they can save money at the expense of those who. An least afford it.

Utter utter contempt I have for them.

They have laid their ground well and we have had continual drip feeding of crappy unsubstantiated figures to the popular media ever since this Govt came to power.

All in all the likes of me caring for a disabled child are getting less and less support.

I currently work but will not have a job after Xmas for various good reasons. Nice to think that after nearly 30 years of paying into the system they will view me as a no good scrounger with a badly behaved child (actually he's autistic).

Scumbags all of them and I hate then with a passion.

[KalSkirata]

Carers often give up jobs as there isnt the respte avaialble to stay in work. And now the Tories want to penalise them for it. Appalling.

[MildlyNarkyPuffin]

OK. Will write to Dave and try to leave out 'amoral', 'anal fissure' and 'syphallitic chancre on the genitals of humanity'.

Will email my MP too.

[OctonautsOnRepeat]

I've signed.

But I have a feeling this will cause less uproar than the child benefit cuts for high earners.

[Glitterknickaz]

Oh thank you MNHQ. Finally! We did tell you quite some time ago about this you know.

[TysTheSeasonToBeJolly]

What is being cut? Disabilty living allowance? Or another benefit?
My mum will be buggared if they cut that, they struggle to eat as it is!

[KateFrothers]

I think it's a fucking ace campaign. In fact I think it's so great I've put that in bold.

I also think it's tragic, just tragic that we need to go to these lengths. We'll add a llink on the Frothers blog. Now I say we... obviously I mean some techy-wizard

[TysTheSeasonToBeJolly]

Oh also should of said, have sent the email, as will my mum and dh :)

[KateFrothers]

Tys have a look on our blog as featured on the Guardian and Mumsnet blogger's network.

[Peachy]

Tys

DLA is changing to PIP which will be much ahrder to get as the aim is to cut it by 20%. This begins next year.

These cuts are about how tax Credits will be cut in April and then Carers lose a great deal under universal credit rules.

[tryitandsee]

Oh Lord. What next!. Cameron isn't content with us freezing to death because of the winter fuel bills he is now cutting the much needed benefits for disabilities ?. What planet is he on?.