Further disability benefit cuts on the way, new DWP secretary Stephen Crabb signals

[LurkingHusband]

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/further-disability-benefit-cuts-are-on-the-way-new-dwp-secretary-stephen-crabb-signals-a7023916.html

Further disability benefit cuts on the way, new DWP secretary Stephen Crabb signals
Mr Crabb said the Government would adopt 'smart strategies' for reducing expenditure

Further cuts to disability and sickness benefits are in the pipeline, the Work and Pensions Secretary has signalled.
Stephen Crabb said he wanted to go further than the £12 billion welfare cuts set out in the Conservative manifesto and “re-frame discussion” around disability welfare reform.
The surprise announcement comes just under two months since Mr Crabb said the Government had “no further plans” for welfare cuts.
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Ministers have 'no plans' for further welfare cuts, Government says
Mr Crabb, who replaced Iain Duncan Smith in the role in March, said he would set out a green paper on further proposed changes to disability benefits later this year.
“The measures that have either already been legislated for or announced get us to the £12 billion [welfare cuts planned in the Conservative manifesto],” he said.
“Does that mean welfare reform comes to an end? I would say no. I’ve already pointed to what I see as one of the big challenges of welfare reform – and that’s around work and health.”
Mr Crabb told MPs on Work and Pensions Select Committee that he would deploy “smart strategies” for cutting expenditure on disability and sickness benefits and would hopefully be able to secure the support of disability charities.
“In terms of how you make progress of welfare reform there when you are talking about people who are very vulnerable, people with multiple barriers, challenges, sicknesses, disabilities – I am pretty clear in my mind that you can’t just set targets for cutting welfare expenditure,” he said.
“When you’re talking about those cohorts of people you’ve actually got to come up with some pretty smart strategies for doing it which carry the support and permission of those people and organisations who represent those people who we are talking about.

“This is why there’ll be further information in due course about this. I want to produce a green paper later this year which starts to re-frame discussion around this set of issues.”
The Government has already make sharp cuts to the Employment and Support Allowance disability benefit, cutting the rate for new claimants in the Work Related Activity Group by £30 a week from 2017.
It has also abolished the Independent Living Fund and make reductions to payments for the Access To Work scheme.

Economists, including the Institute for Fiscal Studies, have previously reacted with skepticism that the previously announced £12 billion welfare cuts were achievable – especially after cuts to PIP and tax credits were dropped or delayed.
Labour's shadow work and pensions secretary Owen Smith said the Government should reverse the ESA cuts which had already been passed, adding that the Government needed to offer clarity on how it would support disabled people into work..
"The flimsy case for the cuts to Employment Support Allowance is now totally blown apart by this broken promise and the Tories must listen to Labour’s calls for them to be reversed,” he said.
The Independent has asked to DWP to clarify Mr Crabb's comments and confirm whether it is planning further disability benefit cuts.

[Akire]

Oh good grief what next?? Unless they are planning something helpful like cutting a deal with car manufactures and Mobility scheme so we get at cost price (no idea how much it cost produce a car but can't cost 15k surely) and therefore lower DLA/pip mobility if you use it on a car not sure what else they can do.

The whole thing is constantly pushing all about work work work for some people that's just not going to happen.

It's either there to pay for stuff that gives my quality of life more akin to able boided people or it's not.

[TheABC]

Really dismayed by this. There are genuine cases where it's simply impractical to expect people to work and I am happy to see a proportion of my taxes go towards them. The idea that a person diagnosed with cancer or depression may have to choose between getting better or food security turns my stomach. That's before I hear about long term crippling disability where that person has absolutely no chance of seeing an improvement and will never be able to do conventional work.

[Samcro]

wow this is all so scarey I fear for my disabled adult. they can't work. no way can that happen. yet the way we are going they will be destined for a work house existence

[expatinscotland]

WHERE ARE THE JOBS TO ACCOMMODATE ALL THESE PEOPLE when they have cut Access to Work, closed Remploy and proliferated zero hours contract 'jobs'?

[Thornrose]

This makes me so sad and worried for my 16 year old dd's future.

[Akire]

It's already broke for example I live on own have carers visit. My council only let me keep low care rate and says must take rest to pay towards carers. Yet if had family member doing care I would get keep all DLA care for other stuff I need. Yes carers are expensive but when you are on own for 22h a day they is still lots of other things you need to use care money for.

I'm luckily in that mostly housebound and that my mobility payments top up my other expenses because rarely go out. If was using it on mobility car I coulnt afford the petrol to run it!

[coffeeisnectar]

I want to weep. This is just IDS wearing a different face. Only possibly worse.

There are not enough jobs as it is for the young, fit and single people with no restrictions on hours or physical ability.

I can't imagine finding a job which would be happy to let me have two or three days every other week off sick as I'm in so much pain I need to dose up on painkillers meaning I then can't drive. I spend those days in bed sleeping and resting.

It's appalling.

[unweavedrainbow]

It's a green paper. In other words a document with ideas that are meant to stimulate discussion. It's not binding in any way. It's not even a white paper (potential government policy) let alone a bill. Hopefully they'll publish it and there will be such an outcry that it won't go any further. Still nasty, but much less worrying than it could be.

[Akire]

It should be paper on how can we increase social inclusion, best health outcomes and job market for Disabled people not how much can we cut off the welfare bill.

The cutting bill by using charities probable sounds better than it is. If I need help or a services I don't want to go to a charity to ask for help for some essential services that could be funded. Since we all use DLA to pay for different things it's not really going work.

[unweavedrainbow]

Well, I think what he wants is charity approval which of course he isn't going to get for anything truly nasty hasn't stopped this government before though

[Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost]

I don't know about this prick being as bad as IDS. He's worse. At least IDS, did not make promises about not cutting money for the most vulnerable and went ahead and announced more benefit cuts.
Coming from a single parent family, whose mum also claimed benefits for a time. She must have had her struggles. He should be more understanding than anyone.
If he was my son. I'd be embarrassed.

[dottypotter]

The Tories certainly are the nasty party.

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

He didn't wait long

[Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost]

Hold on. Did I read this right. He is sad that there are children growing up in houses where no one works, but. He was brought up for a time on benefits himself. When lone parents were not obliged to work until their child was 16. Now mothers are forced into work when their youngest is 5. I can't help feeling it's a bit if pot kettle, tbh.
I know this thread isn't about lone parents, but I just had to comment.