Welfare reform bill will punish disabled people and the poor

The welfare reform bill, to be given its second reading in the Commons tomorrow, disguises cuts and changes to a number of benefits that will punish disabled people. In particular, the bill will time-limit contribution-related employment support allowance to 365 days, so that a claimant becomes ineligible after a year if their spouse or partner works. The bill confirms that disability living allowance (DLA) will be replaced by the personal independence payment, which will use unfair assessment and conditions to disqualify 20% of the current DLA caseload. The inclusion of this change in the bill took place before the consultation on DLA reform was completed. The reasons for this reform are unclear, as reported by the social security advisory committee, with ministers denying that cuts are the motivation for change. Objectivity and independence of assessment are some of the reasons offered by the minister for disabled people; while there may be a case for objective assessment, we believe that evidence from GPs and specialists should be sufficient in many cases as it is at present. We are concerned that the reasons given by the minister suggest GPs and specialists cannot be trusted to provide medical evidence. Available evidence, including DWP research, suggests DLA is an efficient and well-regarded benefit, with the lowest rate of fraud in the benefits system. As such, any reforms should be undertaken with caution, and it is important that any evidence-gathering is relevant, truly independent and conducted by appropriately qualified professionals, and that proper weight is given to other evidence, for example from the claimant's GP. For these reasons, we call for the reform of DLA, and other "anti-disability" provisions that will place extra pressure on social care and social services, to be removed from the welfare reform bill. Hywel Williams MP Jon Cruddas MP John McDonnell MP Jonathan Edwards MP Kate Green MP Glenda Jackson MP Martin Caton MP Elfyn Llwyd MP Linda Fabiani MSP Kenneth Gibson MSP Jamie Hepburn MSP Anne McLaughlin MSP Bill Kidd MSP Leanne Wood AM Bethan Jenkins AM Helen-Mary Jones AM Nerys Evans AM Dai Lloyd AM Lord Dafydd Wigley of Caernarfon Baroness Anna Healy of Primrose Hill Gavin Hayes, Compass (Director) Hilton Dawson, BASW, the College of Social Work (Chief Executive) Alison Garnham, Child Poverty Action Group (Chief Executive) Prof. Julie Allan (University of Stirling), Education Prof. Colin Barnes (University of Leeds), Disability Studies Prof. Peter Beresford (Brunel University), Social Policy Prof. Anne Borsay (Swansea University), Medical Humanities Prof. Roger Burrows (University of York), Sociology of Health and Illness Prof. John Carpenter (University of Bristol), Social Work Prof. Luke Clements (Cardiff University), Disability Rights Law Prof. Viviene Cree (University of Edinburgh), Social Work Prof. Graham Crow (University of Southampton), Sociology Dr. Graham Day (Bangor University), Social Science Prof. Ann Davis (University of Birmingham), Social Work Prof. Hartley Dean (LSE), Social Policy Prof. Mark Drakeford (Cardiff University), Social Policy Prof. Nick Ellison (University of Leeds, Sociology and Social Policy Dr Iain Ferguson (University of Stirling), Social Work Dr. Joanna Ferrie (University of Glasgow), Disability Research Dr. Margaret Flynn, Journal of Adult Protection (Editor) Prof. Barry Goldson (University of Liverpool), Charles Booth Chair of Social Science Prof. Nick Gould (University of Bath), Social Work Prof. Gordon Grant (Sheffield Hallam University), Health and Social Care Prof. Jennifer Harris (University of Dundee), Disability Research Dr, Laura Hemingway (University of Leeds), Disability and Housing Prof. Paul Higgs (UCL), Sociology of Ageing Prof. Kelley Johnson (University of Bristol), Disability Policy and Practice Prof. Michael Lavalette (Liverpool Hope University), Head of Social Work Professor the Baroness Ruth Lister of Burtersett, Social Policy Prof. Jane Millar (University of Bath), Social Policy Prof. Patrick McGuiness (University of Oxford), Modern Languages Dr. Janice McLaughlin (Newcastle University), Policy and Ethics Prof. Stuart Murray (University of Leeds), Contemporary Literature and Film Prof. Andrew Oswald (University of Warwick), Economics and Behavioural Sciences Dr. Kevin Paterson (University of Glasgow), Disability Research Prof. Chris Phillipson (Keele University), Applied Social Studies Dr. Susan Pickard (University of Liverpool), Sociology of Chronic Illness Prof. Mark Priestly (University of Leeds), Disability Policy Prof. Diane Richardson (Newcastle University), Social Policy Dr. Gwyneth Roberts (Bangor University), Social Policy Prof. Alan Roulstone (Northumbria University), Applied Social Sciences Prof. Karen Rowlingson (University of Birmingham), Social Policy Prof. Jonathan Rutherford (Middlesex University), Cultural Studies Dr. Sonali Shah (University of Leeds), Disability Studies Dr. Alison Sheldon (University of Leeds), Disability Studies Prof. Nick Spencer (University of Warwick), Child Health Prof. Paul Spicker (Robert Gordon University), Public Policy Prof. Bruce Stafford (University of Nottingham), Disability and Social Policy Prof. Kirsten Stalker (University of Strathclyde), Social Work Prof. Guy Standing (University of Bath), Economic Security Prof. John Swain (Northumbria University), Disability and Inclusion Prof. Allan Walker (University of Sheffield), Social Policy and Social Gerontology Prof. Nick Watson (University of Glasgow), Disability Research Dr. Rose Wiles (University of Southampton), Sociology of Chronic Illness Prof. Charlotte Williams (Keele University), Social Policy Prof. Fiona Williams OBE (University of Leeds), Social Policy Prof. John Williams (Aberystwyth University), Welfare Law Prof. Sue Wise (Lancaster University), Social Justice Prof. Alys Young (University of Manchester), Social Work Education and Research Peter Ede MA (Cantab), Solicitor Alan Woodall GP Shannon Murray, model and actress Liz Crow, Roaring Girl Productions Dave Lupton, cartoonist Anne Novis MBE, disability rights campaigner James Hourihan, Timian Training and Development (Director) Naomi Jacobs, campaigner and PhD student in disability studies Fiona Laird, theatre director and writer Mat Fraser, actor and comedian Claire Litt, freelance interior and exhibition designer Sue Marsh, campaigner on chronic illness Lisa Egan, Philippa Willitts, founders of theWhere's the Benefit? blog Frances Kelly, Rosemary O'Neill, founders of CarerWatch Kaliya Franklin, Rhydian Fôn James, Lisa Ellwood, Melissa Smith, on behalf of The Broken of Britain • The welfare reform bill has carried the application of the economic theory of moral hazard to such extremes in its exaggerated claims of welfare dependency that unemployment benefits could be reduced to an amount incapable of keeping body and soul together. The new universal credit will be made up of a standard allowance (SA), an amount for children, another for housing and one more for particular needs or circumstances. The bill does not attempt to explain how the level of the SA will be decided. There is no link to the escalating prices of food and other essential needs. The Centre for Research in Social Policy has calculated that some time in the next 10 years the weekly cost of a healthy diet will overtake the weekly amount paid in adult unemployment benefits. The caps on housing benefit and the local housing allowance will create debts that will have to be paid out of the money needed for a healthy diet. Rev Paul Nicolson Chairman, Zacchaeus 2000 Trust