Christine
Oddy MEP has today pledged support to the twelve major disability organisations who have
resigned from the Government's Disability Benefits Forum in protest at the Government's
Welfare Reform Bill and its devastating impact on disability benefits for disabled people.
"If implemented, the Welfare Reform Bill will cut £750 million from disability
benefits through harsh new National Insurance requirements for new claimants and penalties
for those who have made provision for occupational pensions worth more than £50 per week.
"Severe Disablement Allowance is to be abolished for all new claimants which will
affect 16,000 people per year including 10,000 women. This will have a devastating impact
on the most severely disabled people who obviously have extra costs to lead their lives.
"Disabled people with occupational or personal pensions will be penalised and
receive a reduced contribution for incapacity benefit. This will affect 45,000 people in
the first year rising to 335,000 people after ten years.
"The Government is being deceitful when it asserts that the moves are not cuts
driven. Savings amount to £3/4 billion whilst additional expenditure is only £85
million.
"I shall be campaigning with organisations such as the Royal National Institute
for the Blind, Royal National Institute for Deaf People, SCOPE, RADAR and MIND to oppose
these draconian cuts."
