Government unveils controversial plans to help disabled people

Ministers have launched a consultation on their new Disability Action Plan which, on the surface seems to be a great help, but could cut universal credit allowances.

Last week the government launched a consultation on their Disability Action Plan, which brings together ideas and actions across government to make disabled people’s lives easier.

Plans include:

• Promoting assistive technologies to ensure more disabled people have access to them
• Legislating for mandatory disability awareness training for taxi and private hire drivers
• Encouraging more autism-friendly programmes in the cultural and heritage sectors to drive greater inclusivity
• Improving reasonable adjustments in the courts system so more disabled people can be on juries
• Implementing the British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE, over a year after the BSL Act was introduced, giving thousands of pupils communication and visual memory skills that will be an advantage to them for the rest of their lives
• Exploring the feasibility of Great Britain hosting the Special Olympics World Summer Games in 2031

If the consultation is successful, which is set to run for 12 weeks, the Disability Action Plan will sit alongside the government’s National Disability Strategy which sets out longer-term visions to improve disabled people’s quality of life.

Tom Pursglove MP, Minister for Disabled People, said: ‘Our Disability Action Plan will lay out practical measures we can implement here and now to improve the lives of disabled people.

‘From leading the way globally with assistive technology to improving inclusivity and accessibility across sport, travel and culture, the Plan will also be important in setting the stage for longer term change.

‘We want disabled people to be at the heart of decision making and I would encourage anyone interested to respond to this consultation so the views of disabled people across the country are front and centre of our final Disability Action Plan.’

However, although the Disability Action Plan was created to enhance the lives of disabled people, over time, over half a million people will see their universal credit (UC) cut by £400 unless they successfully apply for a personal independence payment (PIP).

The government revealed this year their plans to scrap the limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA) element of UC and replace it with a new health element, but this will only be awarded to people who are already receiving PIP.

Under the Disability Action Plan, ministers have claimed that by ‘proposals on people that receive both PIP and UC, [they] will ensure that financial support is targeted at those who need it the most.’

There are over 500,000 people who currently receive LCWRA but not PIP, according to new figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) last week. This means people could be at risk of losing £390.06 per month, which is the typical amount awarded to people who have limited capability for work.

Ayla Ozmen, director of policy and campaigns at the anti-poverty charity Z2K, said: ‘Seriously ill and disabled people are already more likely to be in poverty – and these figures show half a million could lose vital extra amounts of universal credit under [the] governments proposals, simply because they don’t also receive PIP.

‘The DWP needs to fix its broken PIP system, and guarantee that people too unwell to work aren’t forced to get by on the inadequate basic level of benefit’s.’  

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