Myth busting: facts and figures (Update from previous myth buster).

A lot of myths, untruths and exaggerations are being peddled on the issue of disability benefits, particularly Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

Here we set the record straight on some of the most regularly used myths for targeting cuts at disabled people support, some of which have been most recently given an airing by the Prime Minister himself:

“The fact is that we are not cutting the money that is going into disability benefits. The question is how best to reform those disability benefits so that disabled people actually get access to the benefits that they require. The reform has been led by many of the disability groups, which want to see something that is much more related to people’s disability and faster to access, too.” David Cameron, 12 September 2012

Details about Bedroom Tax protests on 16 March

On the 16 March, Labour Left has initiated 40 Bedroom Tax Demonstrations throughout the UK. Find out more about the venues and times of the Bedroom Tax protests on principal organiser Dr Éoin Clarke’s website. The protests call for the Bedroom Tax to be scrapped, and anyone who supports this policy position is welcome to attend.

Take action – stop the bedroom tax hurting disabled people

Help us stop the bedroom tax hurting disabled people

In a matter of weeks disabled adults and families with disabled children face a stark choice- pay more to stay in your home or leave.

From April, people living in housing association and council housing will be hit by the ‘bedroom tax’. Families judged to have spare rooms will lose on average £728 a year from their housing benefit, unless they can move somewhere smaller.

“Government failed to listen” Letter from Hardest Hit campaigner to South Wales Echo

The following letter from Hardest Hit campaigner Malcolm H Mort was printed in the South Wales Echo on Monday 18 February 2013:

I was pleased to discover that the MPs are criticising the Department for Work and Pensions disability benefits tests.

With the Public Accounts Committee saying that the Work Capability Assessments were resulting in too many wrong decisions which were later overturned by claimants’ appeals, my claim that the Atos medical examinations are not reliable seems to be confirmed.

Its chair Margaret Hodge accused the DWP of being “unduly complacent” and of hurting the “most vulnerable.”

The committee found that 38% of appeals against the DWP’s decisions had been successful.

Considering that Atos was paid £112.4m to carry out 738,000 assessments in 2011/12, I find that 38% to be damning evidence of the gross ineptness of this Government.

The Public Accounts Committee blames Atos and the DWP. However, should they not be blaming the Government for the benefits legislation they have produced?

This legislation has ignored the advice of specialists who submitted information and advice for the various government consultation papers and studies.

Having been involved in that consultation myself, I now see that the criteria of the studies was about exploiting disabled, deprived and unemployed people.

Only a few weeks ago the walking distance to qualify for mobility benefit was reduced from 50 to 20 metres to restrict the number of people qualifying. People need to be very careful because there is provision for the PIP conditions to continue to be altered as required.

Malcolm H Mort

RNIB Cymru Member and Hardest Hit Member

Read more: Wales Online 
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/letters-to-the-editor/south-wales-echo-letters/2013/02/18/funding-is-vital-so-that-shopmobility-can-support-our-disabled-91466-32826458/#ixzz2LR7Ya3th

Channel 4 documentary examining move from DLA to PIP scheduled for release on 18/02/2013

We are pleased to announce a new Channel 4 Dispatches programme examining the impact that the move from DLA to PIP will have on disabled people is to be released next week. “Britain on Benefits” is presented by Paralympian Ade Adepitan and will be broadcast at 8pm on Monday 18 February 2013. This release follows months of communication between the producers and members of the Hardest Hit coalition.