James Watson-O’Neill, Chief Executive of the national disability charity Sense, said:
“The concessions announced by the government on the upcoming welfare bill are significant and positive, yet fall short of a fair deal for disabled people.
“It’s a relief that many disabled people won’t lose their benefits who previously feared they would. In particular we’re happy to see the government reverse its decision to cut Universal Credit in real terms for disabled people assessed as having the greatest barriers to work. This decision is testament to the power of people speaking out against these unfair cuts, and we’re so grateful to all our supporters who took the time to contact their MP on this issue.
“However, the government’s proposals create a deeply unfair two-tier system where two disabled people with the same needs would get different benefits depending on when they started needing benefits. This is not right. We’ve also heard from parents of young disabled people with complex needs who are still deeply anxious about what this will mean for their children’s future.
“Disabled people should be included fully and from the start in any efforts to reform the welfare system, and we’d like to work with the government on this. However, given the significant issues with the current bill, we urge MPs to listen to the voices of disabled people and vote against it on Tuesday.” https://www.sense.org.uk/
