Welfare Reform Bill: First round goes to disabled activists
We’d like to thank all the Going To Work members who helped to spread the word about the Spartacus Report on the government’s proposed cuts to disability benefits as part of the Welfare Reform Bill.
There’s some good news to report after Wednesday night’s debate and vote in the House of Lords. The government suffered three major defeats, with amendments passed that meant:
- The Bill’s limit on Employment Support Allowance will be increased to at least two years (not one as planned).
- Cancer patients will be exempt from the ESA time limit.
- Young people disabled before they are able to build up qualifying contributions will not be denied access to ESA.
These three unexpected defeats for the government give real hope for more progress in winning changes to this hugely damaging Bill. As crossbench Peer Lord Patel said in the debate:
“I am sympathetic to cutting the deficit, but I am highly sympathetic to sick and vulnerable people not being subjected to something that will make their lives even more miserable.”
We’re glad we could help support this important work by a group of committed and resourceful campaigners. Disabled activists have moved mountains on this through their own hard work and organisation, and deserve huge credit for what they’ve achieved so far.
Sue Marsh, one of the lead authors of the Spartacus Report has a good post on her blog, explaining where these victories on amendments and the Spartacus report fit into the wider concerns with the Welfare Reform Bill for disabled people.
The threat is far from over though, with proposals still on the table that will lead to very real hardship for many disabled people and other vulnerable people who need support from our benefits system.
If you contacted a Peer about the Spartacus report, have a look at the voting record on the amendments to see how they voted. If they supported amendments, why not drop them an email to thank them for their help?
If you helped spread the word online, please help get out word of this initial victory. Making sure everyone knows about the government’s comprehensive defeat in this first skirmish in the Lords will help greatly in setting the tone for the next debates and amendment votes that are coming next Tuesday.
Comment made by John Fawcett on Jan 26th 2012 at 10:37 pm:
As the workers as being expected to accept wage cuts to defend jobs,wherever possible & the politicans generously gave back 5% of their earnings in 2010,pensioners like my mother-in law lost 25% of her winter fuel allowance,would it be too much to ask that a levy be placed on firms that make an increased profit to prop up this glorious system that we live/exist under.
All 50yrs of my working life were spent working on bonus systems-chasing the clock & if we did not produce, we did not get or even expect any bonuses-bankers please take note.
By the way & noting that we are all in this together, has anyone heard how much the royals are chipping in,including the duke of Ed,who,at a time when it has become popular to slag off immigrants,has become the dearest of them all over the years.Before someone points out that the the royals pull in loads of tourists, it would be fair to say,so does Mickey Mouse in Disneyland.