At 4.15pm on Saturday 17 September, Lib Dem autumn conference will debate the Liberal Youth sponsored motion on the Employment Support Allowance and the Work Capability Assessment. This motion deals with the way sick and disabled people are treated by the benefit system and the way in which they are assessed to determine whether they are eligible for benefits or not.
The motion specifically targets the time limiting of support to a maximum one year for any sick or disabled people who have made national insurance contributions in the three years prior to claiming, the appeal system which sees anywhere between 40% and 70% of appealed assessment decisions overturned and criticises the way the assessment system fails to consider the way in which many illnesses and disabilities vary over time.
Also potentially up for debate, is an amendment to the motion which will be sponsored by Guildford Liberal Democrats. This amendment is intended to complement the motion and adds lines objecting to the way in which people determined only partially eligible for support are expected to undertake the same “workfare” requirements as able bodied unemployed people and face financial sanctions otherwise.
As the original author of the motion, I recently wrote a piece describing the way the benefit system treats the sick and disabled; which I hope anyone planning to attend the debate will consider reading. There will no doubt be a lively debate on the issue but, more than anything else, I hope that the debate will be well attended. This is an important motion covering an area of the welfare system which has a huge impact on the lives of around 3 million people and it is, in my mind, vitally important that Liberal Democrats give this issue the attention it deserves.
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16 Comments
Just to ensure that everyone understands the impact of Time-Limiting, the DWP equality impact statement (http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/esa-time-limit-wr2011-ia.pdf) estimates that 700,000 disabled people will be affected between now and 2016, with 280,000 of them eligible for no other benefits whatsoever, These are people who even DWP admit will be currently unfit for work due to the extent of their disabilities.
When challenged on Time-Limiting by the Work and Pensions Select Committee, Chris Grayling stated: “it is not related to health conditions” and “it is one of the budgetary decisions we have had to take to deal with the deficit.” The money saved will actually go to finance IDS’s Work Programme, not drive down the deficit. When asked if this was not “very harsh”, Grayling stated “we live in challenging times financially”
As one of those who will face the loss of all household income as a result of time-limiting, I have to say that ‘challenging’ seems strangely inadequate, ‘absolutely terrifying’ might just begin to cover it.
Thank you, Mr. Potter.
It is such a refreshing change to see a LibDem who is willing to stick up for us. Unlike so many people here on this site who dismiss our feelings of terror and our worries as “nonsense”. It’s just such a shame so many others in your party seem to have had a compassion bypass since the Coalition was formed and see the sick and disabled as expendable.
Again, thank you. Thank you so much.
I’d also like to add, if the moderators allow this, to point readers in the direction of this article. Especially the comments where many disabled people are pointing out the fear, anxiety and downright disgraceful treatment by the DWP & ATOS. We are not being hyperbolic, and we are not speaking nonsense. Please read the article and some of the comments to get a general feel of how sick & disabled people are being treated all in the name of “saving money”.
I absolutely support this. The government’s cuts to vital support for disabled people are a disgrace.
I support the government’s austerity plan. But these attacks on the most vulnerable people in our society are the worst part of a difficult plan. Good luck with your conference motion.
I sincerely hope that Liberal Democrat members give this motion the time and support that it deserves.
There are millions of very frightened sick and disabled people out there who feel as though they have been abandoned and vilified by this government.
They have been labelled as work shy and scroungers, and the media and government have together gone to extraordinary lengths to ostracize them from society, gaining public approval to make cuts to welfare to help reduce the deficit.
These people did not ask to be sick or disabled, and i am sure all would happily give up benefits in return for good health.
These people did not cause the deficit or the banking crisis, these are unfortunate people who where either born with a illness or disability or developed one in later life through accident or illness.
We live in a country with 62 Million people in it, is it really that hard to believe that 4.13% of those people will be sick or disabled?
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=statistical_summaries
At the end of June 2011, the Employment and Support Allowance and incapacity benefits (ESA/IB) early estimate was 2.565 million.
Look at the odds of developing cancer, contracting MS, being born with a disability, developing mental health illnesses, number of people involved in accidents every year.
These people did not want or ask for the cards that they have been dealt with in life, whatever their circumstances, surly in a civil society it is our duty to support these people and protect them from the kind of vilification we have noticed over recent months.
Good luck George and well said Matt…
Disability Alliance have just pointed out that DWP have already been given an advance of £2.7m from the Contingency Fund to send out the notices that time-limiting is happening. http://www.disabilityalliance.org/esalimit.htm There’s an incredible arrogance behind the assumption that LibDems will simply fall into line and not dare to oppose this.
@David G:
There’s an incredible arrogance behind the assumption that LibDems will simply fall into line and not dare to oppose this.
—
Only 4 LibDems voted against the NHS bill. Why on earth should we expect, based on their record so far this parliament, that LibDem MPs would suddenly oppose the welfare bill when they have been enthusiastically supporting it since the signing of the Coalition agreement? If they can’t be bothered to save the NHS from takeovers by foreign companies, why would they be bothered to protect the disabled?
David Cameron claimed DLA for his disabled son Ivan, he also claimed 4 free nappies a day from the NHS due to his son suffering from incontinence.
I find it disgraceful that the Prime Minister has claimed this benefit, when he is a Multimillionaire, and now has the audacity to cut the benefit to other people suffering from disabilities.
Cameron has trotted out the line, that the welfare bill has spiraled out of control and needs to be brought down, and yet here he was claiming it himself.
Maybe if the Multimillionaires in this country where not so greedy and had their hands so deep in the pockets of the public purse, there would be enough money for the truly deserving and needy people of this country.
I sincerely hope that someone at conference will have the courage to point out to others that Cameron claimed these benefits and it is an outrage that he now plans to cut them.
Have you a copy of the text of the motion you can publish?
@matt:
Good point about the rich claiming benefits. I’d also like to add that BTL owners have been using housing benefit as a cash-cow for years. Most now refuse to lower their rents in line with lower HB rates, even though both Tories and LDs told us landlords would be happy & jumping over themselves to lower their rents.
The fact is, it isn’t the sick or disabled, or even the NHS, who is bankrupting the country. It is people like Cameron who claim DLA when he is worth an est. £30M. It is people like Osborne, again worth millions, who claim child benefit & vtax credits. It’s greedy landlords making a killing off of HB by the artificial housing bubble which is keeping rent rates unrealistically high. The bursting of the housing bubble, which will happen, cannot come soon enough. It’s about time the “haves” help pay for the crisis that the “have-nots” have already been paying for in spades.
But, of course, it is the sick and disabled, as well as the unemployed/poor, who are being blamed by Tory and LD alike for this financial mess we are in when, in reality, it was caused by greedy bankers and stupid politicians, people who are not being punished in the slightest by this government.
@George Potter
Well done on this motion. It’s clear a lot of thought has gone into it. It does you and Liberal Youth credit.
Of course, winning over conference is the easy bit, but it’s an important first step. We then have to persuade the Tories to give ground on it. But I don’t think that’s impossible. There are many Tories who would agree with everything you’re fighting for.
@Socrates
The text of the motion is as follows (as taken from the conference agenda – http://www.libdems.org.uk/autumn_conference_papers.aspx)
Employment and Support Allowance and Work Capability Assessments
Mover: George Potter
Conference notes:
i) That eligibility for the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) benefit is determined by the
Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) which are currently carried out by Atos Healthcare, a
private company.
ii) That currently 70% of assessed rejections which go to appeal are subsequently overturned,
though the appeal success rate is lower for claimants without representation.
iii) That the way in which WCAs are conducted has been criticised by Parliamentary Inquiries
and by the Tribunal Judiciary.
iv) That the Liberal Democrat-Conservative Coalition Government has stated its aims to
support people who are fit to work move off state benefits and into work and support those
currently unable to work to prepare for work in the future.
v) The on-going reviews of Work Capability Assessments led by Professor Malcolm Harrington,
which have made recommendations on how the WCA process can be improved.
vi) That the Government has so far implemented the vast majority of the recommendations
made by Professor Malcolm Harrington.
vii) The Government’s Welfare Reform Bill proposals to simplify the appeals process for
claimants.
Conference believes that:
A. It is the duty of a compassionate society and government to provide the necessary support
for those who are unable to support themselves.
B. The old Assessment procedure, when claimants were assessed using a ‘tick box’
questionnaire, did not take into account the claimant’s medical history as provided by their
GP and/or Consultant.
C. The new Assessment procedure must aim to reduce the number of cases which are
overturned on appeal.
Conference calls for:
1. The Government to continue to implement Professor Harrington’s recommendations on
reforming the WCA as a priority, in addition to an emphasis on:
a) Clearer Assessment criteria and descriptors, to make it more apparent under what
circumstances ESA is paid.
b) Ensuring greater accuracy in Assessment, particularly for those with fluctuating
conditions.
c) A less stressful Assessment process.
d) People with disabilities getting the support they need.
2. Opposition to an arbitrary time limit on how long claimants can claim contributory ESA.
3. All ESA claimants going to appeal to be given access to adequate representation.
Dear George Potter, many thanks for your words of support on my post on ESA.
I fully support all the points you make and would be happy to offer additional comments which may, perhaps, offer other points for discussion during this debate. I know that the time limit is tight and you are probably restricted in this area; however you have a large group of people who are in the same predicament as myself and will be following this blog if their condition allows.
I’ll be there on Saturday afternoon to vote for the motion, and I am hoping to speak to it as well. I work as a volunteer for a well known “advice agency” and see the problems the situation is causing. I think the Glasgow amendment strengthens the motion, and depending on what is said (no closed mind!) will vote for that too.
Well done for getting it on the agenda, and here’s hoping that not only does it get passed overwhelmingly, but those that need to take a lot of notice of it !
You did very well George and full credit to you for taking this stance on getting the polices for the sick and disable on the right track in going forward
I do believe your the only person in the country to have done so to date and that’s a remarkable achievement the last time i witnessed someone like yourself was William Hague at the of 16 in 1977 with Mrs thatcher
On going forward there are many who have died while waiting for their DWP appeal to heard and by the next election that number will have risen to many thousands and i do believe that the likes of you keeping a record of these deaths will and should be able to deliver a killer blow to the conservatives at the next election so i think nick clegg needs to bear that in mind and distance himself
The DWP I’m sure do act unlawful at times and that’s partly because they can get away with it and earn their bonus such is the sickness of their minds the scum of the earth but we are where we are and it’s important that the sick and disabled get the right support while their alive as it’s not a lot of good when your dead
Well nick clegg’s speech is going down very well and a very solid performance at the liberal conference
Having said that not one word about the sick and disabled which is a major blow as he addressed great things for everyone else in society but just left the sick and disabled out from any hope
Truly tragic on what was an excellent speech