Local resident and disability campaigner Gail Penfold issues a warning about the government’s pending benefit cuts
I am concerned by the impact that the government’s massive cuts to benefits will have on the disabled. While I completely agree that any person who wants to work is given the opportunity to succeed, the government is going about this the wrong way.
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is not a work-related benefit. It is intended to help working-aged people 16 and over with the extra costs of living with a health condition or a disability.
Nothing is as clear cut as Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall’s speech in parliament last month seemed to make out. The government’s attitude should not be “you can work or you can’t work”; there are plenty of people who can work but only for a short period at a time.
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s comment on mental health overdiagnosis is not only an insult to the medical professionals but to anyone diagnosed.
The fear the benefits announcement has instilled into so many people with disabilities, their families and carers is unforgivable and unnecessary. The knock-on effect means many charities and volunteers are inundated with people asking questions, adding to their already heavy workload.
People with disabilities and health issues are some of our most vulnerable residents and deserve far better.
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