Letter urges party leaders to stop cutting disability benefits

MORE than 16,500 people and a coalition of 80 charities, including Welsh organisations, have signed a letter urging party leaders to put an end to disability benefit cuts.

Paralympians Kadeena Cox and Anne Wafula Strike and BBC Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills are among those to have signed the open letter to all the political parties urging them to protect disability benefits from further cuts in the next parliament.

There are more than 13 million disabled people in the UK, who spend an average of £550 extra every month on costs related to their condition.

However, charities in the Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC) – including Welsh mental health charity Hafal and WAMES, the Welsh Association of ME & CFS Support – say disabled people have borne the brunt of welfare reforms to the point where their benefits have been reduced or removed altogether.

Laura Wetherly, policy manager at the MS Society, which co-chairs the DBC, said: “Today, thousands of people across the UK are sending a loud and clear message to our politicians that the current welfare system doesn’t make any sense. Too many disabled people have been stripped of the security and stability they need to live independent lives.

“The next Government must make sure no further cuts are made to disability benefits so that disabled people can rely on support without the constant fear of having away.”

More than 50,000 people have had Motability vehicles taken away since personal independence payments were brought in in 2013.

Other issues include a £30 a week cut to new claimants in the employment and support allowance workrelated activity group. it taken