Ever since the government unveiled its plans for sweepingreform of the welfare system, there has been one area that hasreceived constant opposition; proposed reforms to disability livingallowance (DLA). Throughout the consultation period and the firstreading of the Welfare Reform Bill, MPs, social care experts andservice users have voiced their concerns about plans to abolish themobility component of DLA for people in residential care and cutthe overall DLA bill by 20%. The feeling among critics is that itis motivated by savings, rather than helping vulnerable people.This opposition isn’t going away either. Rather, it is gainingmomentum and is now getting mainstream national exposure, ratherthan just within the sector. Indeed, in yesterday’s Guardian an open letter to thegovernment, signed by more than 100 MPs, MSPs, AWs and social careexperts and professionals and service user groups, called for thereform of DLA, and other “anti-disability” provisions that willplace extra pressure on social care and social services, to beremoved from the bill. Additionally, the Department for Work andPensions (DWP) has revealed that it received 5,500 responses to theconsultation on DLA reform which ended on February 18. Of that,about 5,000 were from members of the public and 500 were fromdisability organisations. The DWP has admitted that this is one ofthe department’s biggest ever consultations. This should give thegovernment an idea of the strength of feeling against theseproposed measures. Given that DLA is a not one of the largestbenefits, in terms of number of claimants, that response is huge.However, Maria Miller, minister for disabled people, remained coyover whether this response would have any impact on thegovernment’s plans, according to Community Care. While nobody is arguingthat welfare reform is needed – and has been for years – what itmust not do is make people worse off than they were before;something these reforms would seem to do. But whether the DWPlisten is another matter. The government has followed its cutsagenda with unerring zeal thus far so a change in position cannotbe expected. It seems the drive to cut the national deficit takesprecedence over all other considerations. However, time will tell.The bill gets its second reading in the Commons today [Wednesday,March 9].
