• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About DNS
  • Subscribe to DNS
  • Advertise with DNS
  • Support DNS
  • Contact DNS

Disability News Service

the country's only news agency specialising in disability issues

  • Home
  • Independent Living
    • Arts, Culture and Sport
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Housing
    • Transport
  • Activism & Campaigning
  • Benefits & Poverty
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
You are here: Home / News Archive / Labour backs majority of government’s welfare agenda

Labour backs majority of government’s welfare agenda

By guest on 25th February 2011 Category: News Archive

Listen

Labour’s new shadow work and pensions secretary has backed large sections of the coalition government’s welfare reforms, but has criticised some of its cuts to disability benefits as “not compassionate”.

In a speech to the Institute for Public Policy Research, Liam Byrne suggested there would be no radical change in direction from the former Labour government’s welfare policies.

He said he would back the coalition government when it puts in place “radical welfare reform that works”.

But he warned that the government’s welfare reforms would fail if there were not enough jobs available.

He said: “Without a faster growing economy, the government’s changes won’t push people into a job. They will push them into a corner.”

Byrne said the coalition was “failing the compassion test” with some of its reforms, including removing the mobility component of disability living allowance (DLA) from most disabled people in residential care.

He said this was not compassionate or supportive but was “a punishment for people who need our help”.

And he said that cutting housing benefit by 10 per cent for all those who have been claiming jobseeker’s allowance for a year – which will affect many disabled people denied out-of-work disability benefits – was also “not compassionate” and was a “punishment”.

But Byrne said Labour agreed with more than three-quarters of the “principled and burden-sharing welfare savings and efficiencies” the government was making next year.

He said he didn’t agree with imposing a one-year time limit on people in the work-related activity group claiming “contributory” employment and support allowance (ESA) – the replacement for incapacity benefit – because it “could hit people recovering from cancer”, although he said a two-year limit “could work”.

He also backed the need for DLA reform, although he warned that if it was “driven by a top-down cuts target” it risked denying support for “those in search of a more independent life”.

The government has imposed such a target, saying it wants to cut spending on working-age DLA – and the number of working-age claimants – by 20 per cent by 2016.

The disability poverty charity Disability Alliance (DA) welcomed Labour’s apparent move “away from the simplistic tone of office” and the “helpful” recognition that there must be “genuine work opportunities” available if welfare reform was to work.

DA added: “We believe DWP must develop, in partnership with employers, sustainable employment opportunities for disabled people rather than focus on reducing benefit levels.”

10 February 2011

Share this post:

TwitterFacebookWhatsAppReddit

Related

‘Muddled’ blue badge reforms ‘are to blame for renewal delays’
6th February 2015
UN debate will be reminder of true inclusive education
6th February 2015
IDS breaks pledge on PIP waiting-times, as tens of thousands still queue for months
30th January 2015

Primary Sidebar

Access

Latest Stories

Disabled high-rise leaseholders are living in post-Grenfell fear of fire and financial ruin

Disabled people highlight scores of lockdown concerns

Regulator investigates DWP over universal credit ‘cover-up’

Tomlinson held just a handful of external meetings every month early in pandemic

US retail giant faces legal action over new face covering rule

Minister allows transport industry its fourth exemption from access laws

Government’s pandemic failings caused us ‘horrendous’ challenges, say DPOs

Watchdog has approved care settings for COVID patients in only three-fifths of areas

High court is asked to order fresh inquest into death of Jodey Whiting

MPs call for inquiry into government’s role in COVID deaths of disabled people

Advice and Information

DWP: The case for the prosecution

Readspeaker

Footer

The International Standard Serial Number for Disability News Service is: ISSN 2398-8924

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site map
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021 Disability News Service

Site development by A Bright Clear Web