The Chancellor, George Osborne, announced the first Budget of the coalition Government on 22 June 2010. Among the proposals are plans to change the Disability Living Allowance scheme from 2013, under which applicants will need to take a new medical assessment in order to receive the allowance. In his Budget speech, Mr Osborne stated that this would allow the government ‘to afford paying this important benefit to those with the greatest needs, while significantly improving incentives to work for others’. He stated that the proposed changes to all welfare provisions would save a total of £11 billion by 2014-15.

However, organisations have expressed concern over the changes, claiming that Mr Osborne had confused the Disability Living Allowance, which is paid to both working and non-working claimants to subsidise the extra cost of living for disabled people, with unemployment-related benefits. Richard Hawkes, Chief Executive of the disability charity Scope said: ‘The proposal to introduce a new medical assessment for DLA appears designed purely to reduce the number of people eligible for this support.’ He added: ‘DLA is not a benefit, but a basic recognition that it is more expensive to live as a disabled person in our society.’

Meanwhile, Esther Foreman, Policy and Campaigns Manager at learning disability charity Mencap said: ‘The Disability Living Allowance recognises the extra costs of having a disability regardless of whether or not social services deem the individual eligible for support.’ She added: ‘We recognise that cuts have to be made but it is vital that we protect frontline public services enabling people with a learning disability to live independently. These services are not a luxury but an essential part of their lives.’

For the full text of the Budget speech, visit the Guardian website
www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jun/22/emergency-budget-full-speech-text

For Scope’s response, visit the Scope website
http://www.scope.org.uk/node/16641

For Mencap’s response, visit the Mencap website
www.mencap.org.uk/news.asp?id=15023&pageno=&year=&menuId=91