Following last nights stay-of-execution of the Welfare Bill in the House of Lords with their voting for the Stop and Assess Amendment, the Welfare Reform Bill which includes the £30 cut to the ESA WRAG returns to the Commons.
We learned this afternoon that the Government intend to hold the Commons debate and vote on whether to accept or reject the Lords Amendment as soon as tomorrow evening.
As there was so little time to compose further detailed statistical arguments which could be read and assimilated by MPs in time to make a difference to the debate, we sent a brief summary of the arguments , as best as we could in the hope that they might swing some wavering MPs over to our side. This letter is reproduced below.
We don’t yet know the exact time that the debate will be held tomorrow – when we do we will post an update to this page – so keep checking back.
As we’ve previously said – its worth stating again – DPAC will fight against this measure every single step of the way and we know that many others are too. There is formidable opposition to this cut taking shape and the government are far from having won this battle.
How you can help: write to your MP today.
Urge them to do all in their power to oppose the £30 cut to ESA Wrag. You can use, if you wish some of the text of the DPAC letter below in your email.
You can contact your MP using this page : https://www.writetothem.com/
To: All MPs
Urgent: Welfare Reform Bill “Stop and Assess” Amendment Debate
Dear MP
We urge you to please consider the following brief points before the welfare reform debate tomorrow
- The often quoted “1% coming out of WRAG” statistic is a cherry-picked and misleading figure. A formal complaint is in preparation as MPs, Peers and the British public have been deliberately misled by DWP Ministers over the 1% figure
- People in the Work Related Activity Group have been assessed as not being able to work. If they had been assessed as fit for work they would not be eligible for ESA at all.
- The government have provided absolutely no evidence that a cut in payments to people in the WRAG will act as an incentive for them to find work
- The Work Capability Assessment is notoriously inaccurate and there are large numbers of people placed in the WRAG who should be in the support group with degenerating conditions and /or a prognosis that they will never be capable of work. The best estimates we can produce suggest that there could be 4800 people in this situation.
- Around half the people in the WRAG have mental health conditions. Lowering of their income to JSA levels will put people with such conditions at serious risk of harm, even suicide as their financial position becomes ever more intolerable
- While the current situation in the employment market is discriminatory, bordering on hostile to disabled people, a £30 “incentivisation cut” can only be a punitive and cruel measure with no positive outcome.
- Disabled people who are benefit claimants on ESA genuinely fear this measure, they fear about how they will cope, and some even fear for their very lives.
The Amendment from the House of Lords asks the Government to “Stop and Assess”. We ask you as a member of the House of commons to stop, and seriously think about what this cut will mean and the harm that will be caused to disabled people if this cut is not prevented.
If you wish to discuss any points in this email further, please email us at mail@dpac.uk.net and we will be happy to discuss it with you and provide detailed evidence.
Please think and please vote to stop the cut to ESA.
Yours Sincerely
The DPAC Team
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https://www.dpac.uk.net
Disabled People against Cuts is on Facebook
twitter: @dis_ppl_protest
Have just sent a message to my MP and posted a link to this piece with encouragement to others to do likewise on https://aspiblog.wordpress.com.
https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmagenda/fb160301.htm
“If necessary, consideration of Lords Amendments?”
Subject to change,but I am presuming before adjournment debate
“If necessary consideration of Lords Amendments”
https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmagenda/fb160301.htm