10.57am: Labour is to call for changes to the controversial work capability assessment, the test used to identify whether people on long term sickness benefit are “fit for work”.
I’m told the call, by shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne, will be made at an opposition day debate on disability this lunchtime.
Byrne will apparently reveal new figures that show that :
the cuts to disabled peoples’ benefits now outstrip the amount of money the Government is taking from bankers.
The work capability assessments (WCA) are a big element in our investigation into mental health and breadline Britain. More on this later.
According to a note I’ve received from his office, Byrne will also say:
Iain Duncan Smith once said he was determined to tackle poverty. But the reality is he is driving disabled people into poverty and their carers to breaking point.
He ‘ll also raise the following points:
• Working age disabled people have a median income 30% lower than those without disabilities.
• Nearly 40% of people appealing against a decision to move them off incapacity benefit are successful. The cost of these appeals is approaching £50 million a year – and the wait for a tribunal hearing has doubled to nearly 6 months.
•The Work Programme has missed its target for disabled people by over 60%
Guardian Society ‘Breadline Britain’ Blog Day Three
BBC Parliament Sky 504 & Freeview
12.30pm
Urgent Questions, Ministerial Statements (if any).
Presentation of Bills
(without debate).
Opposition Day:
(1) Disability benefits and social care
(2) Regional pay
(may continue until 7.00 pm).
Shows how little MP’s of all Parties care about the disabled. Watching the debate at the moment and there are very few MP’s there.
they are probably all in the bar getting drunk at the tax payers expense
Yep! They get SUBSIDISED wine there!!!! Unbelievable!!
Am watching this now. yes, the benches are almost empty. A disgrace! Karen Buck (lab) is giving the con-dems stick over social care. Wish the others had the same fire in their bellies and that there was more atos crticism
bit late shouting about the cuts wht did they not put a bigger fight up as it was going through the house, no there id still blairites atill in the labour party get rid and then do your job protect the sick disabled and the unemployed from the likes of the torys whos only goal is make the working class play for the rich who cant even pay their taxes so lets see the labour party doing something about it not shout action so that we amy live without frieght of benefit sanctions when a lot of us have payed in for over 40 yrs or more ,britain been taken back to the 1700 where the lords ruled and the peasant starved like it is today jeff3
The whole thing was a complete joke as far as I’m concerned, Labour Party trying to con votes out of us for forthcoming fight in two years time for General Election.
They’ve now promised to look at mass immigration, what will they be coming out with next?