The ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working’ green paper includes measures that have now been published in the Universal Credit (UC) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Bill. Usdaw’s consultation response includes:
· Support for reform of the work capability assessment, but concern about the proposal to abolish it entirely.
· Strong opposition to restricting eligibility for the daily living component of PIP, leading to 1.5 million disabled people losing an average of £100 a week.
· Highlighting that the loss of PIP will result in the loss of passported benefits, like council tax reductions, and exemption from the benefits cap.
· Concerns that unpaid carers would also lose entitlement to Carer's Allowance should the person they care for lose entitlement to the daily living component.
· Welcoming the measures set out that aim to remove the barriers in the way of disabled people trying out a job.
· Supporting the additional £1 billion funding investment into a new "pathways to work" employment support offer.
· Calling for any social security reforms to be delayed until measures designed to deliver ‘good work’ are implemented by the Employment Rights Bill.
· Opposing the proposal to restrict access to the UC health element until a disabled person reaches the age of 22.
· Raising awareness among employers and business of the duty to make reasonable adjustments and adopt a social model understanding of disability in their policies, practices and procedures.
Full Usdaw response: www.usdaw.org.uk/PathwaysToWork
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw general secretary says: “Too many people have been at the sharp end of Tory attacks to dismantle the social security net that so many workers rely on. We know that the mess Labour inherited will not be fixed overnight, and we are calling for fairness and equality to be the driving force behind reform of the system.
“Usdaw has been calling for changes to the way Universal Credit payments are made since its introduction and we will continue to do so. We have today submitted a comprehensive and evidence-based response to the Government's consultation on proposed reforms to Universal Credit and health benefits. Within it, we have set out the experiences of Usdaw members and call on the Government to listen to them.
“The priority must be to improve work by making employment more secure, providing tailored and appropriate support to help disabled people into work, ensure employers are providing accessible work environments and complying with their duty to make reasonable adjustments.
“We will continue to use our voice to make the case to Government for a social security system that works for working people and disabled people, not against them. Usdaw will continue to be a strong voice on these issues, making the case on behalf of our members.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working
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