Plans to cut personal independence payment ‘could stop thousands from working’

Government plans to cut a benefit for disabled people could stop tens of thousands of workers from continuing in their jobs, a leading union has warned.

Unison said its survey of more than 3,000 union members found that three quarters of those in receipt of the personal independence payment, which helps disabled people with extra living costs, say losing it would affect their ability to work.

The findings, being launched at Unison’s annual conference in Liverpool this week, show many people with disabilities rely on the payment to be able to work, said the union.

Opposite effect

Three in five respondents said they spent the payment on travelling to their workplace and a similar number said it covered treatments such as physiotherapy and counselling.

Two thirds said they used the money for food that can be easily prepared, while others used the cash to pay for medication, carers and cleaners.

Unison said the planned reforms would have the opposite effect of getting more people off benefits and into work, forcing thousands of disabled people out of their jobs.

A nurse from Bristol said her payments help cover household bills after she had to slash her number of work hours as a result of chronic fatigue condition ME, adding that without the personal independence payment she would need to take on extra hours and most likely end up too sick to work at all.

“Not shirkers”

Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Going after the most vulnerable in society is in no-one’s interests.

“Disabled people are not shirkers or scroungers.

“All too often they want to work and they rely on the social security system to give them the support to do so.

“Stopping people from working won’t grow the economy.

“If ministers really want to encourage more people back into jobs, they need to make sure work pays.

“That means breaking down the barriers preventing disabled people from accessing work, and going after the employers paying poverty wages.”