For many, it seemed that the hopes that their rights would be protected were slim – and they weren’t wrong.

Hammond claimed he was prepared to do whatever it takes to save the economy, even if that does target those in need of help.

The Chancellor delivered a hammer blow to the disabled community just one year after a major u-turn on disability benefit cuts, and while £2bn will be pumped into social care, £3.79bn is to be cut from the PIP budget.

It certainly feels like a case of giving with one hand and taking with the other.

The continued disregard for the needs of people with disabilities and the appearance that helping those in need is dropping further and further down the pecking order is quite frankly galling and astonishing to say the least.

Scope estimates that life is made £550 more expensive a month if you are living with a disability – so it is little wonder why people are so enraged by the constant cuts.

But one thing that is particularly devastating about the news from London is the government’s treatment of those living with anxiety and depression.

Two tribunal rulings including one that states those with anxiety should be given the same status as those who are blind are to be overturned, belittling the problems facing those with mental health issues.

On top of cutting vital support, it now appears that Theresa May and her government are tightening their grip on deciding what does and does not ‘qualify’ as a disability.

While not all those with mental health issues have physical disabilities, the power of the mind can certainly ‘disable’ somebody’s daily life.

Mental distress is not a ‘false’ disability and cannot be trivialised, so why are the government failing this growing part of the British population?

Please let us know your thoughts on the Budget and what it might mean for you, by getting in touch on Twitter @PosAbilityMag and on Facebook @posabilitymagazine.

 By Colette Carr

To find out more about Colette, or the rest of the PosAbility team visit the Meet The Team section

I have consistently heard journalists using the phrase ‘the disabled’ in both radio news slots and on TV – and this spans broadcasting channels, including the BBC and ITV.

As a journalist and as a broadcasting channel you have a responsibility to use the correct language for a specific subject to ensure you are being respectful and sensitive. Using outdated and, quite frankly, offensive phrases like ‘the disabled’ is unacceptable in this day and age.

Would it be acceptable to group together people of one ethnicity or religion? No, this would be classed as racism or sectarianism! So why would anyone believe that it is ok to use this language to describe disabled people?

Tweet us your thoughts at @PosAbilityMag
#stopsayingthedisabled

By Rosalind Tulloch

To find out more about Ros, or the rest of the PosAbility team visit the Meet The Team section

Yesterday the new Minister for Works and Pensions Stephen Crabb, confirmed that the government no longer plans to go ahead with changes to the Personal Independence Payment aids and appliances rules announced in the run-up to last week’s budget. This proposal would adversely affected 640,000 disabled people. In his statement to the House of Commons the Minister went on to say that the government has no plans for further new welfare cuts in this parliament, other than those already announced.

Una Summerson head of Policy at Contact a Family says:

“Government confirmation yesterday that it will drop its planned cuts to Personal Independence Payments will be a huge relief for many families with disabled teenagers about to transfer to it from DLA. This benefit is vital, helping disabled people achieve their full potential, take part in their communities and lead an independent life.

“The government’s promise to make no further welfare cuts is also welcome news. Unfortunately, this won’t affect plans to implement Universal Credit, which when rolled out, will mean many families with disabled children face cuts of £1,600 a year. The government’s own estimate is that 100,000 disabled children will be affected by this cut.

“Families Contact a Family support have been bombarded by cuts to welfare and services in the last few years. A third have already been affected by welfare changes and many are experiencing delays in support services for their child as pressures on local authorities and health budgets continue to chip away at services that help them to take part in everyday activities, keep working and stay well. These are families already more likely to be living in poverty. Well over half (58%) told us they would be unable to cope with an unexpected bill of £300 – highlighting the precarious financial situation they are currently in. That’s why Contact a Family is urging the government to think again about its plans to cut the disabled child element under Universal Credit”

National deafblind charity responds to news that Government plans to halt reforms to Personal Independence Payment

National deafblind charity, Sense, welcomes the news that the Government has listened to the concerns of parliamentarians and the public about the fairness of the Budget and the potential impact of Personal Independence Payment [PIP] cuts, by halting the progression of reforms to this essential benefit.

The charity is calling on the Government to refocus on increasing life chances for disabled people with a co-ordinated approach that addresses needs across social care, benefits, housing and employment.

Richard Kramer, Deputy CEO of Sense, said:

“’Disabled people will be relieved that Government has backed down, as the proposed cuts would have resulted in much greater hardship for disabled people.

In the last fortnight, the Government were forced to listen to disabled people, disability charities and the public who were bewildered that the Budget contained unfair proposals to cut disability benefits.

The debate has shone a spotlight on how important benefits are for disabled people to meet their additional costs of disability, be more independent, and contribute as part of their community.

But we now need a much a broader debate on how we can we improve disabled people’s lives given that people don’t just need support from benefits but a co-ordinated approach that recognises peoples’ needs across social care, benefits housing and employment. We look forward to starting that conversation with the Government. “

Until recently, if you were receiving the highest rate of ‘mobility component’ of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) (£57.45 per week) you were eligible for a vehicle through the Motability Scheme – the government-funded mobility allowance. The DLA saw applicants fill in their own forms and once they were entered into the scheme they were not reassessed.

However, the introduction of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which was brought in in April 2013 to replace the DLA, sees all claimants, new and existing, having to undergo a face-to-face assessment by private, government-hired companies who will rate people’s eligibility of the mobility component on a scoring system, with only people achieving 12 points or more being eligible for support.

So far 31,200 people who were already in receipt of the highest rate ‘mobility component’ of DLA have been reassessed and 45% of these people have had their Motability vehicle taken away from them.

The government has stated that this assessment process is fairer and there is a way to appeal the decision. However, in light of several negative stories, it seems they are not getting it right every time and as a result are taking away people’s independence and freedom.

Read the full story at BBC News 

The claimants have said that they had to use food banks and struggled to pay for fuel and as a result their health declined. Lawyers have argued that they were entitled to these benefits by law and they should have been paid within a reasonable time.

Read more at BBC News

Citizens Advice Scotland said people are waiting an average of six months between claiming the new Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and receiving the payment.

This can have a knock-on effect on other benefit claims, it said.

PIP has been introduced in Scotland over the past year.

It is part of wider welfare reforms by the UK government, and has replaced the Disabled Living Allowance (DLA) as the main benefit that helps disabled people meet the costs of their basic daily living.

Citizens Advice compiled a report on the implementation of PIP using evidence gathered from its Citizens Advice Bureau staff.

It found that people have experienced average delays of six months, but some have reported delays of 13, 14 or 15 months.

Assessment process

Seven out of ten advisers surveyed said they are dissatisfied with the PIP claim process, particularly as a result of delays.

They also reported problems with the assessment process, with almost a quarter of advisers stating that some decisions are inaccurate and need to be appealed.

More than half of the advisers said the delays cause the benefit claimant “severe hardship”.

PIP is also a passport to other benefits, therefore the delays mean that some claimants are also missing out on the financial support of other benefits.

Citizen Advice Scotland’s head of policy Susan McPhee said the basic cost of living is generally higher for sick and disabled people than for the average citizen.

This is because of the additional costs of special food, medicines or equipment they might need, extra heating and lighting costs for those who need to stay at home longer, or transport costs for those who are less mobile.

She added: “These extra costs are not luxuries. They are essential to leading a basic life of dignity and any civilised society should make it a priority to see that people who need this help get it without fuss.

“The evidence we are publishing here shows that, under the new Personal Independence Payment, too many disabled people are not getting that support and many are falling into poverty as a result.

“While some claimants are reporting that the system has worked well for them, we are still finding too many delays and too many inaccurate assessments.”

‘Regular reviews’

Ms McPhee said it was “deeply worrying that so many problems have already emerged with the new system at such an early stage.”

She called on the government to urgently address these problems “as they are causing great detriment to some very vulnerable citizens and their families.”

In June, the Public Accounts Committee at Westminster warned that the PIP scheme had been “rushed” through, with a “shocking” impact on claimants.

But Mark Harper, UK Minister of State for Disabled People, said: “Unlike the old system, Personal Independence Payment includes a face-to-face assessment and regular reviews to ensure support goes to those who need it most.

“The latest figures show just that, with nearly 23% of people getting the highest level of support, compared to 16% under DLA.

“Between May and July we have doubled the number of claims processed and we are working hard to continue to make further improvements.

“By the end of the year we expect that no-one will be waiting for an assessment for longer than 16 weeks.”

But SNP MSP Jamie Hepburn said the report was “damning evidence of the devastating consequences Westminster’s welfare cuts are having on thousands of sick and disabled people in Scotland.”

He added: “The Westminster establishment have shown time and time again that they can’t be trusted on welfare – their race to the right to court votes in the south east of England is punishing the very people who need support the most – and the Tory conference this week has only reaffirmed their commitment to a shameless and sustained attack on the poor.”

BBC News