Unless you've had your head buried in the sand, you are likely to have heard something in the press about the Welfare Reform Bill, which is currently going through the UK Parliament (hint: it's quite controversial).
The news headlines are currently focused around the potential benefits cap and how this would impact upon families and children. While this is of course an incredibly important issue, there is also the small matter of how the Bill would impact upon disabled people.
The Bill is currently being debated by the House of Lords, but it will be returning to the House of Commons in the near future, where MPs will have a further chance to debate and alter some of the measures contained in it.
In preparation for this, NRAS and other members of the Disability Benefits Consortium are coming together to try and put pressure on the Government to keep in some of the amendments that we have battled over in the House of Lords.
Chief among them is the issue of contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), which provides financial help to people who are unable to work because of illness or disability, and also provides personalised support to those unable to work.
The Government wants to limit access to this benefit to 1 year, which we believe is unfair. Particularly as most people will have contributed to this benefit through taxation during their working lives, and expect to be supported by the state if they become vulnerable. Our amendments would also ensure that young people with disabilities or illness get access to ESA, even if they have not had a chance to work yet.
Although we would prefer no time limit to be placed on contributory ESA at all, we have fought hard to get it doubled to 2 years during Lords debates, and we now want to make sure this is not overturned when the Bill eventually returns to the House of Commons.
You can help by taking a couple of minutes today and emailing your local MP using this e-campaigning tool: e-activist.com/ea-action/wi...
If your local MP is a Liberal Democrat then please make even more of an effort to contact them, as their party conference last year voted to oppose a ESA time limit - and you will be reminding them of this pledge.
You can also help by going along to your local MP's next constituency surgery and raising the issue. If your MP is listed below then we have identified them as being particularly important and we know they will be holding a constituency surgery in either the next few days and weeks, so please consider making an appointment:
Rt Hon Danny Alexander MP
Mr Norman Baker MP
Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith MP
Mr Gordon Birtwistle MP
Rt Hon Tom Brake MP
Mrs Annette Brooke MP
Mr Jeremy Browne MP
Rt Hon Malcolm Bruce MP
Mr Paul Burstow MP
Ms Lorely Burt MP
Rt Hon Dr Vincent Cable
Rt Hon Sir Menzies Campbell CBE QC MP
Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael MP
Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP
Mr Mike Crockart MP
Mr Edward Davey MP
Mr Tim Farron MP
Ms Lynne Featherstone MP
Rt Hon Don Foster MP
Mr Andrew George MP
Mr Steve Gilbert MP
Mr Duncan Hames MP
Mr Mike Hancock CBE
Mr Nick Harvey MP
Mr David Heath CBE MP
Mr John Hemming MP
Mr Martin Horwood MP
Rt Hon Simon Hughes MP
Rt Hon Chris Huhne MP
Mr Mark Hunter MP
Dr Julian Huppert MP
Rt Hon Charles Kennedy MP
Mr Norman Lamb MP
Rt Hon David Laws MP
Mr John Leech MP
Mr Stephen Lloyd MP
Rt Hon Michael Moore MP
Mr Greg Mulholland MP
Mrs Tessa Munt MP
Dr John Pugh MP
Mr Alan Reid MP
Mr Dan Rogerson MP
Sir Bob Russell MP
Mr Adrian Sanders MP
Sir Robert Smith Bt MP
Mr Andrew Stunell OBE MP
Mr Ian Swales MP
Ms Jo Swinson MP
Ms Sarah Teather MP
John Thurso MP
Mr David Ward MP
Mr Steve Webb MP
Mr Mark Williams MP
Mr Roger Williams MP
Mr Stephen Williams MP
Miss Jenny Willott MP
Mr Simon Wright MP
For more information about the Welfare Reform Bill and the Employment and Support Allowance, please visit:
The Disability Benefits Consortium: disabilityalliance.org/dbc.htm
The Hardest Hit Campaign: thehardesthit.wordpress.com/
UK Parliament: services.parliament.uk/bill...
Direct Gov: direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAn...
