Scotland Condemns Disability Living Allowance Reform

A Motion condemning Disability Living Allowance reform as it is being carried out by the Department for Work and Pensions was tabled in the Scottish Parliament yesterday by Kenneth Gibson MSP. The motion reads:


*S3M-7891 Kenneth Gibson: Disability Living Allowance Reform—That the Parliament condemns the decision by the UK Government to reform the Disability Living Allowance benefit in the way that it has; recognises the importance of this benefit to thousands of disabled people across the country and believes that the proposed reforms will have a negative impact on those who currently receive it; considers that there are serious flaws in the consultation paper and that there is little evidence to support the Department for Work and Pensions’ case for such reform; further believes that it is likely that benefit expenditure will fall but that health and social care expenditure will inevitably increase, thus transferring the burden of cost to areas that the Scottish Parliament is responsible for, and, as such, calls on the Minister for Disabled People to withdraw the proposals.

The Broken of Britain contacted Mr. Gibson to ask him to table this motion, after Leanne Wood tabled a similar motion in the Welsh Assembly at our request. Thus Scotland joins Wales in opposition to DLA reform. An EDM on the DLA Consultation in Westminster, also tabled at our request, is meeting great success with 37 signatures so far, well above average for an EDM.

If you live in Scotland, write to your MSP urging them to support the motion:

Dear Member of Scottish Parliament,

I write to ask you to sign the Scottish Parliament's Motion entitled: "Disability Living Allowance Reform". Kenneth Gibson MSP tabled this statement, which reads:

That the Parliament condemns the decision by the UK Government to reform the Disability Living Allowance benefit in the way that it has; recognises the importance of this benefit to thousands of disabled people across the country and believes that the proposed reforms will have a negative impact on those who currently receive it; considers that there are serious flaws in the consultation paper and that there is little evidence to support the Department for Work and Pensions’ case for such reform; further believes that it is likely that benefit expenditure will fall but that health and social care expenditure will inevitably increase, thus transferring the burden of cost to areas that the Scottish Parliament is responsible for, and, as such, calls on the Minister for Disabled People to withdraw the proposals.

I ask you to sign the motion on behalf of your disabled constituents, and to protect the Scottish Parliament's budget from British cuts.

Yours sincerely,

If you live in Wales, you can still write to your AM asking them to back the Statement of Opinion on Wales' opposition to DLA reform. And, wherever in the UK you are, write to your MP and get them to support EDM 1332 on the Disability Living Allowance consultation.