The controversial cuts to disability benefits was met with derision by many people in UK, and seemed a particularly cruel cut in austerity Britain. Many viewed it as an attack on the most vulnerable in society.
Now MPs have said that the planned cuts should be delayed until the Government can define how the changes will help those desperately in need of benefits to survive.
Wealthy Zac Goldsmth, and candidate for London Mayor, has been booted out of Richmond AID after he backed cutting £30 a week for people with disabilities.
The Work and Pensions Select Committee found there was little evidence that lower payments would motivate disabled people to find work.
Instead these cuts would simply leave people with a variety of serious health problems with less money to live on per week, already struggling on a low income.
The allowance is about to be slashed from £102 to £73 per week from this April.
The Government hoped that bringing in a smaller amount ESA (Employment and Support Allowance) would encourage disabled people enter paid employment.
However, the fact that they were disabled in the first place and not able to work, seemed to pass the Government by. The committee said that the evidence that cuts would increase employment was “ambiguous at best.”
Committee chairman Frank Field said: “We expect the government to respond to this report before the proposed new lower rate of ESA is due in April.
If they intend to proceed with these cuts, we expect an explanation of how this will not be detrimental to its target of halving the disability employment gap, by making finding and keeping a job even more difficult for disabled people than it already is.”
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: “The number of disabled people in work has increased by almost 600,000 in the last three years, but we’re determined to go even further.
“Our Work and Health Green Paper marks the next stage of our action to confront the attitudes, prejudices and misunderstandings that have become ingrained within the minds of employers and across wider society.
The committee said that cutting NI (National Insurance) for employers who hired less abled bodied people, might be a better way to help increase employment levels for disabled people.
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