Parents and carers attending a “Pamper Evening” in Destined.
A public meeting is to be held in Derry tomorrow night to advise members of the public of what to expect when the Tory welfare cuts are introduced.
The meeting, taking place in the Tower Hotel at 7.00pm, is being hosted by Destined, the local support group for people with learning disabilities.
Dermot O’Hara, Destined manager, said people receiving benefits such as ESA, JSA, child tax credits, child benefit or housing benefit or DLA, would be affected by the cuts.
He added: “I recently received a briefing on what is entailed in the Tory cuts and I know that the families of our members don’t have a full picture on the range and nature of the cuts.
“Most people think of the Bedroom Tax but there are many more changes being proposed.”
Dermot O’Hara, Destined manager.
Welfare changes will see Disability Living Allowance (DLA) being replaced with a Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
Under this new benefit, people will be called for assessment.
Dermot said: “It will be compulsory that you attend or your DLA will be stopped after four weeks from the notification to attend.
“It doesn’t matter if you have been awarded DLA for life or that you have a disability that is not curable, you will still be required to be assessed.”
Dermot added it was likely a 12-month limit will be introduced on employment support allowance payments (ESA) where the person is judged as being able to work.
He added: “People in receipt of ESA who suffer from a serious illness, including cancer, will be means-tested after receiving ESA for 12 months.”
At tomorrow night’s meeting, Kathleen Bradley, from Dove House Welfare Rights Service, will give a detailed breakdown on how the cuts will affect people including those receiving Family Allowance, Employment Support Allowance or Housing Benefit.
She said: “Families and local economies will be worst hit with the proposed changes that welfare cuts will bring.
“People who suffer from illness and disability will also be big losers with welfare Rreform, as will the working population in general.”
She added changes to benefits always meant savings to government.
She added: “The proposed change from DLA to PIP will see an estimated 1/3 of current awards end and not be replaced with the removal of the low rate care component currently in payment.
“Assessments for benefits will be more frequent and the pressure to find work will be more.
“Financial restraints will be placed on those who cannot find work.
“Caps on Housing Benefit that have been previously introduced in Northern Ireland are causing severe hardship and poverty for many single people living alone.
“Proposed changes to sickness benefit will see the protection of workers reduced to a mere 365 days.”
She concluded: “Those people made unemployed will be expected to wait even longer before they can reach out to the state for financial help and assistance.”
