Article published: Mon 9th January 2012
Plans to stop sickness benefits after a year may be changed this
week in a crucial Lords vote.
The UK Government's Welfare Reform Bill proposes that
contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) for people who
are not yet well enough to work will only be paid for one year.
SAMH is working with charities across the UK to change this unfair
proposal, which would mean thousands of people would see their
benefits cut off as early as April 2012.
The House of Lords will be voting on whether the time limit
should be raised to at least two years, and SAMH, as a member of
the UK-wide Disability Benefits Consortium, is supporting this
amendment. Read the DBC
briefing on the debate and check out their ESA
mythbuster. You can also contact the Lords who have put forward
this amendment to give them your support: they are Lord Patel and
Lord
McKenzie.
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