The government's own advisers have criticised its planned overhaul of the disability living allowance
The government's plans to overhaul disability benefits have come under fire from its own official advisory body.
The statutory social security advisory committee is questioning the motives for the proposed replacement of disability living allowance (DLA), paid to almost 3 million people to help cover extra costs arising from their condition.
It is also opposing outright the separate move to withdraw DLA entitlement from people living in care homes who receive it to help with the costs of transport.
Ministers will be embarrassed by the committee's intervention, disclosed the day after the Guardian reported that one of the architects of the new sickness benefit regime had declared its fitness-for-work test "a complete mess".
The advisory committee, chaired by Sir Richard Tilt, a former director general of the prison service, has made its criticisms in a formal, so far unpublished, response to the consultation on DLA changes.
The committee backs the simplification of the benefits system and welcomes the principle of giving disabled people greater choice and control through the personal independence payment, which would replace DLA. However, it says it is "concerned that the aim of reducing the number of working-age claimants of DLA by 20% appears to be driving the need for reform of the benefit".
Calling for "some clarity" about the overall aims of the change, the committee asks bluntly whether the goal is to reduce numbers on DLA, reduce the length of time people receive it, improve its targeting "or to achieve something else".
The welfare reform bill, published last week, indicated that the government was looking to cut annual spending on DLA by �2.1bn from more than �12bn.
On the issue of DLA entitlement in care homes, the committee says: "We consider that the proposal to remove the mobility component from people in residential care should not go ahead. This measure will substantially reduce the independence of disabled people who are being cared for in residential accommodation, which goes against the stated aim of the reform of DLA to support 'disabled people to lead independent and active lives'."
Ministers last week deferred withdrawal of the mobility component until 2013 and promised a further review, but have not withdrawn the proposal.
The advisory committee points out that research for the Department for Work and Pensions, published last summer, found conclusively that DLA made "a real difference" in assisting disabled people to manage their lives and contribute to society.
Neil Coyle, policy director of the Disability Alliance charity, said the intervention "should cause the government to stop and think". He said: " It very much echoes our view that this is something that is being driven by cuts rather than any attempt to address the problems that disabled people have in getting support."
The DWP said: "The government is committed to protecting DLA for the future and has already said it will stay a non means-tested cash benefit. We need to reform DLA to ensure that the �12bn we spend on it makes the most difference and that people can rely on it for years to come. We are working with disabled people and disability groups on the reforms and will respond to the public consultation shortly."
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/feb/23/disability-living-allowance-overhaul
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