Commenting on the debate around cuts in Employment and Support Allowance for new claimants, Sue Bott from Disability Rights UK said:
"A £30 a week cut in income is intolerable, especially when disabled people often live in deep poverty.
There's no evidence to suggest this pernicious cut will do anything to help disabled people get and keep jobs - in fact the opposite is true.
The Government has recently issued a consultation on halving the disability employment gap. Some of its proposals are welcome, with its emphasis on voluntary engagement with a new employment support programme, the expansion of peer support and more tailored employment support.
But warm words are cold comfort for disabled people who are looking at a drop in income from around £5,000 a year to £3,500 a year.
These cuts will make poor disabled people poorer, and do nothing to help support them in their hunt for jobs and careers. The government should think again."
Disability Rights UK are calling on disabled people and their advocates and carers to ask their MPs to speak in the debate.
The motion to restore the £29.05 of income to disabled people is sponsored by a number of MPs. We would like to see this number grow and more MPs elect to attend the backbench business debate and speak in favour of restoring the planned cut. You can find out who your MP is and how to contact them by visiting the They Work For You website or ringing your local council and speaking to the returning officer.
Please email or alternately ring your MP via the commons switchboard on 0207 219 3000 by 11am Thursday November 17th and before the debate is due to close (by 3pm). Please be awre there is another and different motion on a different matter so act now!
Please let us know of what response you receive from your MP by emailing us on info@disabilityrightsuk.org
For more information, see our ESA WRAG cut briefing