Kamran Mallick, CEO of Disability Rights UK said: “We will be watching the Budget with great interest, to see if funding is allocated to the priorities which will make the greatest difference to the lives of disabled people.”
“Disabled people already make an enormous contribution to society and we could do even more if government provided us with vital support and removed barriers to inclusion.”
Disability Rights UK wants spending commitments in three key areas:
- Changes to Universal Credit to meet the additional costs which disabled people face;
- Increased spending on social care to enable disabled people live in their own homes and fully participate in the community;
- Greater investment in making all forms of transport accessible more quickly, to allow disabled people to get around.
On Budget provision for benefits, he said:
"While many people who receive welfare support have experienced cuts of an average of £300 as a result of changes to the welfare system, disabled people have typically lost around £1,200 per year.
“We would urge the Chancellor to:
- Bring back the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)/Universal Credit £29.00 per week work-related activity component;
- Introduce a disability element to Universal Credit to replace the disability premiums that have been cut from the system.
“Disability Rights UK has welcomed the Government’s commitment to improving the lives of disabled people through setting cross-government priorities, to be set out in a 2020 National Disability Strategy.
“It is hard to envisage a Disability Strategy without funding commitments in these areas. None of these expectations are unreasonable in a society which believes in fairness and equality.”