Up to half a million disabled people and their families – including children and disabled adults living on their own – will be worse off under the government's proposed new universal credit scheme, according to an inquiry led by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.
The inquiry report summarises the findings from three pieces of research looking at survey evidence from almost 3,500 disabled people and their families. The three reports examined the impact of universal credit on families with disabled children, people receiving the severe disability premium, and disabled working people.
The report makes a series of recommendations for improving universal credit for disabled people, including: protecting children on the mid-rate care component of disability living allowance; providing additional support for childcare costs for families with disabled children; introducing a self-care addition to universal credit; and providing support to disabled people found to be fully ‘fit for work’ but significantly disadvantaged in the workplace as a result of an impairment or health condition.
Source: Holes in the Safety Net: The Impact of Universal Credit on Disabled People and their Families, Citizens Advice/Children's Society/Disability Rights UK
Links: Report | Research report (1) | Research report (2) | Research report (3) | Citizens Advice press release | Disability Rights UK press release | BBC report | Guardian report