Disabled children 'need support now'

An inquiry led by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson found that 100,000 disabled children stand to lose up to £28 a week and 116,000 disabled people who work will be at risk of losing up to £40 per week from help towards additional costs of being disabled.

Andy Kaye, Policy and Planning Manager at the RNIB, said:

"The Universal Credit regulations risk artificially separating out the support offered to different households with disabled children. One possible solution would be to amend the regulations so families with a child on at least middle rate DLA care receive the severely disabled child addition. The Government is redirecting support away from children with disabilities and working age adults living on their own to adults in the ESA support group.

"Whilst that is a good objective for the longer-term - and as finances allow - we would prefer to see the regulations amended to protect groups, like families with disabled children, who need additional support now. RNIB also has serious concerns about the claims process and would like to see the Government do more to assist claimants, like those who are blind or partially sighted, who cannot readily or easily make a claim online."

The inquiry found that one in ten families with disabled children affected by the changes feared losing their homes. 83% of disabled adults living alone or with a young carer said they would cut back on food and 80% said they would cut back on the amount they spend on heating. The findings also point to a greatly increased burden on young carers as a result of the changes to the Severe Disability Premium.

Despite the intention of Universal Credit to make work pay, evidence in the inquiry shows that the changes could make it harder for disabled people to remain in work.