The DWP (Department of Work and Pensions) have recently announced that they have begun a consultation concerning changing the WCA (Work Capability Assessment).

The DWP would like to make it harder for claimants that are found to have LCWRA) Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity for universal credit.

They also want this to apply to claimant’s that qualify to be in the support group of ESA.

The consultation document declared that the proposed alterations would apply to four activities:

How a claimant mobilises

How they control their bladder and bowels.

How they cope with social engagement and their ability to go out and manage daily life.

Out of all the proposed alterations by far the worst has got to be their plans to stop all of the above activities as well as the substantial risk rule.

Whilst the government doesn’t regard this rule to be important it’s in many cases the only way that people with severe mental health conditions can enter the LCWRA group.

The DWP’s reasoning for these for these cuts is that since the pandemic employment has changed and there are more opportunities to work from home.

They then argue that if claimants no longer have to travel or mix with other people in order to work they will be able to manage their health conditions at home whilst also earning a living.

Yeah working from home isn’t going to be a miracle cure is it.

The DWP also conveniently fails to recognize that at the time of writing claimants that are in the LCWRA group don’t get any support when looking for work.

The DWP however reveals how cruel and sick they are. In what could be likened to the Charles Dickens character Scrooge they regard taking away the additional and vital £390 a month they receive as a kindness.

If this isn’t bad enough they also plan to move them into the limited capability for work group and therefore put them at risk of being sanctioned and great distress.

The DWP try to explain this in their consultation document:

“It is not right that so many people are left without support, and we must not hold people back from opportunity.”

According to the consultation document, any changes will be legislated in 2024 and come into force in 2025.

They will affect new claimants from 2025 and existing claimants when their award is reviewed from 2025 onwards.

These proposals are also separate from the plan to entirely abolish the WCA from no earlier than 2026/27 for new claimants and 2029 for existing claimants.

The timetable for slashing the support group would allow any proposed savings to be included in the government’s future spending plans and could be announced in the Autumn statement.

This would then enable the Tories to offer tax cuts for the already wealthy which will be funded by welfare savings as part of their forthcoming election manifesto.

The consultation on the proposals lasts until 30 October.

It’s important to take part in this consultation because they need to see that there is a strong opposition to their plans and will show that there isn’t public support for them also.

It could possibly help to stop or show them that their continuation of their hateful treatment of disabled people isn’t popular and is the wrong thing to do.

Please like, share and tweet my blog posts even the old ones. It’s vitally important to raise awareness of such issues and doing so helps enormously.

Thanks to everyone that has and already does this!