Scottish campaigner gives hard-hitting evidence to MSPs on welfare reform

8 May 2012

Tanith Muller, our campaigns officer in Scotland, talked to Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) last week about the impact of welfare reform on people with Parkinson's in Scotland.

The meeting was filmed by the BBC on Democracy Live. The Scotsman ran a story on it: MSPs hear of benefit reform worries.

Anxiety for people with Parkinson's

Tanith's evidence came just as a UK-wide consultation into major changes to Disability Living Allowance ends - a reform which is causing real anxiety to people with Parkinson's.

The Welfare Reform Bill was passed into law by Westminster MPs in March this year. The new Act provides the green light for many billions of pounds of cuts to the disability benefits system.

This includes replacing Disability Living Allowance or DLA for those of working age with a new benefit 'Personal Independence Payment' or PIP.

Impact on people in Scotland

Tanith spoke to MSPs who want to influence the impact the reforms have on people living in Scotland.

Although the new Act is UK-wide, the Scottish Parliament can still influence the way people with Parkinson's can access benefits. These include transport concessions, blue badges, and help with heating bills.

Tanith emphasised how the anxiety of the Welfare Reform changes were affecting people with Parkinson's and how the tests for the benefits are not fit for purpose.

Tanith told the MSPs:

"Deeply inappropriate assessments are being made about people's ability to work. Often by practitioners who do not have knowledge of the conditions that they are dealing with, nor appreciation of the impact that they have on people's lives."

Fighting the cuts

Since the Bill was first announced, we've been working with people affected by Parkinson's to fight against these cuts. We won some battles and lost some, but eventually it passed into law.

We've been asking people affected by Parkinson's for their opinions about the new benefits and what needs to change, and we've used those views in our response to Government on the criteria for the Personal Independence Payment.

Many thanks to the many people with Parkinson's that gave us help with our response. Thank you also to the 124 people who responded to our survey which built our response about how people currently use Disability Living Allowance.

Tell the Scottish Parliament about your experiences

The Scottish Parliament Welfare Reform Committee wants to hear directly from people living in Scotland who are affected by the Welfare Reform Act.

This includes people who have applied for, or receive, Employment and Support Allowance or Disability Living Allowance.

The committee's interested in everyone's experiences, but it might be helpful to think about any of the following points:

• Your experience of being assessed for benefits
• Why you need the benefits you receive, and what you do with them
• The impact of changes to the benefit system on your health or your family
• The blue badge scheme
• the concessionary travel scheme

Contact the Scottish Parliament with your views

You can contact the committee at welfarereform-yoursay@scottish.parliament.uk

Or write to them at James Drummond, Welfare Reform Committee, Room T1.01, Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh EH99 1SP.

Please make sure send a copy of your comments to us at campaigns@parkinsons.org.uk

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