Labour Has Let Down Disabled People According To Activists
Labour’s shadow minister for disabled people has left some disabled people feeling disgusted with the lack of support over the failures of the universal credit system that has left people homeless and deaths.
The universal credit system has been under intense scrutiny due to its inherent flaws and the devastating consequences it has had on vulnerable individuals.
However, Labour’s shadow minister for disabled people, Vicky Foxcroft, has failed to address the safeguarding concerns and the tragic suicide linked to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
This silence from the opposition party has left activists and disability rights advocates frustrated and angry.
One of the most alarming aspects of universal credit is its impact on the mental health and well-being of claimants.
A coroner recently issued a warning to work and pensions secretary Mel Stride, expressing the urgent need for action to prevent further deaths caused by flaws in the system.
The tragic suicide of Kevin Gale, from Penrith, Cumbria, was directly linked to the overwhelming stress caused by the application process for universal credit.
Despite the coroner’s explicit concerns, Vicky Foxcroft made no mention of this in her statement, raising questions about Labour’s commitment to addressing these issues.
In addition to the coroner’s warning, several reports have highlighted significant safeguarding concerns within the universal credit system and jobcentres.
A secret DWP report revealed that the design of universal credit was inadequate for vulnerable groups, and some claimants were not adequately supported.
This lack of support has had severe consequences, as whistleblowers from an Oxford jobcentre revealed.
They described how DWP safeguarding failures put the lives of benefit claimants at risk, leading to a high turnover of work coaches due to increased workload and mental health issues.
Despite this evidence, Vicky Foxcroft’s statement failed to acknowledge these safeguarding flaws and the impact they have on claimants’ lives.
Labour has long advocated for reforming the flawed universal credit system, recognizing the immense hardships it has imposed on disabled individuals.
However, the party’s failure to express outrage and address the deadly faults at the heart of universal credit has left disability rights advocates feeling betrayed.
Kathy Bole, chair of Disability Labour, expressed her concern over the lack of reaction from the party, emphasizing the need for Labour to challenge the government and advocate for the safety of claimants.
She said: “I am concerned that there has been nothing from Labour about the significant developments which have come to light with regard to the safety of the universal credit system and further safeguarding at a job centre.
“I don’t understand why it seems impossible for Labour to express any outrage about the deadly faults at the heart of universal credit.”
She added: “There should be outrage about the lack of safeguarding and deaths related to universal credit.
“The lack of reaction is a bad look for Labour when they are wanting to show voters that they are the party of the people and fit for government.
“If they don’t speak out when these things come to light, how can disabled people and their families trust them to change things and to save more people from dying?
“We need Labour to speak out and challenge the government.
“They also need to show the families of those who died some compassion and call for action on the safeguarding issues.”
Disabled People Against Cuts member Bob Ellard criticized Labour for not prioritizing the safeguarding of disabled lives, further questioning the party’s commitment to disability rights.
He said: said: “Labour obviously couldn’t give a damn about safeguarding our lives from the evils of universal credit.
“This shouldn’t be a surprise from the party that inflicted the work capability assessment on us in 2008.
“Labour has a long tradition of not giving a shit about disabled people.”
As the controversy surrounding universal credit continues, the government has embarked on its Health Transformation Programme, which aims to digitalize the benefits process and improve the experience of claimants.
However, the Commons public accounts committee has warned that the government’s focus on delivering a new digitalized service must not overshadow the need for transformational change in claimants’ experiences.
The committee emphasized the importance of working with disabled people and their representative bodies to ensure that the reforms genuinely improve the lives of claimants.
This raises concerns about the DWP’s lack of communication and engagement with the public and claimants regarding the revised service.
With nearly half of disabled people in Lincolnshire out of work, in areas that include Skegness, Lincoln, Grimsby, Boston, and Scunthorpe, Universal Credit is an important issue. However, many believe the both Labour and the Conservative Party have no real intention of improving it