The Government has been criticised for setting a cap on the amount of Access to Work support people with disabilities can receive.
The new cap, announced yesterday, is likely to have a disproportionate effect on deaf people who require communication support.
The announcement stated:
As of October 2015, Access to Work will provide awards up to a limit set at one and half times average salary (a limit of £40,800 per person per year at October 2015).
Responding to the announcement, Susan Daniels, CEO for the National Deaf Children’s Society said:
“The cap on Access to Work represents a potential cap on the aspirations of deaf young people, who have no control over the market costs for the vital communication support they need.
It is especially disappointing as there is much to be welcomed in other parts of the Minister’s announcement, such as commitments to more choice and better customer service.
We want to see a full analysis of the impact this change is expected to have on disabled people. We believe the benefits of Access to Work heavily outweigh the costs and we strongly urge the Government to reconsider the impact of this decision.”
Read the government’s announcement in full here: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2015-03-12/HCWS372/
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pennybsl
March 12, 2015
Stop The Changes had an open meeting this evening in Brixton.
A mix of Deaf and Blind professionals attended, plus professionals of other conditions.
STC already has picked out concerns similar to the NDCS’ about capping, a poor foresight when we would have more skilled and gifted Deaf/ Disabled people in the workplace needing significant support.
The real issue is, AtW is more useful to the mainstream / non-Deaf / non-Disabled society. We need to highlight this as positive inclusion to trash the habitual ‘medical model’ economic perspective of disability / deafness which still lurks in many civil servants’ & government officials’ minds.
Natalya D
March 12, 2015
Devastated!
This is going to hit deaf people who need high quality HUMAN communication support like BSL, SSE, STTR, cueing and lipspeaking which cannot be done by computers or cheaper options…
That’s 12 hours of STTR a week at remote rates. That might just cover 1 day a week of STTR if you needed two in person ops… For someone on a 40 hour a week job that’s nothing… No recognition that because it’s HIGH demand translation work that often two professionals are needed….
What about high achieving aspiring deaf people? Heads of organisations, CEOs, people LIKE Susan Daniels and Jenny Sealey? How will the next generations achieve what these people have? How will these existing people manage?
Have any of these people EVEN remotely experienced what it’s like not to hear or hear so well?
Well we know our place: “Deaf people. You’re too expensive. Shut up and nod quietly in your corner.”
People with multiple impairments who need full-time and complex support but educate and challenge society by existing will also be screwed by this. A blanket cap is just awful and forgets the humanity of deaf and disabled people.
Really upset by this cos I know how hard it can be to get £300 one off payment out of an employer nevermind more comprehensive support.
Hoping some deaf orgs like NADP, BDA etc can pull together to challenge this. Can we take THIS to judicial review for EPIC lack of consultation and fail.
In 2005, for every £1 spent on AtW, the economy benefited by £1.48. DWP OWN figures! This has improved if anything with wider awareness and more deaf and disabled people in work being able to be included in society.
Cathy
March 13, 2015
On the face of it £40,800 sounds like a lot of money; no, it IS a lot of money! However, when broken down piecemeal it is a derisory amount of money with which to support disabled people into work and that includes deaf people.
We all know Britain does not have a bottomless pit of money and that we have a huge debt mountain of around 3trillion or thereabouts! This debt has to be repaid so its little wonder we are enduring ‘caps’ and ‘cuts’.
I agree with this in principle, but when the Government are throwing away 0.7 of our GDP on foreign aid these caps and cuts stick well in the throat!!! I find it appalling that our Government think its a brilliant idea to squander 0.7 GDP on other countries whilst leaving its own to drown!!!!
Foreign aid spending has also been enshrined in law so that 0.7 must continue to be spent! Yet no-one in Parliament has a clue what its spent on less still has receipts for everything. There is NO shopping list here!!!
Yet, Parliaments own people are subjected to these kind of financial restrictions. But what can you expect when we are only left with 0.3 of our very own GDP?!?
This is where we need to provide an almighty argument that if Parliament looked after its own first, they would NOT show contempt and leave us with 0.7 and give foreigners 0.3!!
That we are shown such contempt is utterly vile, when we are the ones who have put these people where they are in positions of power. Or at least some of us have. It is imperative that foreign aid changes for the good of Britain not otherwise!!! Then these caps and cuts would not be needed. Parliament are guilty of gross negligence when they favour foreigners over their own people. It is time for people power to put Britain FIRST once and for all!!!!!
Rusty Dyson
March 14, 2015
These caps are more evidence that the current government does not consider disabled or differently-abled people as ‘important’. We all know that the huge amount of avoided tax that our chancellor refuses to collect would more than pay for these caps and restrictions on the lives and aspirations of the differently-abled to be removed.
How ‘Cathy’ equates a Government policy aimed at penalising those who need assistance to work and pay tax, with foreign aid is beyond me. 0.7GDP is spent on Foreign Aid is it? 0.7 what of GDP? 0.7%? 0.7 Billion Pounds? 0.7 Zambian Kwacha? What? If you’re seriously expecting anyone to believe that 70% of Britains GDP goes on foreign Aid and 30% is used for domestic purposes, then I think you may need to look again at your figures.
The Ballot box is the way to effect change, though. I agree with that much!
Of course, we should also remember that tax breaks for the rich at the beginning of this Parliament, have to be paid for somehow… maybe these caps and attacks on the disabled and differently-abled benefits and assistances are one way to recoup the money squandered on the rich and shameless buddies of our current political masters…