Benefits and Work are looking for a minimum of 1,000 claimants, carers and support workers to join their campaign to save AA and DLA. They said on 5 August 2009 that claimants had just 100 days to prevent their DLA and AA being abolished.
A government green paper has revealed proposals to stop paying "disability benefits, for example, attendance allowance’’ and hand the cash over to social services instead.
Under the plan, current claimants would have their disability benefits converted to a "personal budget" administered by local authorities and used to pay for services – not to spend as they wish.
Unlike AA, DLA is not specifically named in the green paper, but the document refers constantly to "disability benefits", a term which includes not just AA but also DLA.
36 meetings have already been organised around the country for people working in government and the caring professions to meet to be told about the setting up of a new National Care Service which would oversee the system. In addition, a stakeholders panel of more than 50 voluntary sector organisations, trades unions and academics has been established to offer advice to the government.
Some organisations and individuals, such as RNIB and welfare rights worker Neil Bateman writing for Community Care magazine, have already voiced their alarm. But not every disability organisation is opposed to the proposals and some even agree with them. In a press release, Disability Alliance has welcomed the publication of the green paper and said that it "looks forward to working alongside Government and all the other stakeholders in bringing these plans into fruition".
One thing everyone does seem to agree on is that huge cuts in public spending will have to take place in the next few years as a result of the credit crunch and global recession.
Find out more about the proposed abolition of DLA and AA and how you can join Benefits and Work's campaign:
www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/disability-living-allowance-(dla)/dla-aa-cuts
