THE government’s squeeze on the welfare bill has come under fire from charities for the blind and those who depend on state support.
Tynwald last month unanimously backed major changes to income support payments after Social Care Minister Chris Robertshaw warned the benefits system had ‘run out of control’.
The court voted to abolish premiums paid to the blind, pensioners over 75, lone parents and the higher-rate disabled and carers, while other premiums have been reduced. These changes only affect new claimants as from Monday this week (April 8).
Members also approved the phased scrapping of ‘transitional additions’, introduced in April 2000 when Supplementary Benefit was replaced with Income Support.
Some 30 claimants who have been paid this extra money towards the costs of diets, baths or laundry will lose £11.35 a week over the next two years.
Social Care bosses say they were effectively getting paid twice as they were also receiving the Income Support premium.
They insist, however, that notwithstanding all these changes, the level of welfare support in the island remains far in excess of that in the UK.
Registered blind Dave McWilliams, aged 67, a former engineering inspector at the Ronaldsway Aircraft Company, is one of those who has been informed he is losing his transitional payment. And he fears the premium of £30 a week paid to his wife Eileen, who is also blind, will eventually be scrapped too.
Speaking from his home on the Clagh Vane estate in Ballasalla, he said: ‘This is absolutely abysmal.
‘I’m totally blind and a diabetic. With the best will in the world there is no way we can afford to lose this sort of money. We lead a pretty meagre lifestyle – we don’t have the money to do any more. My rent is also going up £10 a week. Where is it all going to stop?
‘There’s got to some changes but they should not under any circumstances being taking benefit off the disabled or the elderly. This has gone through without any consultation at all.’
Mr McWilliams lost his eyesight when he was 11 after lime from a newly-plastered ceiling of a neighbour’s cellar fell into his eye. Born and brought up in Birkenhead, he moved to the Isle of Man in 1967.
Charities for the blind said the disabled will end up not being able to afford a basic living.
Ian Cooil, chief executive of Manx Blind Welfare, admitted: ‘We were caught off guard by these changes, We didn’t have any prior knowledge. Lack of consultation is the biggest problem. Those who have been targeted are some of the most vulnerable in our community.
‘At the same time as these moves to cut benefits in a fairly arbitrary way, they are increasing rents for public sector housing. They are taking away with one hand - and taking away with the other.
‘The key thing is to make sure it’s fair and equitable. There are a lot of people out there who are blind, deaf, in a wheelchair, who are single parents or have psychological problems - who deserve to have people stand up for them.’
Julie Lee, senior rehabilitation officer at the Royal National Institute for the Blind in the island, said: ‘There was no prior consultation - we only found out when we read about it in the press.
‘We are never going to agree with these changes but at least we could explain why these things are happening and if necessary we can fight them and say yes this is really isn’t fair.’
She said while changes to the premiums did not affect existing clients for the foreseeable future, it was creating a two-tier system – and those who used the charity were worried.
‘A lot of people are coming in to ask what’s happening their benefits. Disability puts people at a disadvantage anyway - they not going to be able to afford a basic living. The government talk about protecting the vulnerable - in this case they are not protecting the vulnerable,’ she said.
In Tynwald, Social Care Minister Chris Robertshaw stressed existing claimants would be no worse off under the new regime and they will still receive an uplift in the rate of their personal allowance and housing costs.
Darrin Oldam, deputy director of social security policy and legislation, told the Manx Independent: ‘Notwithstanding the changes we are making, people who got the benefit premium as at April 7 will continue to get it although it won’t be uprated.
‘The only reason we didn’t feel the need to consult was that it will affect only new claimants.
‘We are still meeting the government’s objective to protect the vulnerable. The level of support will still be far in excess of that in the UK. We have written to each individual to explain what is happening.
‘This is part and parcel of the annual review of benefit rates. I don’t see this as a major policy shift. If it was a more radical change I would see the need to consult.’
l Why delay implementing Disability Disctrimination Act? See page 17