Every Disabled Child Matters have drafted an amendment to Clause 10 of the Welfare Reform BIll, opposing the proposed 50% cut to disability additions for families with disabled children, that has been tabled ahead of third reading today. Disability additions currently exist within Child Tax Credits (mirrored in the out of work benefit system) and act as an income top up for low income and out of work families with disabled children. When the Universal Credit is introduced, the Government is proposing to reduce the lower level of support from £54 per week to £26 – representing a drop in support of more than £1400 per year. Families with a child who receives the high rate care component of DLA, and children with a severe visual impairment will not be affected by this cut.
This is an issue that was voted on at report stage – it was incredibly close and the Government won with a majority of only two. They would be grateful if you could ask any peers that you work with to attend third reading and to support the amendment to Clause 10 that has been tabled by Baroness’s Meacher, Wilkins and Grey-Thompson.
A copy of their briefing is attached.
