28% of disabled people 'can't live on their benefits'

Updated

Almost three out of five disabled people say they can't afford to live on their benefits, even before a planned cut of £30 a week, according to a report.

A Parliamentary Review on cuts to the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) found evidence that it will "directly contradict" the Government's desire to get more disabled people in to work.

A survey of more than 500 disabled people found that 28% couldn't afford to eat and 38% have been unable to heat their home.

Just over half said they struggled to stay healthy.

Jan Tregelles, chief executive of Mencap said: "This Parliamentary Review looks at the impact on disabled people of the £30 a week cut to ESA Work Related Activity Group, something the Government has failed to carry out.

"This review shows that the cut would directly hinder the Government's desire to halve the disability employment gap, and instead push disabled people further away from employment, closer to poverty and actively harm people's health.

"Cuts to people's benefits are clearly having a huge impact on the lives of disabled people and with further cuts being planned the impact is only likely to get worse.

"We know from speaking to people with a learning disability and their families that they are very concerned that the cuts to benefits and social care are likely to leave people being left isolated in their own communities."

The review was led by independent crossbench peers Lord Low, Baroness Meacher and Baroness Grey-Thompson.

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