The government is about to announce plans to scrap Daily Living Allowance (DLA) and attendance allowance (AA) according to a report in the Guardian.
The newspaper claims that a green paper was due out in June which proposes to convert DLA and AA into means tested ‘social care grants’ which would be spent by social services. However, the incoming DWP minister Yvette Cooper wanted some breathing space before launching the controversial new proposal.
Under the plans, DLA and AA would be scrapped, with the money saved being handed over to local authorities to administer as discretionary grants to provide care for the sick and disabled.
The grants would be means-tested and the local authority would decide what they could be spent on. This would be likely to be for services such as a personal assistant to help with getting out of bed, washing and dressing.
The government has claimed that any changes to DLA and AA will not affect current claimants.
But how could it be otherwise? At the moment many people on DLA and AA are cared for by their relatives. Some of the carers are able to claim Carers Allowance for more that 30 hours caring during a week. But most carers are relatives who do not get paid for caring.
Under the new system it would seem that paid council employees (or employees of sub-contracted companies) will now care for all people who need care.
This alone would surely cost more than the country can afford (which in reality is not much because the UK is as good as bankrupt under Labour!).
With thinking like this, it is a short step to stop anyone getting all kinds of benefits. After all who needs to give claimants money? The state could deliver the food that they want those on benefits to eat. The state could buy the clothes that those on benefits are to wear!
Or is the whole issue that the UK cannot afford to support disabled and sick people any more?