Francesca Martinez: Empty words don't fund a full life for disabled people

We are constantly being told that cuts need to be made so that the money goes to those who really need it. This is not welfare reform. It's welfare cuts. The Government wants to cut Disability Living Allowance (which has a fraud rate of 0.5 per cent) by 20 per cent. Half a million genuine claimants are to lose their benefits. A lengthy medical assessment is required to qualify for this benefit although it is already rigorously tested, which explains the low fraud rate. The word "benefit" implies getting something extra, but it exists to cover costs that non-disabled people don't have. As a taxpayer, I am happy to help pay those vital costs rather than funding illegal wars or weapons developed to kill or maim people in ever more horrific ways.

Mein Blog befasst sich in einem umfassenden Sinn mit dem Verhältnis von Wissen, Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft. Ein besonderes Augenmerk richte ich dabei auf die Aktivitäten des Medien- und Dienstleistungskonzern Bertelsmann und der Bertelsmann Stiftung.