PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
CUTS IN BENEFITS (19 July 2015)

That this House is disappointed to learn that the Government is planning to cut support for people placed in the work related activity group (WRAG) of employment and support allowance from April 2017, down to the rates paid to people on jobseeker's allowance (JSA); notes that half of the people placed in WRAG, around 250,000 in total, are claiming because of a mental health problem and receive just over £5,000 per annum, compared to the amount paid to JSA clients who have to live on only £3,500 per annum and that whereas people receiving JSA tend on average to move off their benefit within a six month period, in contrast 60 per cent of WRAG claimants need their support for at least two years; and calls on the Government to desist from taking such stupid, callous and wrong directions and instead give people unfortunate to be found in this category the support they need to help them return to work and normality.

Sponsored by:
Sir Alan Meale (Labour)