Workers' Liberty

AWL is circulating the following text as a basis for motions in trade unions against the Government's plans to cut Incapacity Benefit.
You can also download a petition form with the text here.

Model motion/ petition text.
According to press reports on 25 and 26 January, the Government plans to cut Incapacity Benefit to £56 a week for new claimants and punish GPs who are deemed to certify "too many" people as sick or disabled by retraining or removing their right to practise.
We oppose these moves, and call on trade unions to insist that all their sponsored MPs oppose such moves in Parliament on pain of losing their trade union sponsorship.
We note that:
1. Incapacity Benefit is already too low, averaging £84.51 a week with some rates already as low as £56.
2. The number receiving Incapacity Benefit, 1.48 million, has fallen by 400,000 since 1995 as a result of harsh eligibility tests.
3. In the first three quarters of 2004 alone, 15,465 people won appeals to get their Incapacity Benefit restored after being cut off. A further 29,030 won appeals against Disability Living Allowance being cut off.
4. 40% of those on Incapacity Benefit say they want to work but cannot because of discrimination or employers' failure to adjust.
5. According to official reports, fraud on Incapacity Benefit is miniscule, less than 0.3%.

More: Disability Alliance.