Labor has let down disabled people, campaigners say
The shadow minister for Disability Employment has left some disabled people feeling disgusted by the lack of support for failings in the Universal Credit system which has left people homeless and dead.
The universal credit system has come under intense scrutiny because of its inherent flaws and the devastating consequences it has had on vulnerable people.
However, the shadow minister for Disability Employment, Vicky Foxcroft, has failed to address safeguarding concerns and the tragic suicide linked to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
This silence from the opposition party has left disability rights activists and advocates frustrated and angry.
One of the most alarming aspects of Universal Credit is its impact on claimants' mental health and wellbeing.
A coroner recently issued a warning to the work and pensions secretary, Mel Stride, expressing the urgent need for action to prevent more deaths caused by flaws in the system.
The tragic suicide of Kevin Gale, from Penrith, Cumbria, was directly linked to the overwhelming stress caused by the Universal Credit application process.
Despite the coroner's explicit concerns, Vicky Foxcroft made no mention of them in her statement, raising questions about Labour's commitment to tackling these issues.
In addition to the coroner's warning, several reports have highlighted significant safeguarding concerns within the universal credit system and jobcentres.
A secret DWP report revealed that the design of Universal Credit was inadequate for vulnerable groups and some claimants were not properly supported.
This lack of support has had serious consequences, as revealed by whistleblowers at an Oxford jobcentre.
They described how the DWP's safeguarding failures are putting the lives of benefit claimants at risk, leading to high turnover of work coaches due to increased workloads and mental health issues.
Despite this evidence, Vicky Foxcroft's statement failed to acknowledge these safeguarding flaws and the impact they have on the claimants' lives.
Labor has long championed reform of the flawed universal credit system, recognizing the immense hardship it has imposed on disabled people.
However, the party's failure to express outrage and address the fatal flaws at the heart of universal credit has left disability rights campaigners feeling betrayed.
Kathy Bole, president of Disability Labour, expressed concern at the party's lack of reaction, stressing the need for Labor to challenge the government and advocate for the safety of claimants.
He said: “I am concerned that there is nothing from Labor about the significant developments that have come to light regarding the safety of the universal credit system and the extra safeguarding in a workplace.
“I don't understand why it seems impossible for Labor to express any outrage at the fatal flaws at the heart of universal credit.”
He added: “There should be outrage over the lack of safeguards and deaths linked to universal credit.
“The lack of reaction is a bad look for Labor when they want to show voters that they are the party of the people and fit for government.
“If they don't speak up when these things come to light, how can disabled people and their families trust them to change things and save more people from death?
“We need Labor to speak up and challenge the government.
“They also need to show the families of those who died some compassion and call for action on safeguarding issues.”
Disability Against Cuts member Bob Ellard criticized Labor for failing to prioritize safeguarding the lives of disabled people, further questioning the party's commitment to disability rights.
He said: He said: “Labour obviously didn't care about safeguarding our lives from the evils of universal credit.
“This should come as no surprise from the party that inflicted the Work Capacity Assessment on us in 2008.
“Workers have a long tradition of not giving a crap about people with disabilities.”
While the controversy surrounding universal credit continues, the government has embarked on its Health Transformation Program, which aims to digitize the benefits process and improve the claimant experience.
However, the Commons public accounts committee has warned that the government's focus on delivering a new digitized service must not overshadow the need for transformative change in claimant experiences.
The committee stressed the importance of working with disabled people and their representative bodies to ensure that the reforms actually improve the lives of claimants.
This raises concerns about the DWP's lack of communication and engagement with the public and claimants regarding the revised service.
With almost half of disabled people in Lincolnshire out of work, in areas including Skegness, Lincoln, Grimsby, Boston and Scunthorpe, Universal Credit is a major issue. However, many believe that both Labor and the Conservative Party have no real intention of improving it