If you follow the national news you may’ve heard that MPs voted on a Bill that would result in cuts of £120 per month from Employment and Support Allowance (The tougher replacement for Incapacity benefit see more on ESA) on Wednesday evening.
Isle of Wight Conservative MP, Andrew Turner, was one of the 309 Conservative MPs whose vote could lead to this major cut in benefits for sick and disabled claimants.
Commons overruled Lords’ demands
Prior to that, on Monday night, the House of Lords voted on an amendment to the Welfare Reform and Work Bill.
They sought to force the government to reveal what impact the proposed cuts to ESA would have on the health, financial circumstances and job prospects of claimants.
On Wednesday, MPs in the Commons overruled this amendment by 309 to 274. Not a single MP from any other party voted in favour to overrule.
The cut of £30 per week to ESA could have a serious and detrimental impact on those, through no fault of their own, already struggling to survive.
MP becoming unaccountable
OnTheWight has, of course, asked Andrew Turner why he voted in the way he did, but we’re not holding our breath for a reply – sadly our MP is shifting himself ever further into an unaccountable position.
We already have a number of outstanding queries with the MP’s office going back over several weeks. Other media tell us they’ve also experienced problems getting replies from his office.
What is ESA?
Employment and Support Allowance is the benefit which has replaced incapacity benefit.
ESA is a much harder benefit to claim than Incapacity benefit, primarily because the medical test – the work capability assessment – is very much harsher.
Those who receive ESA benefit are the people who are judged by the Government as absolutely needing it.
Source: Politics Home
