Green Party Councillor Maleiki Haybe has condemned Reform UK proposals to abolish Personal Independence Payments for millions.
Furthermore, Reform UK is proposing to slash £50 Billion of funding for nearly 3 million disabled people.
Councillor Haybe who is Chair of the Adult Health and Social Care Committee on Sheffield Council said,
“People with a range of debilitating health conditions rely on these payments to help them go about their everyday lives. If you have a disability you often have hidden costs that other people don’t have such as transport, cleaning, gardening and they may also need personal support workers to help with daily tasks. Personal Independence Payments literally help people take back control of their own lives.
“In Sheffield 45,688 people receive Personal Independence Payments, of those 13,715 are 60 or over. That money benefits vulnerable people directly but it also supports the local economy by paying for support and services provided by local people and businesses. It is not just a cruel cut being proposed by Reform UK but also one which will have a knock on effect on money circulating in the Sheffield economy.
Moreover, Reform is proposing to use the cuts to benefits to pay for cuts to Inheritance and Income taxes. It is a very clear case of robbing from the poor to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy.
“Reform UK says that one of their foundational principles is ‘Putting the needs of local people first’. This is clearly not the case if you are a local person who lives with a disability.
I am calling on Reform UK Councillors in Sheffield to write to Nigel Farage and ask him to drop this inhumane policy. It would be devastating for residents in the communities they are supposed to represent.”
