We stepped up the pressure on the Government in 2011, keeping Welfare Room on the agenda and in people's minds. We also brought about real change for people in residential care homes.
Care home residents to keep mobility payments
December 2011: Maria Miller, Minister for the Disabled, is set to announce the Government is reversing its decision to scrap the mobility component of disability living allowance (DLA) for people in residential care homes.
The decision comes after Lord Low, Vice-President of RNIB, published proposals which focused on the personal mobility needs of people living in residential care.
Our reaction
The announcement that the Government will not remove mobility payments from people in residential care is clearly welcome. RNIB has been saying for some time now that it is wrong to assume people living in residential care do not participate in community life. Residential settings are diverse, providing care but also training to people of all ages and with a range of disabilities.
However it cannot overshadow the huge concerns about the proposals that remain in the Welfare Reform Bill. Disabled people, those with long term conditions and their families, will still be hit hard by measures in the Bill and risk losing income and independence.
We are urging the Government not to bring in an arbitrary time-limit on Employment and Support Allowance for those who've paid into the system and still need support. It is also vital that those who rely on Disability Living Allowance continue to receive the financial support they need through Personal Independence Payment.
Disabled people want dignity and independence, and we need a welfare system that supports people with the real costs of living with a disability.
Taking action
Throughout 2011 we supported hundreds of people to contact their MP and write to their local paper to raise awareness of the impact of welfare reform on disabled people. Thousands of people attended
Hardest Hit marches and lobbies.