Sunday 10 April 2011

Letter from the Minister for Disabled People.

I wrote to Maria Miller MP, Minister for Disabled People, recently on behalf of a number of constituents with specific concerns regarding proposed changes to benefits for disabled people and this was her response.


Response from Maria Miller MP, Minister for Disabled People

Temporary reprieve for those receiving DLA mobility in residential care

Maria Miller MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Disabled People, in a letter to MP’s 4th April 2011, said : ‘ ....it acknowledges (the Government) the concerns raised by individuals and organisations about the proposal to withdraw the DLA mobility component from people in residential care. The Government will not now introduce this measure as planned in October 2012. Meeting the mobility needs of people in residential care will now be considered as part of the wider reform’.

Tuesday 5 April 2011

Funding Cuts in Birmingham

Organizations who have been affected by funding cuts include St James Centre, Law Centre and Birmingham Tribunal Unit along with their national representative organisation Advice UK.

The other organisations who have had council funding withdrawn are:
·         The Afro Caribbean Millennium Centre Limited
·         Age Concern Birmingham
·         Age Concern Perry Barr
·         Azad Kashmir Welfare Association
·         Bangladesh Welfare Association
·         Birmingham Asian Resource Centre
·         Birmingham Settlement
·         Birmingham TUC Centre for the Unemployed
·         Chinese Community Centre
·         Shaheed Udham Singh Welfare Trust

The New State Pension -- Out Today!!

The Government has today published its Green Paper on pension reform, the full text of which can be found at: www.dwp.gov.uk/state-pension-21st-century.

The Green Paper sets out two options for reform: bringing forward existing reforms, so that the state pension would evolve into a two-tier flat rate system more quickly; and a single tier system above the level of the means-test.

You can respond to the consultation at statepension.reformsconsultation@dwp.gsi.gov.uk or tel: 0207 449 7732.