Maria Miller MP
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Disabled People)
Department for Work and Pensions
Caxton House
Tothill Street
London
SW1H 9NA

31 January 2011

Dear Maria,

Disability Living Allowance and Multiple Sclerosis Sufferers

As you know I have grave concerns about the proposed changes to benefit allowances including the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). I recently visited the Sussex Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Treatment Centre and wanted to particularly raise some points about the impacts on MS sufferers.

A number of constituents have contacted me to raise their concerns about the Governments plans to replace the DLA with the Personal Independent Payment, cutting the number of claimants by approximately 20%, removing the Mobility Component from people living in residential care and restricting the length of time that people can claim ESA to 12 months.

The Harrington Review (2010) draws attention to the flaws associated with the current Work Capability Assessment (WCA) for fluctuating conditions such as MS. In a similar vein, I fear that the introduction of face to face medical assessments will unfairly discount those in need of benefits if symptoms are not visible at the time of assessment. Furthermore, I am concerned that the proposed points-based assessment criteria will not take into account the complexity of life-long illnesses like MS, which cannot easily be categorised into ‘a one size fits all' approach that the points-based system represents.

Equally, ESA claimants will be required to undergo assessments every 12 months, which again may overlook the complexity and longer term impacts of MS illness. The removal of the Mobility Component of the DLA will have a damaging impact on adults and children who rely on this for their independence and quality of life too.

Finally, it is felt by many that the assessment procedure for the ESA is already a complicated process, with a number of claimants finding the ‘jargon' difficult to understand, a lack of knowledge and understanding at call centres, and claimants being placed in inappropriate ESA groups. The rise in ‘disability hate crime' and valid claimants being referred to as ‘benefit cheats' is also a serious worry for some.

In response to these concerns, I have signed the following EDMs:

• EDM 100 to oppose the removal of the mobility component of DLA from people in residential care

• EDM 393 to support the call for UK Government to reconsider its decision to introduce a medical test for DLA.

I am now seeking assurances that the Government will give more consideration to the impact of its planned changes on constituents suffering from MS as well as disabled people more generally.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Caroline Lucas, MP, Brighton Pavilion