Following yesterday’s welfare reform vote, Gemma Sherrington, CEO of Refuge, said:
“Refuge has made it clear that the government’s planned welfare reforms could have a catastrophic impact on disabled survivors of domestic abuse, many of whom rely on welfare payments for their safety.
“We are highly disappointed that the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill passed in yesterday’s vote. While we welcome some of the amendments, they do not go far enough in providing disabled survivors – now and in the future – with the protections they need and deserve.
“It is well known that domestic abuse disproportionately affects disabled women – nearly one in three (29%) of the survivors Refuge supports has a disability or mental health condition. For disabled survivors, welfare support is often critical when it comes to fleeing an abusive partner. Without it, survivors may be forced to remain in dangerous, potentially fatal situations.
“While amendments to the Bill may soften its impact on current Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and Universal Credit claimants, the situation for future applicants is highly uncertain, with many likely to face significant barriers to financial independence.
“We are concerned that a two-tier system will be created in which people with the same disabilities receive vastly different levels of support, simply based on when they applied. We cannot forget that survivors are often disabled by the abuse perpetrated against them, compounding the risk for future claimants. Such inequity risks leaving thousands of disabled survivors without the resources they need to escape abuse.
“A delay is not a solution – it merely postpones the harm. If the government is serious about its pledge to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the next decade, it must wake up to the threats facing disabled survivors. We continue to call for robust welfare protections to be put in place for disabled survivors of domestic abuse.”
