Source: http://blacktrianglecampaign.org/2016/11/07/u-k-government-guilty-of-grave-and-systematic-violations-of-disabled-peoples-human-rights-un-crpd-report/
Timestamp: 2020-02-23 23:36:15
Document Index: 252785517

Matched Legal Cases: ['art. 19', 'art. 27', 'art. 28', 'arty 8', 'art. 19', 'art. 27', 'art. 28', 'art. 19', 'art. 28', 'art. 27', 'art. 19', 'art. 27', 'art. 28', 'art. 4', 'art. 4', 'arty\n47', 'art 11']

U.K. Government guilty of grave and systematic violations of disabled people’s human rights ~ UN CRPD ~ Report – Black Triangle Campaign
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“Consequently, the Committee considers that there is reliable evidence that the threshold of grave or systematic violations of the rights of persons with disabilities has been met in the State party.”
Published Monday 7th November 2016 1600 hrs GMT +1
113. Consequently, the Committee considers that there is reliable evidence that the threshold of grave or systematic violations of the rights of persons with disabilities has been met in the State party.
That conclusion is based on the following findings:
http://www.ohchr.org/…/HRB…/CRPD/Pages/InquiryProcedure.aspx
Inquiry concerning the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland carried out by the Committee under article 6 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention
I. Establishment of the inquiry 3
II. International human rights standards 3
A. Living independently and being included in the community (art. 19) 3
B. Work and employment (art. 27) 4
C. Adequate standard of living and social protection (art. 28) 5
D. States parties’ obligations in the realization of the rights covered in the
present report 7
III. Cooperation of the State party 8
IV. Country visit 8
V. Sources of information and confidentiality of the proceedings 8
VI. Contextual background to the inquiry 9
A. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, decentralization
and national monitoring bodies of the Convention 9
B. Main legislation and reforms on welfare and social care and persons with
C. Welfare and social care reforms 12
VII. Summary of the findings 14
A. General findings 14
B. Living independently and being included in the community (art. 19) 17
C. Work and employment (art. 27) 18
D. Adequate standard of living and social protection (art. 28) 19
E. Systematic violations of the Convention 20
VIII. Recommendations 21
I. Establishment of the inquiry
1. The present inquiry examines the cumulative impact of legislation, policies and measures adopted by the State party on social security schemes and on work and employment, from 2010 to the date of adoption of the report, directed to or affecting the enjoyment by persons with disabilities of their rights to live independently and to be included in the community (art. 19 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities), to an adequate standard of living and social protection (art. 28) and to work and employment (art. 27).
2. Early in 2012, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities began receiving information about the alleged adverse impact on persons with disabilities of the implementation of a process of reforms of legislation and policies in the State party. The information indicated that the implementation of the welfare reform had introduced significant cuts to social benefits that were affecting several of the rights of persons with disabilities enshrined in the Convention. The Committee has continued to receive information from various sources since then.
3. In April 2013, the Committee received a formal request from a number of organizations of persons with disabilities alleging that serious and systematic violations of the provisions of the Convention were occurring against persons with disabilities. They requested that the Committee initiate an investigation into the matters raised in the request.
4. During its ninth session, held in April 2013, the Committee decided to register the request and, pursuant to rule 83, paragraph 2, of its rules of procedure, to request the State party to submit comments. The State party submitted comments on 20 August 2013 and 28 March 2014.
5. During its eleventh session, held in April 2014, the Committee assessed all the information before it and determined, pursuant to article 6 of the Convention and rule 84 of its rules of procedure, that there was reliable information indicating grave or systematic violations of the rights set forth in the Convention. The Committee established an inquiry and appointed two of its members as rapporteurs, which decision was communicated to the State party on 29 May 2014.
6. Pursuant to rule 84, paragraph 4, of its rules of procedure, and after consultation with the State party, the Committee decided to defer the consideration of the initial report of the State party submitted pursuant to article 35 of the Convention until after the finalization of the inquiry proceedings.
II. International human rights standards
7. The present chapter analyses the scope of the provisions of articles 19, 27 and 28 of the Convention, the interrelated character of these rights and the obligations of States parties vis-à-vis each of the rights recognized therein.
A. Living independently and being included in the community (art. 19)
8. Article 19 recognizes the right of all persons with disabilities to live independently and be included in the community.
9. States parties shall respect the autonomy of persons with disabilities and their freedom of choice and control over their place of residence and with whom they live, on an equal basis with others, which entails the possibility to choose from the same range of options as others members of society or to reject those options. States parties shall ensure that persons with disabilities exercise their freedom of choice and control and adopt measures to prevent their isolation, segregation or institutionalization.
10. Persons with disabilities are entitled to exercise control over day-to-day decisions, the activities of their routine, the services they require and the living arrangements they need, including those specifically related to impairments, and to relate to and communicate with others in the community.
11. Freedom of choice and control over living arrangements and daily activities are indispensable to ensure the full inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in the community and to prevent their isolation and segregation. If autonomy, choice and control are not guaranteed and protected through accessible and appropriate support, persons with disabilities risk being separated from their families, friends and communities and excluded from meaningful participation in the society.
12. States parties are required to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to a range of in-home, residential and community support services, including personal assistance necessary to support living and inclusion in the community. Persons with disabilities should not be perceived as mere recipients of support, but as rights holders, who have equal access and equal choice of and control over support services. Services delivered to persons with disabilities should respect their dignity and autonomy and promote their full inclusion and participation in society. Eligibility to access support services needs to be defined in a non-discriminatory way and assessments should move away from the medical approach to disability, comply with the human rights approach and take into account the specific needs of persons with disabilities rather than focusing on impairments.
13. Support services should be provided in the community and need to take into account the individualized situation of each person. Persons with disabilities are entitled to receive information and counselling, in accessible formats, about the range of support and assistance available in the community, including housing and income assistance. That requires effective awareness-raising efforts and coordination among health-care and social-service providers and officials in the housing sector.
14. States parties should allocate adequate resources for support services that enable persons with disabilities to live in their communities. They should ensure that community services for persons with disabilities are available, accessible, affordable and of quality. When persons with disabilities share the costs of the services provided, States parties should ensure that those persons are not disproportionately affected by the charges.
15. Persons with disabilities must be allowed access to mainstream community services and facilities, on an equal basis with others.
16. Reductions in social and health-care budgets, a lack of alternative resources for some persons with disabilities, the unavailability of community-based services, the conditionality of support upon certain living arrangements, cuts in independent living support, stringent criteria for accessing support services and the delivery of more standardized services, inter alia, can infringe upon the right of persons with disabilities to live independently and be included in the community.
B. Work and employment (art. 27)
17. States parties should recognize the right of persons with disabilities to work, on an equal basis with others, which includes the opportunity to gain a living by work freely chosen or accepted in a labour market and work environment that is open, inclusive and accessible. Article 27 sets out a non-exhaustive list of appropriate steps for States parties to take measures to safeguard and promote the realization of the right to work.
18. States parties should take all appropriate measures to modify or abolish laws, regulations, customs and practices that constitute discrimination against persons with disabilities in the areas of work and employment.
19. States parties shall ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy equality of opportunity and treatment with respect to access to, retention of and advancement in employment in the open labour market, which, wherever possible, corresponds to their own choice. They also have a duty to raise awareness among employers and the general public on the right of persons with disabilities to work. Persons with disabilities are entitled to assistance and support in finding, obtaining, maintaining and returning to employment.
20. States parties have an obligation to prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability and must ensure that persons with disabilities are protected from discrimination, including with regard to all matters concerning employment, inter alia the denial of reasonable accommodation.
21. Legislation must stipulate that both public- and private-sector employers are responsible for providing reasonable accommodation to individual employees with disabilities. States parties should develop policies that promote and regulate flexible and alternative work arrangements that reasonably accommodate the individual needs of employees with disabilities.
22. States parties also have an obligation to take affirmative action measures, including providing incentives, to increase employment of persons with disabilities in the private sector.
23. States parties shall protect the rights of persons with disabilities, on an equal basis with others, to just and favourable conditions of work, including equal opportunities and equal remuneration for work of equal value, as well as safe and healthy working conditions, including protection from harassment and redress for grievances.
24. Persons with disabilities are entitled to have effective access to general technical and vocational guidance programmes, placement services and vocational and continuing training. States parties have the duty to promote vocational and professional rehabilitation, job retention and return-to-work programmes for persons with disabilities.
25. The Convention requires States parties to ensure that persons with disabilities are protected, on an equal basis with others, from forced or compulsory labour.
C. Adequate standard of living and social protection (art. 28)
26. The Convention recognizes the right of persons with disabilities to enjoy social protection without discrimination on the basis of disability. States parties are required to take appropriate steps to safeguard and promote the realization of that right, including through measures to ensure access by persons with disabilities, in particular women, girls and older persons with disabilities, to social protection programmes and poverty reduction programmes.
27. Social protection includes a variety of interventions designed to guarantee basic income security and access to essential social services, with the ultimate goal of achieving social inclusion and participation in the community.
28. Article 28 obliges States parties to take appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities receive equal access to mainstream social protection programmes and services, including basic services, poverty reduction programmes, housing programmes and retirement benefits and programmes, as well as access to specific programmes and services for disability-related needs and expenses, through contributory and non-contributory schemes.
29. As persons with disabilities are disproportionally affected by poverty and overrepresented among the poorest in the world, States parties should ensure that persons with disabilities have access to, and are meaningfully included in, poverty reduction strategies.
30. Social protection systems should address the cost associated with disability and protect persons with disabilities from falling into a lower standard of living or poverty at all stages of their life cycle.
31. States parties should include the right of persons with disabilities to social protection in their domestic legal frameworks and ensure that government agencies involved in the implementation of social security programmes act in coordination.
32. The eligibility criteria for social programmes should take into account the human rights model to disability, addressing the multiple barriers that limit the participation of persons with disabilities in society, and not rely on narrowly defined medical criteria or medical assessments.
33. States must ensure the access of persons with disabilities to quality, adequate, acceptable and adaptable social protection programmes. Social security programmes should be adapted to the needs of persons with disabilities and provide benefits of an adequate amount and duration to enable beneficiaries to enjoy an adequate standard of living.
34. When conditions are placed on participation in social security schemes and programmes, they should be implemented in a manner that does not undermine the right of persons with disabilities to an adequate standard of social protection.
35. Information, materials and communications pertaining to social protection programmes should be made accessible for all persons with disabilities.
36. States have obligations of immediate effect in relation to the right of persons with disabilities to social protection: persons with disabilities should not be discriminated against in the exercise of their right; access to social protection schemes should be secured; and a minimum essential level of benefits for all persons with disabilities and their families should be ensured.
37. According to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the right to social security encompasses the right to access benefits without discrimination to secure protection from, inter alia, a lack of a work-related income owing to sickness, disability, maternity, employment injury, unemployment, old age or death of a family member, unaffordable access to health care or insufficient family support. States must provide social protection to all individuals, guaranteeing universal coverage, reasonable, proportionate and transparent eligibility criteria, affordability and physical accessibility by beneficiaries and participation in and information about the provision of benefits.
38. Persons with disabilities shall have the opportunity to participate, through their representative organizations, in the planning, design, implementation and monitoring of social protection systems. Consultation processes should not be merely symbolic.
39. The rights recognized in the Convention are interdependent and interrelated. That is particularly relevant in relation to the rights covered in the present report.
40. The realization of the right to live independently and be included in the community requires an adequate level of income protection, which can be secured both through mainstream and disability-specific social protection programmes, as well as through employment.
41. Given the barriers that still prevent the full participation of persons with disabilities in the labour market and mean higher unemployment rates for them, income-maintenance social security schemes are particularly important for persons with disabilities. Such schemes allow them to maintain their autonomy and freedom of control and choice of their living arrangements and day-to-day activities. Without an adequate level of social protection, persons with disabilities run the risk of being isolated, segregated from the community and/or institutionalized.
42. States parties should find an adequate balance between providing an adequate level of income security for persons with disabilities through social security schemes and supporting their labour inclusion. The two sets of measures should be seen as complementary rather than contradictory. Measures aimed at facilitating the inclusion in the labour market of beneficiaries of social security should include transitional arrangements to ensure income protection while they reach a certain threshold and sustainability in their wages. They should become eligible again without delay if they lose their jobs.
D. States parties’ obligations in the realization of the rights covered in the present report
43. States parties are required to adopt all appropriate measures to implement the rights set out in the Convention, including legislation, strategies, administrative measures, policies and programmes (art. 4 (1) (b)).
44. States parties shall take measures, to the maximum of their available resources, with the aim of achieving progressively the full realization of the economic, social and cultural rights set out in article 4 (2). States parties should move as expeditiously and effectively as possible to that goal, including by establishing strategies and programmes, with clear targets, benchmarks and time frames.
45. States parties shall promote the full realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all persons with disabilities without discrimination on the basis of disability (art. 4 (1)). The obligation to take measures to overcome discrimination and to achieve de facto equality of persons with disabilities has immediate effect and is not subjected to progressive realization. The duty to provide reasonable accommodation established in article 5 (3) is also not subjected to progressive realization.
46. The duty of progressive realization entails a presumption against retrogressive measures in the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights. When retrogressive measures are adopted, States parties should demonstrate that they have been introduced after careful consideration of all alternatives and they are duly justified by reference to the totality of the rights provided for in the Convention, in the context of the use of the maximum available resources of the State party. Under the criteria adopted by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights about the prohibition of retrogression in the realization of economic, social and cultural rights, States parties should demonstrate that:
(c) There was genuine participation of affected groups in examining proposed measures and alternatives;
(d) The measures were not directly or indirectly discriminatory;
(e) The measures will not have a direct impact on the realization of the rights set out in the Convention; or an unreasonable impact on acquired rights or whether an individual or group will be deprived of access to the minimum level of social security;
(f) Whether there was an independent review of the measures at the national level.
III. Cooperation of the State party
47. Pursuant to article 6 of the Optional Protocol and rule 85 of its rules of procedure, the Committee sought the cooperation of the State party. The State party appointed the Office for Disability Issues in the Department of Work and Pension as a focal point. The Committee appreciates the support provided by the focal point throughout the proceedings.
48. The Committee appreciates that its request to visit the country was granted by the State party.
IV. Country visit
49. A country visit took place from 12 to 23 October 2015. The Committee’s rapporteurs visited London and Manchester (England), Glasgow and Edinburgh (Scotland), Belfast (Northern Ireland) and Cardiff (Wales).
50. The Committee’s rapporteurs had the opportunity to interview more than 200 individuals, among them government officers of the central and country governments, members of the House of Lords and the House of Commons, members of devolved legislatures, representatives of the independent monitoring mechanism, representatives of trade unions, representatives of organizations of persons with disabilities and other civil society organizations, researchers, academics and lawyers. The Committee commends the efforts undertaken by all interlocutors to provide valuable and updated information.
51. The Committee regrets that local authorities and councils did not cooperate with it during the visit, despite several invitations addressed to them to participate. The Committee would have appreciated it if the first meeting agreed with the central government had been held on the first day of the visit. That meeting was instead postponed to the last day.
V. Sources of information and confidentiality of the proceedings
52. Pursuant to rule 83 of its rules of procedure, the Committee requested additional information from various sources.
53. The Committee collected voluminous documentary evidence (more than 3,000 pages). Many were already in the public domain, such as parliamentary inquiries, reports of the Equality and Human Rights Commission and research reports. Other documents were forwarded to the Committee confidentially.
54. Most of the statistics referred to the Committee originated from official sources, in particular reports of different departments and units of the government available online, as well as reports of oversight mechanisms. Some documents rely on surveys conducted by research institutes and academic sources. The Committee is impressed by the amount of data collected by stakeholders who contributed to the inquiry.
55. According to article 6 (5) of the Optional Protocol, inquiry proceedings shall be conducted confidentially. All persons who were contacted and invited to participate in the hearings during the country visit signed the solemn declaration provided for in rule 87, paragraph 3, of the Committee’s rules of procedure.
VI. Contextual background to the inquiry
A. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, decentralization and national monitoring bodies of the Convention
56. The State party’s Government considers the Convention as being part of the main framework for the protection of persons with disabilities together with the Equality Act 2010, which addresses situations of discrimination and establishes the public sector equality duty (part 11, chap. 1, No. 149). It also acknowledges the Convention as a key piece of legislation that sets out what governments should do to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities. Its Parliament has highlighted that the Convention and other human rights international instruments are binding obligations in international law and therefore the State party should give them adequate consideration in decision-making processes. However, the Convention has not been incorporated into domestic law and is still not directly justiciable.
57. The State party is a constitutional monarchy based on the principles of parliamentary supremacy and the rule of law. It is made up of four constituencies: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It has a decentralized administration system of devolution of powers, which operates through the transfer of the decision-making power on certain matters to the legislatures and administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In the framework of devolution, the Government of the United Kingdom is also the Government for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In the State party, social security, including welfare, constitutes a non-devolved matter, as does employment, except in Northern Ireland where social security is devolved. However, under the principle of parity, the social security policy in Northern Ireland operates under the same principles as those in the rest of the United Kingdom.
58. Decentralization also confers power to local authorities to provide discretionary welfare assistance, local council tax support and discretionary housing payments. Local authorities deliver various social and health-care services, establish the level of support available for social care users and set up eligibility criteria applicable for delivering assistance packages, except in Northern Ireland.
59. The Office for Disability Issues of the Department for Work and Pensions is the State party’s focal point for disability-related issues. The Office is the body responsible for the implementation of “Fulfilling Potential — Making it Happen” strategy adopted by the State party in 2013. The Government asserts that the strategy is intended to give effect to the Convention and its implementation is based on the necessary involvement of persons with disabilities in issues that affect their lives. The strategy covers some aspects of the Convention under the topics: education, employment, income, health and well-being, choice and control, and inclusive communities.
60. The Equality and Human Rights Commission together with the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Scottish Human Rights Commission have been designated as the independent mechanisms for the monitoring the Convention.
61. While promoting equality and non-discrimination, the Equality and Human Rights Commission requires public authorities to produce equality schemes that set out how they plan to comply with the equality duty, including identifying policies for equality impact assessment. The Commission has launched various reports and has intervened in cases before courts regarding non-discrimination against persons with disabilities.
62. In their capacity as human rights national independent institutions, the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Human Rights Commissions in Northern Ireland and in Scotland have competence to provide evidence during parliamentary processes, including inquiries launched by parliamentary committees, as well as by the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Scottish Parliament.
63. The Parliament of the State party, as well as the three devolved legislatures, exercises control of government policies, taking into consideration the duties of the State under the framework of the Convention. Various parliamentary committees have undertaken inquiries to evaluate government policies relating to social security, welfare, social care and the rights of persons with disabilities. The Joint Committee on Human Rights, the Equality Act 2010 and Disability Committee (House of Lords) and the Work and Pensions Committee (House of Commons) have undertaken inquiries and requested evidence on issues like the right to independent living, access to justice and persons with disabilities and the employment and support allowance for persons with disabilities. In Northern Ireland, the ad hoc committee established by the Assembly in 2012 through the Welfare Reform Bill scrutinized the effects of the welfare reform. In Scotland, the Welfare Reform Committee of the Scottish Parliament monitors the implementation of the Welfare Reform Act 2012. In Wales, the Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee scrutinizes legislation and holds the Welsh Government accountable for matters, including equality of opportunity for all.
B. Main legislation and reforms on welfare and social care and persons with disabilities
64. The Welfare Reform Act 2012 and the Care Act 2014 define the State party’s duties with regard to social protection. Overall, at the national level, it appears that the welfare system, together with a social and health-care system, provides a solid base for the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities and that the system has allowed them to achieve an acceptable level of autonomy. The Committee notes that the State party has taken measures to reinforce personal control over care and support known as the “personalization agenda” and to strengthen the responsibility of local authorities regarding funding for social care and support, referred to as “localization”.
65. The Welfare Reform Act 2012 is the main legislative instrument on welfare that applies in England, Scotland and Wales, and the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007 and the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 regulate the situation in Northern Ireland. Under the Fresh Start agreement, the State party’s Government, the Government of Ireland and the largest Northern Ireland parties agreed on a legislative consent motion to allow the Government of the State party to legislate for welfare reform in Northern Ireland, as well as on the Welfare Reform Bill 2015-16 [Bill 99] introduced under a fast-track procedure, to enable Orders in Council to give effect in Northern Ireland to existing and prospective welfare changes in the State party.
66. The Welfare Reform Act 2012 represents a major reform of the welfare system and replaces various provisions of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, which had constituted the basis of social protection through contributory and non-contributory entitlements allocated for persons with disabilities. The Welfare Reform Act repealed the provisions about the non-contributory entitlement the Disability Living Allowance, introduced Personal Independence Payments (unified regulations concerning the Employment and Support Allowance that had already abolished the former Incapacity Benefit), set up a one-year limit for receiving contributory Employment and Support Allowance for claimants in the work-related activity group, introduced a “benefit cap” that limits the amount of benefit that people aged 16 to 64 can get, established Universal Credit as a benefit for working-age claimants (which replaces six existing working-age benefits) and introduced limits on housing benefits, including limiting access to over-occupied housing for social tenants (spare room tax, commonly known as “the bedroom tax”), and changes to appeals procedures, the tax credits system and council tax benefit.
67. The Care Act 2014, which came into effect in April 2015, sets forth the provisions relating care and support for adults and provisions relating to support for carers. The Act shifts the duty of local authorities from providing services to meeting needs, including legislation and guidance about preventing and delaying the development of needs in those who are not eligible for support, but who may benefit from the provision of information.
68. Most recently, the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 makes provision for various aspects, including reducing the benefit cap, freezing certain social security benefits and taxing credit amounts for four tax years, limiting Child Tax Credit, changing the child element of Universal Credit, amending the Child Poverty Act 2010, removing the work-related activity component from Employment and Support Allowance and regulating the limited capability for work element of Universal Credit and work-related requirements of Universal Credit.
69. The reform to the legal aid system set out in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 and other reforms in the justice system have also been identified as part of the relevant framework that affects claimants of the welfare system, including persons with disabilities, owing to its provisions about civil law justice. The Act narrowed the scope of civil legal aid in England and Wales by excluding the use of legal aid in housing and debt cases (except where there is a risk of eviction) and welfare benefit cases, apart from appeals to the Upper Tribunal on points of law.
C. Welfare and social care reforms
70. The welfare system has faced a progressive change both in the conception from the “welfare” of individuals to the economic well-being of the country, as well as about the type and amount of entitlements and the portion of the population covered by the system. The former (2010-2015) and the present Government carried out a comprehensive social security reform based on two main reasons: the financial sustainability of the system and the need to make it more efficient.
71. The measures are intended to adjust the growth of the welfare budget with the aim of reducing the structural economic deficit following the 2008 global financial crisis. In that regard, fiscal consolidation has been the dominant influence since 2010 and the welfare reform, as well as social care, is anchored in a general policy of public spending cuts that will reduce public spending to its smallest level in decades. Official reports indicate that between 2009/10 and 2012/13, total gross expenditure on adult social care decreased by 5.5 per cent in England. That compares with falls of 2.1 per cent in Wales and 3.4 per cent in Scotland.
72. In addition, the State party is seeking to make the system more efficient through a better and more targeted distribution of resources: the new threshold is the protection of persons in critical condition or those who need it most. Furthermore, the State party aims to reduce fraud and error, simplify the benefits system and streamline the administration of the welfare system. In that area, the promotion of employment is the main driver of the policies and it is understood that employment of current “beneficiaries” will reduce the number of persons relying on the welfare system. Thereby, the reform provides increased incentives for work and work is reaffirmed as a condition for retaining and claiming certain entitlements under the social protection system: for instance the “entitlement to work”, which operates as a condition of entitlement for claimants of contributory Employment and Support Allowance.
73. The centrality of work was highlighted by the State party in different scenarios throughout the parliamentary discussions of the Welfare Act 2012, as well as in the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016. With regard to persons with disabilities, the State party’s Government pointed out that promotion of employment of persons with disabilities was at the centre of the new policies and that persons with disabilities should also gain as a result of improved work incentives and smoother transitions into work. The State party noted that reforms would promote fairness throughout the system and reduce a life of welfare dependency for persons with disabilities.
74. Overall, various actors have recognized that the amendments to welfare and social care represent a major reform of the social policy system and that austerity measures are the underlying reason for transforming it. There is also a general agreement expressed by various instances, such as the Parliament of the State party and independent bodies like the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Human Rights Commission of Northern Ireland, on the importance of the goal set by the Government of supporting people to move into and progress in work and promoting their independence, in the manner stated as the purpose of the Care Act 2014.
75. However, various public authorities, including the Parliament of the State party, local authorities and the independent national human rights institutions have expressed concerns about the potential discriminatory effects of the welfare measures on persons with disabilities and called the Government to fulfil its duties under the Equality Act 2010. Earlier in the discussion and upon approval of the reforms, public bodies had pointed out the lack of, and the need for, a cumulative impact assessment to consider the impacts on groups with similar characteristics, such as persons with disabilities and the population at the local level, as well as to monitor the post-legislative impact of the measures in the welfare reform.
76. In particular, throughout the discussions that preceded the approval of the Welfare Act 2012, the Joint Human Rights Committee of the Parliament warned about the potential retrogressive impact of the reform on the rights of persons with disabilities, which could be inconsistent with the State party’s obligation under the Convention. It referred to the negative impact of the introduction of Personal Independence Payments on the right of persons with disabilities to live independently, without reasonable justification; it also expressed concerns about the disparate impact in terms of extensive disruption regarding adaptations and caring/support networks for persons with disabilities who do not get Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment as a consequence of the tightened eligibility criteria. Moreover, it warned of the risk of discrimination regarding proposals on employment support allowance and housing benefit and the risk of “destitution” in connection with the new conditionality and sanctions regime.
77. The concerns expressed at the national level in terms of discrimination coincide with the findings of the devolved governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, which launched impact assessment processes related to the social policy reforms and identified impacts in groups with protected characteristics, such as persons with disabilities. The common criteria of such assessments were to ascertain the cumulative impact of the tax credit cuts and the welfare in each region, including the number of people potentially affected by the policy changes, the expected impact on household incomes, the impact on poverty and the effects on work incentives — considerable barriers facing persons with disabilities in access to work, despite the aims of the reforms encouraging people to work, as well as its wider economic and social impacts.
78. Research and a number of independent studies conducted by academia and research centres, including various organizations of persons with disabilities, highlighted concerns about the actual impact of the austerity measures and reforms on the situation of persons with disabilities. As a result of analysing the reforms by region, families and individuals and groups, it seems there will be an impact on areas such as financial income, provision of social care, inclusion in society, independence, quality of life, well-being, housing, work, mobility and mental health. The specific impact on women with disabilities, children with disabilities, young persons with disabilities, persons with “learning disabilities” and persons with psychosocial disabilities was also identified.
79. Some of the issues pointed out in the above-mentioned research include: (a) financial loss for persons with disabilities, lower income for households claiming benefits under the welfare system and persons with disabilities being the biggest single group affected by the reforms (in 2013, independent sources estimated that about 26,000 people would no longer be entitled to disability allowances); (b) significantly greater impact in the poorest areas; (c) more persons with disabilities living in poverty; (d) no account being taken of those people no longer eligible for entitlements and services; (e) more inequality and growing restrictions on social care services owing to the decreasing budget allocations earmarked for social care; (f) reduction in services available for home care and on services for older people; (g) risk of social isolation and more reliance on informal and family care; (h) loss of eligibility for or reduction in entitlement under the assessment for the Personal Independence Payment; (i) the negative impacts of the reduction on housing benefits; (j) the closure of the Independent Living Fund in the State party; (k) the transition from the Disability Living Allowance into Personal Independence Payment; (l) the changes in the Employment and Support Allowance; (m) impact on public transport services available for persons with disabilities; and (n) negative stereotyping of persons with disabilities.
80. The reform regarding social care through the Care Act 2014 was aimed at reducing reliance on formal care in order to promote peoples’ independence and well-being and give people more control of their own care and support.
81. Reliable information indicates that, from the start of the inquiry until 2015, public funding of adult social care was reduced by £4.6 billion, representing 31 per cent of the real-term net budget. As a consequence, local authorities reduced their spending on social care and cut community services that had been of importance to persons with disabilities.
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