Blind people set to lose thousands in benefits still cannot read details of Labour’s welfare reform plans

Thousands of people with disabilities who face losing their benefits under Labour’s £5bn welfare reforms still cannot read details of what ministers plan to do.

Almost two weeks after work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall unveiled her green paper on welfare reform, an accessible version of the document is still to be made available.

The Department for Work and Pensions has promised that audio versions for blind people, braille and other accessible forms will be ready in early April but with the consultation underway there is fury that they were not available from the start.

Lib Dem MP Steve Darling, who is registered blind and uncovered the delay, hit back saying it was “nothing short of a disgrace”.

James Taylor, executive director of strategy at disability equality charity Scope, said: “This is one of the many, many things which are wrong about these catastrophic proposals.

“These are some of the biggest cuts to disability benefits on record. Yet nearly two weeks after they were published, disabled people who are facing thousands of pounds a year in support being ripped away still aren’t able to read the full plans.

“The government needs to rethink these proposals and start listening to and working with disabled people.”

The row erupted as a result of a parliamentary question by Lib Dem work and pensions spokesperson Steve Darling answered by welfare minister Stephen Timms, who said accessible versions will be published “in due course”.

The minister went on to say that “we have published this Green Paper ahead of all accessible versions to put detailed information about the matters subject to consultation in the public domain at the earliest opportunity”. The Government has also failed to produce accessible versions of the subsequent impact assessment.

Mr Darling, who himself is registered blind, said: “I have experienced first hand just how difficult things can be for someone who is visually impaired in this system, trying to navigate the maze of paperwork and information that needs to be understood. For the government to now put forward these major changes in a way that many can’t even access is nothing short of a disgrace.”

Disabled people have taken the brunt of the cuts, largely through a reworking of the criteria for personal independence payments (PIPs), which is meant to ensure only those with severe disabilities will qualify.

The government’s impact assessment suggested that 250,000 people including 50,000 children will be plunged into poverty as a result of the changes. Some of those are among the 340,000 people registered blind or partially sighted in the UK who cannot read the details of the documents yet.

The Lib Dems have claimed the delay could put the government at risk of breaking their own regulations on accessibility. Part of the requirements for accessibility and public bodies are that “you must make your website or mobile app more accessible by making it ‘perceivable, operable, understandable and robust’. You need to include and update an accessibility statement on your website”. They go on to say “you may be breaking the law if your public sector website or mobile app does not meet accessibility requirements”.

Accessible versions of documents can include: large print (font size 16 or greater), Braille (printed tactile documents), audio, MP3, DAISY (audio only) audio description for multimedia, electronic, Microsoft Word or other processor files, PDF, daisy (audio and text), HTML and close captioned for multimedia.

The row also follows chief Treasury secretary Darren Jones’ quip claiming removing benefits was like removing pocket money, for which he has apologised.

Mr Darling said: “First they compared removing vital support to taking away a child’s pocket money, and now they won’t even give those potentially affected the dignity of going through the details as to how much they will lose out by. This Government has fallen in real danger of losing its moral compass.

“Ministers need to immediately publish the accessible versions of their green paper and impact assessment.”

A DWP spokesperson said: “We have set out a sweeping package of reforms to health and disability benefits that genuinely support people back into work, while putting the welfare system on a more sustainable footing so that the safety net is always there to protect those who need it most.”