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   Government urged to re-think welfare changes after crushing Lords defeat
The Government has been urged to re-think its welfare reform plans after they were dealt a crushing blow in the House of Lords last night. Peers voted in favour of ensuring young disabled people continue to be eligible for employment support allowance (ESA). They would have lost their entitlement under Government plans. The Government was also defeated on plans to means-test ESA payments for disabled people after only a year and to time-limit ESA for those undergoing cancer treatment. Shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne urged ministers not to try to reinstate the measures in the House of Commons. He told the BBC: "For months Labour has been determined to stop this cruel attack on cancer patients in its tracks. And today the House of Lords agreed. "The Government's proposal to cut paid for benefits for people still in chemotherapy crosses the basic test of fairness." Last month the Government lost a vote to dock the housing benefit of tenants living in homes with a spare room. Source: 24dash.com Due to problems with spam only SalfordOnline members can now leave comments. Becoming a member of SalfordOnline only takes a minute, just hit the red Join Us button at the top right hand side of the page to create your Personal account. Got a news story? Need help with publicity for an event in Salford? Send it to newsdesk@salfordonline.com or call the SalfordOnline newsdesk on 0161 789 5377. |
