Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

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BME women would be left in a desperate situation with nowhere to go for culturally appropriate
advice and support. (See Appendix: 4 and 5)
Recommendations:
• Carry out a full equality impact assessment of the changes in the welfare system
and how they are affecting BME women subjected to multiple discrimination and
put corrective actions in place to mitigate negative effects
• The Government and particularly Local Authorities should ensure that funding for
specialist BME women’s organisations is provided and increased and that they can
continue providing valuable services to BME women
Disabled women
From April 2011 people claiming Incapacity Benefit (IB) have been moved onto ESA. There is
also a 20% cut to the DLA 112 and the Government’s Welfare Reform Bill has abolished DLA for
working age adults (16-64 years of age) who will need to be reassessed for the new benefit, the
Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
Although not all the changes to disability benefits will disproportionately affect women, they
will have a serious impact on the incomes of disabled women and women carers. The changes
to disability benefits may lead to a significant drop in income for some groups of women,
particularly those who were receiving IB but are assessed as not being entitled to ESA. This may
leave these women in poverty with implications for their human rights. Additionally, the new PIP
consultation does not take into account extra costs related to being female e.g. higher costs
for ‘personal care’ issues. In addition to the stress caused by the assessment for ESA, disabled
people will also lose out from the move to limit contributory ESA to one year for people who
are in the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG). This means that people with assets, savings or
a working partner will no longer receive benefits. This will particularly affect disabled women,
women who are carers and the partners of disabled people. 113 (See Appendix: 36 for further
information)
Case study: 114
“Elaine Christian, 57, of Hull, was worried, according to reports of an inquest in July, about
a meeting to assess her disability benefits. She was found drowned in a drain with evidence
of ingested painkillers and ten self-inflicted cuts to her wrist. Although she left a suicide
note, an open verdict was recorded. Her husband told the inquest: ‘She [Elaine] was
worried about the assessment, but was never one to complain’.”
112. Marsh, S. (2011) ‘Welfare Reform Bill: Key issues for disabled and sick people’, Ekklesia website, http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/16050
Accessed: 15/04/13
113. Women’s Budget Group (2010) The Impact on Women of the Coalition Spending Review 2010. WBG: London http://wbg.org.uk/RRB_
Reports_4_1653541019.pdf
114. Butler, P. (2011) ‘Do Cuts Kill?’, The Guardian, 16th November 2011 http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/patrick-butler-cuts-blog/2011/
nov/16/do-public-spending-cuts-kill
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