Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

2.14
2.15
2.16
Disability Living Allowance
Another example of changes to legislation that could have a devastating impact upon women
are the proposed changes to the Disability Living Allowance (DLA). The Government’s aim in
introducing the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is to cut 20% of DLA costs by 2015-16, a
saving of £2.1bn. To do so, the Government intends to pay £675m for a new assessment process
to ensure the PIP is not accessed by as many people as DLA. Yet, the DLA fraud rate is reported
to be less than 0.5%. 23 In nearly all of those cases, the ‘fraud’ is actually that the Department for
Work and Pensions (DWP) considers that someone has had, and failed to report, a significant
change in circumstances e.g. recovering from a physical injury. Ministers also planned to stop
paying out cash in the form of an Independent Living Fund (ILF) to help more than 21,000
severely disabled people, who live in their own homes. The fund, set up in 1988, pays (maximum
£475 per week) for carers, the majority of whom are women, and other help so that severely
disabled people can live at home rather than moving into care homes. It was announced in
June 2011 that the fund was refusing all new claims and will close in 2015. The effects of losing
ILF are devastating for many disabled women (and men). (See Article 13 and Appendix: 36
for further information)
Case study from a disabled woman: 24
“As half my care package is ILF I would first have no control over my toilet needs, this
may result in me being catheterised... I need support in all personal care needs, including
keeping clean etc. I would not be able to attend any meetings when various government
and NGOs ask me to be part of their various consultation plans. I would have no control
over what time I got up or what time I went to bed therefore I would have no social life
whatsoever.”
Case study from a disabled woman: 25
“I will have to make my PA’s [personal assistant] redundant, relying on goodwill of friends
or volunteers would not be feasible. I would lose control of my life.”
Need for gender budgeting and analysis
New legislation has not introduced gender-responsive budgeting, which is needed to ensure
that the allocation of public resources benefits women and men equally, including gender
analysis, gender budgeting, and use of sex disaggregated data for more gender responsive
public policy and budgets. This approach emphasizes the importance of bringing together
advocates, parliamentarians and other stakeholders into the budgeting process. 26
In order to comply with UK equality law, the Government is required to pay ‘due regard’ to the
impact of their policies and functions on equality between women and men. 27 Public authorities
- including central government departments - must assess the impact of their current and
proposed policies and practices on gender equality in order to reveal any impacts that may
23. Birch, I. (2011) ‘Disabled people are not workshy, lazy, scroungers or cheats’, Benefits, Work and Stigma Blog, 18th April 2011 http://www.
benefitsworkandstigma.co.uk/2011/04/disabled-people-are-not-workshy-lazy.html
24. Disabled People Against the Cuts (2012) ‘DPAC ILF Letter updated with added signatures – please sign and share’ http://www.dpac.
uk.net/2012/01/dpac-ilf-letter/ Accessed on: 21/03/2013
25. Disabled People Against the Cuts (2012) ‘DPAC ILF Letter updated with added signatures – please sign and share’ http://www.dpac.
uk.net/2012/01/dpac-ilf-letter/ Accessed on: 21/03/2013
26. Bachelet, M. (2012) The Time is Now: A letter to UN partners from UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet. March 2012 http://
www.unwomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/EN-UNW-LetterToPartners_2012-REV_3-9-12.pdf
27. Equality Act 2010, Section 149 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/149
32 Women’s equality in the UK: CEDAW shadow report 2013