WEST Belfast councillor Paul Doherty has said that the UK Government’s welfare cuts will have a devastating impact in areas like his own which have a higher rate of people living with disabilities and illness.
The Labour government is cutting health and disability benefits by making it harder for people to receive state support. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the swingeing cuts would save five billion pounds a year by 2030.
SDLP councillor Doherty says that growing concern over any announcement has created “a tidal wave of anxiety for people”.
“People who are already struggling to get by are genuinely fearful about their future and how they will manage to survive in the face of these cuts," he said.
“I deal with people who rely on this support every day, that includes people with profound disabilities and mental health conditions that make it impossible for them to work. Many would love to have the option, but it just isn’t feasible for them in their current circumstances. To target revenue raising cuts at these people instead of wealthy billionaires and large corporations is immoral and unjustifiable.
“There is no doubt that these cuts will lead to increased poverty – something I am all too aware of. Not only will it leave vulnerable people without the money to cover the bare necessities, the loss of this support will also be felt in our local economy, with businesses losing out on money. We are not talking about people spending extravagantly, this is about people buying heat, electricity, food and other basic essentials that they already struggle to access with the current support in place."
Cllr Doherty said he is bringing a motion to Belfast City Council for the purpose of presenting a united front in opposition to any cuts.
"However, the Executive cannot wash their hands of these issues, welfare policy is devolved and the Communities Minister should be working with his Executive colleagues to urgently bring forward a package of mitigations to help people here. If these cuts go ahead it will devastate communities and doing nothing isn’t an option.”
The British government is expected to set out its plans next week in Parliament.
