Government’s Seventh #WRB Defeat In Lords Over Children’s DLA
The government has suffered a seventh defeat in the House of Lords over proposed changes to the welfare system.
Peers rejected plans to cut some of the benefits given to children on the lower rate of Disability Living Allowance.
Ministers had wanted to reduce the amount of money paid to disabled children who do not need care at night – such as the profoundly deaf or those with Down Syndrome.
But peers voted down the proposals by 16 votes.
The government has suffered a series of defeats in the Lords, principally on its proposed £26,000 cap on total benefits for families and proposed changes to employment and support allowance for cancer patients.
Ministers have insisted that they will seek to reinstate the proposals when MPs reconsider the plans – starting on Wednesday.
Ahead of Tuesday’s vote, the government said the proposed change to Disability Living Allowance would help to direct more support towards the most severely disabled who do need round-the-clock care.
But critics argued the change would see many families losing as much as £1,400 a year.
Same Difference 