The Chancellor has exempted some benefits for disabled people and carers from a reduced uprating and those will continue to rise by CPI inflation. These benefits are:
-    Disability Living Allowance (DLA);
-    Employment Support Allowance (ESA) –
Support Group component;
-    Disability related tax-credits
However, the Bill will still mean a real terms cut in vital support for many disabled people, which helps them deal with the additional barriers and costs they face as a result of their impairment or condition.
Following a Work Capability Assessment (WCA), people who are unable to work can be placed in either the Support Group or the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG). Many disabled people are being placed in the WRAG. The Benefits Uprating Bill will subject this benefit to the reduced 1% rise. In effect, this will mean that households in the WRAG receiving ESA will be £87.65p worse off a year. Disabled people will also suffer from the reduced rate of benefit uprating on other sources of financial support they receive, e.g. housing benefit.

This article appeared in the January edition of Roger's newsletter 'Postcard from Parliament'