In Prime Minister’s Questions, Rushanara Ali MP demanded why the Prime Minister failed to put a stop to the cuts to Personal Independence Payments for disabled people sooner, given the Government’s drastic U-turn since announcing this policy in last week’s Budget. Personal Independence Payments allow disabled people to buy essential living expenses like walking sticks or wheelchairs and these cuts would have affected nearly 400,000 of the country’s most vulnerable people who could have lost out on £3,500 a year.
Rushanara Ali during PMQs asked:
“The Former Work and Pensions Secretary described the cuts to Personal Independence Payments for the disabled as: “divisive”, “unfair” and “against the national interest”. The Chancellor's U-turn suggests he now agrees. Can the Prime Minister explain how he allowed this to happen in the first place?”
After Prime Minister’s Questions Rushanara Ali said:
“My question to the Prime Minister on how he could have allowed PIP cuts to disabled people in the first place was met with a hopeless answer. No surprise there. The 400,000 people across the country who would have been affected by these cuts are rightfully angry, and it is disgraceful that the Prime Minister dodged my question whilst disability campaigners were protesting outside the Chamber in Central Lobby. I am disappointed that David Cameron would rather play games than answer serious questions.”