Tory councillor resigns over government attacks on disabled

A disabled councillor has decided to step down in protest at Government plans to abolish Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

Ollie Flitcroft, a wheelchair-user, is one of the first Conservatives to criticize ministers publicly for targeting disabled people disproportionately with cuts.

Cllr. Flitcroft served as a Conservative member of Barrow Borough Council since 2006. It remains to be seen what impact his protest has on Government policy.

According to Cllr. Flitcroft, the Government’s claim that the application process for DLA requires self-assessment is “nonsense”. He also said it was ”ludicrous” for the Government to suggest that a wheelchair-user capable of propelling themselves short distances might not need a mobility component of DLA.

“Why does the Government want to spend a lot of money on reassess­ing every single claimant, some of whom have impairments that will not improve. I’m not suddenly going to be able to walk tomorrow, so why have I got to go through an assessment?” 


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