Blind people still cannot read about welfare reforms set to cost them thousands

Thousands of people with disabilities who face losing their benefits under Labour's £5bn welfare reforms still cannot read details of what ministers plan to do.

- DAVID MADDOX

Almost two weeks after work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall unveiled her green paper on welfare reform, an accessible version of the document is still to be made available.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has promised that audio versions for blind people, braille and other accessible forms will be ready in early April but, with the consultation underway, there is fury that they were not available from the start.

Lib Dem MP Steve Darling, who is registered blind and uncovered the delay, hit back saying it was “nothing short of a disgrace”.

James Taylor, executive director of strategy at disability equality charity Scope, said: “This is one of the many, many things which are wrong about these catastrophic proposals.

“These are some of the biggest cuts to disability benefits on record. Yet nearly two weeks after they were published, disabled people who are facing thousands of pounds a year in support being ripped away still aren’t able to read the full plans. The government needs to rethink these proposals and start listening to and working with disabled people.”