Benefits cuts will make disabled people 'invisible'

Hundreds of thousands of seriously ill and disabled people will become "invisible" and cut adrift from local support services as a result of the government's £5bn programme of disability benefit cuts, experts have warned.

- Patrick Butler

Claimants who do not qualify for personal independence payment (Pip) or incapacity benefits would lose a "marker of need" with local councils and NHS bodies, making it "nearly impossible" for them to access help such as housing and council tax relief and debt enforcement safeguards, said the consultancy Policy in Practice.

This would "effectively erase some of the most vulnerable people" from the system - including those with life-limiting illnesses including cancer, multiple sclerosis and lung conditions - while making it harder for care services to deliver preventive support.