Conservative

• The Conservatives will continue to seek to get 1 million more disabled people into employment over the next 10 years.
• Conservative welfare policy will continue to be run in accordance with its belief that ‘Work is the best route out of poverty, that work should always pay and that the system should be fair both for the people in need and those who pay for it.
• The Conservatives currently have no plans for further radical reform of welfare in this parliament and will continue roll out of Universal Credit.
• The Conservatives propose to help people who have found it difficult to get employment in the past. Will incentivise employers to “take them on.”
• Businesses employing former wards of the care system, someone with a disability, those with mental health problems, those who have committed a crime, but have repaid their debt to society, and those who have been unemployed for a year, will be offered a 1 year holiday from National Insurance contributions.

Labour

The Social Security Bill would reverse the Conservative’s cuts to disability benefits in the following ways:

• Abolishing the Work Capability and Personal Independence Payment assessments and replace them with a personalised, holistic assessment process which provides each individual with a tailored plan, building on their strengths and addressing barriers.
• Increasing ESA by £30 per week for those in the work-related activity group and repeal cuts in UC LCW
• Uprating carer’s allowance by £11 to the level of Jobseekers Allowance
• Implementing the court decision on PIP so that there is real parity of esteem between those with physical and mental health conditions.
• Ending reassessments for people with severe long-term conditions
• Commissioning a report into expanding the Access to Work programme
• As well as scrapping the sanctions regime, Labour propose to change how Jobcentre Plus staff are performance managed.

Liberal Democrats

• Separation of employment support from the benefits system.
• Take 13,000 children out of poverty by allowing both parents to earn before their Universal Credit is cut and reverse cuts to the family element.
• Encourage people into work by reversing the cuts to work allowances in UC enabling them to work for longer before their benefits are cut.
• Expand and increase awareness of the Access to work fund.
• Improve communication between job centres, work programme providers and local NHS to ensure people entitled to health related benefits are getting the support they need.
• Accelerate the roll of individual placement and support to enable people with mental health issues to get back into work.
• Increasing support for young people, by reversing the cuts to housing benefit for 18 – 21 year olds, and increase in the rates for JSA and UC in line with minimum wage for 18 – 24 year olds.
• The Liberal Democrats would also reverse the cuts to ESA work related activity group.
• Local Housing Allowance would be increased in line with average rents in an area ensuring it is enough for a family to pay their housing costs wherever they live.
• The Work Capability Assessment would be scrapped.

If you'd like to find out more about the parties manifestos, click the links below:

Conservative 2017 Manifesto

Labour 2017 Manifesto

Liberal Democrats 2017 Manifesto

Every vote will make a difference, so to bring about the future you want, you’ll really need to play your part and vote on 8th June 2017!