Disabled athletes forced to quit by benefit reform

Mon,21 April 2014
News

Disabled athletes are being forced out of sport because of the UK Government's welfare reforms, their national body has warned

With only three months to go to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) said athletes who had been through work capability assessments were finding they could no longer afford to compete or train because of benefit cuts.

The organisation told Members of the Scottish Parliament that its staff and associates from across the country had reported the impact of assessments on the sportsmen and women. Even board members of the governing organisation for disabled sport north of the Border have been affected.

Elite athletes preparing for Glasgow 2014, which runs from July 23 to August 3 and includes five disabled sports, are not thought to be affected. However, sources claim welfare reforms are hitting potential stars at grassroots level.

The SDS claim is part of evidence to the Scottish Parliament's Public Petitions Committee and a submission calling for the scrapping of the UK Government's work capability assessor Atos as a Glasgow 2014 key sponsor.

Ian Hood, of Learning Disability Alliance Scotland said many people assessed to be able to carry out some work were losing about £40 per week in benefits. He added:
"To say because someone can throw a shot put they could pull a lever in a factory is the stuff of the 1870s. Work is more complicated. Having sporting ability doesn't mean you can hold down a full-time job or complete the hours to support yourself."

For more information see Disabled athletes forced to quit sport by benefit cuts @ http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/commonwealth-games/cwg-news/disabled...