Robert Brown slams Government plans to re-assess autistic peoples' disability benefit

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 28th Apr 2008

Glasgow Liberal Democrat MSP Robert Brown has today slammed UK Government plans to routinely re-assess those in receipt of disability benefits because of the impact this will have on autistic people.

In a Scottish Parliament motion congratulating the work of the Scottish Society for Autism, and of Glasgow City Council in helping autistic people get into work, Mr. Brown set out his concerns, saying he is "hugely concerned" by the "counter-productive" Government proposals.

The UK government scheme is designed to re-assess people on disability benefits periodically to encourage them to go back to work, subject to approval from Parliament.

However, many who support those with autism believe that the assessments aren't designed to deal with people with autism properly, and consequently won't uncover a person's capacities or incapacities at all.

This could lead to many wrong assessments, and appeals which will be very damaging to the people and families involved.

Mr. Brown said:

"It's sad, at a time when the Scottish Society for Autism is celebrating its fortieth anniversary, that those who suffer from autism could be feeling more anxious about their support and situation than ever before.

"I am greatly concerned about UK Government plans to routinely re-assess everyone on disability benefits periodically, because of the impact this will have on autistic people.

"Autism is lifelong, and those who suffer don't need the Government asking every so often if they are any better.

"It's an insensitive and cruel approach. Threatening people with autism with the possibility they could lose their main source of income isn't the way to investigate how capable they are of being supported into work, if at all.

"Glasgow City Council have been working hard to support those on the Autistic spectrum to get back into work, and they have done this in a very careful and sensitive way. Re-assessing people's benefits isn't going to help this process.

"That's why I've tabled a motion urging the UK Government to take action to ensure that, where applicable, people with Autism are provided with a more supportive approach to help them into work."

Ends

Notes for editors:

Text of parliamentary motion:

S3M-01756 Robert Brown (Glasgow) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): Supporting People with Autism- That the Parliament welcomes the recent 40th anniversary of the Scottish Society for Autism and the first United Nations World Autism Awareness Day in April 2008; notes the progress that has been made in education for young people on the autistic spectrum, underpinned by the framework of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 and in services for both adults and children by the voluntary and statutory sectors; particularly applauds the work being undertaken by Glasgow City Council to help get people on the autistic spectrum into work but is hugely concerned at the proposals by the UK Government which insist on regular, routine reassessments of people with autism who are on disability benefits; believes that such routine reassessments will be counter-productive, worrying and damaging to people with profound autism, and urges the UK Government to adopt a more supportive approach to supporting people with autism into work.