Call to protect pensioners from plans to scrap benefits.

Graham Stuart MP

Fears as many as 4,060 pensioners could lose their disability benefits across Beverley and Holderness have been raised by MP Graham Stuart.

Graham voiced his opposition to Gordon Brown’s new plans to scrap disability benefits for the elderly.

The small print of Labour’s plans to create a National Care Service reveals the party will scrap Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance for pensioners to pay for it.

An average £3,400 a year will be snatched away from 2.4 million pensioners – equivalent to a quarter of the average pensioner’s income.

In Beverley and Holderness, this would affect 2,530 pensioners who receive Attendance Allowance, worth an average of £60 a week, and 1,530 OAPs who receive Disability Living Allowance, worth an average of £75 a week.

Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance are based on need; they are not means tested and are intended to cover the extra costs arising from the impact the disability has on the life of the disabled person.

The key feature of these benefits is that they can be spent by disabled people how they wish, without restrictions, to best support their individual care needs.

Graham  said: “Gordon Brown has chosen to penalise one of the most vulnerable groups in our society for the sake of an eye-catching announcement.

“As with every Labour initiative, someone has to pay and, as with many of them, it is once again those who are least able to afford it who are hit by Mr Brown.”

And he added: “These benefits provide vital support for disabled pensioners, giving them the chance to lead an independent life with the freedom to tailor their care to their needs.

“Of course, we need to do more to help people with their care costs, but it is completely wrong to do so at the expense of disabled pensioners. A Conservative Government will protect pensioners and fight any plan to scrap benefits for the disabled.”