People could be plunged into poverty if Attendance Allowance scrapped says MSP

NEARLY 1700 people in West Lothian could be plunged into poverty if the UK Government’s plans to scrap Attendance Allowance get the go ahead.

Livingston MSP Angela Constance has hit out at the plans, published in a green paper last month, which propose to scrap the benefit to fund a National Care Service in England.

Attendance Allowance is a tax-free benefit for people aged 65 or over who need someone to help look after them because they are physically or mentally disabled.

The SNP politician claims scrapping the allowance would adversely impact on 2000 elderly people living in the Livingston Constituency who currently claim the allowance.

According to independent research by the Institute of Social and Economic Research this would push 40 per cent of claimants into poverty, 800 of the most vulnerable older people in the Livingston area alone.

Across West Lothian there are 4180 people who claim Attendance Allowance with 1672 people plunged into poverty if plans to scrap Attendance Allowance succeed according to the research.

Scrapping Attendance Allowance would also impact on carers who receive Carers Allowance as one of the qualifying grounds is for recipients to be caring for a disabled person who receives Attendance Allowance.

There are 810 recipients of Carers’ Allowance in the Livingston Constituency and 1460 across West Lothian.

Ms Constance said: “This will be terrible news for some of West Lothian’s most vulnerable people and those who care for them. Attendance Allowance provides a lifeline to 2000 older disabled people in my constituency. It’s astonishing that in order to pay social care reform in England the UK Government want to remove Attendance Allowance, resulting in 800 vulnerable people in my constituency alone being pushed below the poverty line.

“Attendance Allowance offers essential support to many older disabled people who have to cope with the higher costs of daily living such as housing, transport and heating. Without Attendance Allowance more elderly people would be forced out of their homes into the care system.

“The UK Government must reverse these reckless proposals and reassure Attendance Allowance recipients at the earliest possible opportunity that they are not going to lose a crucial part of their income.”