Action for M.E. comment on Government Budget
March 03, 2021
Today, the Chancellor will be unveiling his Spring Budget, with the UK Government set to announce a 6-month extension to the £20 uplift to Universal Credit.
This is welcome news. However, yet again the needs of people with disabilities have been overlooked. As part of the Disability Benefits Consortium, we are continuing to join with charities, Parliamentarians and campaign groups to call for this £20 uplift to be extended to legacy benefits.
We are also concerned that the Government are again looking at a new tax on online deliveries. This tax will likely target firms like Amazon and we are concerned that the cost will be passed down to the consumer. As many people with M.E./CFS rely on home delivery they will be disproportionately affected by such a tax. We are therefore calling for additional financial support for those who are housebound and will experience additional costs for daily living.
We will follow the announcements in the Budget and look at other areas which may affect people with M.E./CFS. We will then use our networks with the Disability Benefits Consortium and Disability Unit to represent people with M.E. in discussions with Government.
