'Don’t wash your hands of cuts in Dudley' - Council leaders urged to call for benefit reform rethink

Councillors voted to support a Notice of Motion at a full meeting of the authority on July 14 which also reaffirms a commitment to review changes to its own Welfare Rights Team.

The Notice of Motion was proposed by Liberal Democrat councillor Andrew Tromans who told councillors he had been a recipient of disability benefits in the past.

Cllr Tromans said: “Cuts in disability benefits are wrong – they are wrong if they come badges with a Labour rose, a Tory tree and indeed the Lib Dem bird.

“We are not afraid to call out our party when they are wrong and we express gratitude to the minority of Labour MPs who did the same.

“This motion offers ways we can support disabled people in our borough who are facing uncertainty – it is not an issue of left and right, it is an issue of right and wrong.”

Dudley Labor’s leader, Cllr Adam Aston reminded the meeting his group wanted to maintain the Welfare Rights Team which is facing closure in September as part of cost savings in the budget for the current financial year.

Cllr Aston said: “Dudley’s Labour group is committed to supporting the most vulnerable members of our community.

“There have been some considerable changes to the reforms since this motion was first submitted.”

Cllr Tromans responded by saying he had amended the motion to account for the government’s changes to its reforms, which he branded ‘screeching U-turns’.

Reform UK’s Cllr Shaun Keasey attacked Dudley’s Lib Dems as hypocrites after they supported the Conservative council budget which included cuts to the Welfare Rights Team.

He said: “Only a few months ago at the council’s budget meeting the Lib Dems were cheering, applauding and practically giving a standing ovation to the Conservative cabinet member who announced the removal of millions of pounds of support for council tax payers in the borough who could least afford it.

“Don’t wash your hands of cuts in Dudley, you can’t applaud cuts in March and act outraged in July.”

For the Conservatives, council cabinet member for adult social care, Cllr Andrea Goddard, said: “This administration is and always has been committed to supporting our residents, particularly those facing hardship.

“That includes recognising the value of the Welfare Rights Team whose work secured over £1m worth of benefits for residents last year and demonstrated a real and measurable impact.

“We also have a responsibility to balance local needs with the financial realities that we face.”

Cllr Tromans’ Notice of Motion was passed, a report on the impact of changes to the Welfare Rights team is expected to be presented to the council’s cabinet in September.

As well as the planned letter to the government, the Notice of Motion also calls for the council’s marketing team to launch a publicity campaign promoting the sign up of pension credit, council tax reduction and the live-in carers council tax discount.