The High Court has ruled that Government changes to the disability benefit system ‘blatantly discriminate’ against people with mental health problems in breach of their human rights.
The landmark court case, brought by a woman with mental health difficulties, ruled that the regulations ‘cannot be justified’.
The case, brought by the Public Law Project on behalf of the woman, could see more than 160,000 people with mental health problems be entitled to additional support if this ruling stands.
Debbie Abrahams, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary
Ms. Abrahams said, “This landmark ruling is a damming indictment of the Government’s discriminatory approach to PIP support and its refusal to make this support available to people with mental health problems.
So much for the Prime Minister’s commitment to deliver parity of esteem for mental health. When the Government should have been listening to successive court rulings on PIP payments and correcting injustices for people with debilitating mental health conditions, they decided to undermine the legal basis for the judgements and introduce emergency legislation.”
Jo
Jonathan Bartley, Green Party Co-Leader
He stated that, “The courts have ruled that the Government’s actions were discriminatory and unlawful. The Government should now compensate all those who have been adversely affected and suffered hardship.
Disabled people shouldn’t have to go to the courts to win basic rights which should already be theirs. The Government must not be allowed to go on treating disabled people as second class systems.”