South Wales East AM Lindsay Whittle will press the First Minister in creating a Commissioner for the Disabled in Wales.
Mr Whittle, Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson on equalities, is due to raise the issue in the Senedd on Tuesday.
He said: “The Paralympics brought disabled people into focus as never before. There was enormous support and goodwill for the UK’s Paralympians, including our Welsh athletes, and we need to build on that.
“Politicians have been basking in the glory of the Paralympics and Olympics. Now, the Welsh Government needs to act and support the early establishment of a Commissioner to look after the interests of disabled people in Wales.
“I first raised this idea a year ago and it’s time progress was made. I hope Carwyn Jones will give a firm commitment next Tuesday to a post of Commissioner for the Disabled following the successful establishment of the Children’s and Older Person’s Commissioners.”
One of Mr Whittle’s staff attended a meeting last week with Shelter Cymru when the issue of hate crime against disabled people was among several raised.
Figures from the Association of Chief Police Officers show that there were 123 reported cases of disability hate crime with 73 cases in South Wales, 32 in North Wales and nine each in Gwent and Dyfed Powys. It is estimated that the hate crime is under-reported by between 50% and 70%.
First Minister Carwyn Jones has previously described the idea of a Commissioner for the Disabled as interesting.
This proposal, being promoted by Lindsay Whittle, Plaid Cymru Spokesperson for equalities, is a no brainer, indeed it would be a very brave politician who disagrees with him and plans to obstruct his proposals for a Disability Commissioner for Wales.
I predict that it may be said that to create such a high ranking and high profile post in the realms of the Welsh establishment cannot be done due to the, `issues`, such a person would have to address not being `devolved issues`.
That argument would not, of course, hold water, just look at the issues the Aged Person Commissioner gets involved in, many of these are not directly devolved, but, she still professes to have `influence` over many aspect of many things which effects the life of aged people.
In the case of an Disabilities Commissioner there are many many aspects of a disabled persons life which are effected by the devolved responsibilities and the work of a Local Authority, the Health Service, Education, and many more devolved responsibilities to organisations unique to Wales.
It is very difficult to imagine any politician in the Assembly not agreeing with Lindsay`s proposals, the difficult thing for Lindsay is, of course, to convince politicians who may be politically opposed due to it being a Plaid Cymru proposal, to find and spend the money necessary to implement them.
It would of course be almost impossible for a Tory or a Lib Dem Welsh Assembly member to fully support Lindsay`s proposals and actually create such post of Commissioner in Wales, that is, without looking absolutely stupid when one considers they support the removal of disability allowances to the most disabled people by taking away the benefits awarded to them to ensure they retain as much independence as possible, and, are seen to be as able bodied as the next man or woman in the way they go about their daily lives, but then again, they could do a ` Cleggee` or a `Cameron` and say one thing and do another!!!!
I only hope that the First Minister and all other Labour Politicians in the Assembly support Lindsay`s proposals.
There is no conflict for Lib Dems or Tories, the replacement of one benefit for another will have no impact upon their decision of whether to support a Disabilities commissioner or not. Indeed it would be difficult to see how any reasoned individual could reach such an absurd conclusion.
Benefits being awarded for life without ever being subject to review was always going to create an issue. Should DLA not be scrapped in favour of PIP then there would still be inevitable reviews and subsequent losses for those who were not as needy as they once were. Whether PIP will prove to be an adequate replacement for DLA remains as yet to be seen.
We should perhaps hope that nobody in Caerphilly loses their motability cars as a result of changes. Likewise labour too must be hoping that the most severely disabled without transport are not recognised by any commissioner, for fear of exposing their pre-election lies in regards to removing the bulky household waste tax. Which naturally has the greatest impact upon the most needy and vulnerable in the borough.
This woman is wrong, DLA is subject to revue at anytime by the DWP
And there certainly is no ` conflict` for Tories and Lib Dems, they take is read they can say one thing and do another, no conflict there then?
Her statement that a prospective Disability Commissioner would have NO IMPACT in Wales, falls in line with her beliefs that all disabled claimants belong to the something for free set. lets all hope that the entire Welsh Assembly disagree with her, but, there again it would not be difficul for any `reasoned individual`, to do.
She should also take time out from her support for the chinless, brainless, bullingham boys attack on the most venerable in our society and, read the report of the Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson Committee.
But. there again, this woman contributor to these pages has already shown her credentials as being a support of the systematic demolition of the processes successive UK governments have created over the years to support those most venerable and in need Wales and throughout Britain.
Jeff
DLA is technically subject to review and in practice claims are not routinely or adequately reviewed, many are never reviewed at all. As such a review of those claims is excessively overdue and was inevitable.
I made no comment upon the supposed effectiveness of any potential disabilities commissioner. I am not wholly convinced of your abilities as a mind reader either. Indeed I fear you appear to be somewhat delusional. Perhaps you would do better to read what people have actually written as opposed to deciding what you think they have written or thought.
Rabid ideologists of the unquestioning kind do so seem to forget that it was Labour which instigated reform of disability benefits. Is Miliband promising to redact all changes or arguing against the need for reform? Well he does waffle about the middle classes losing tax credits but I'm not sure they count as 'venerable'. Perhaps it is that they are the sacred cow of new labour? For he has precious little to say in defence of disability benefits.
Does Helen work for ATOS, the French National Company engaged by the Tories and the Lib Dems to remove the benefits from the most needy in our Communities?.
Is this lady in support of the removal of necessary benefits to those who need them, and, once removed by the assessments undertaken by this French Company the 40 or so who have committed suicide whist awaiting the hearing of their appeals against those decisions, and, the many many thousands who it is found have had their benefits removed illegally by this French Company and successfully win their appeals. A company, incidentally, who pocketed 100 million pounds £100,000,00 in Government fees for doing their odious bidding.
The new universal benefit will go the same way, and, as I have predicted before on these pages, the appeals system will implode due to the effect that new proposed benefit will have on Caerphilly Council, who have agreed to pilot the new benefit on behalf of the UK Government, and on the Courts Tribunal System.
It is for all these reasons and many more that Wales needs its own Disability Commissioner who would champion the rights of the Disabled, whether Helen likes it or not.
Helen
But you are a mind reader?? You have made comments on these pages about the Universal Benefit which has still not been issued as a regulation, and, expounded the virtues of such a proposed benefit, How on earth do you know anything about that benefit when no regulation changes have yet been published????