The CEO for a disability association in Barrow has express her happiness at the government u-turn on controversial cuts to disability benefits.

The slashing of benefits for disabled people would have been through changes to Personal Independence Payments (PIP), which are gradually replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

It was believed that the cuts would disproportionately affect residents in Barrow, where one in four working age adults in the borough have a disability.

CEO is 'delighted'

The Chief Executive Officer at Barrow & District Disability association, Margaret Burrow, said: "We are delighted about the u-turn because we have been an organisation for a long, long time.
Iain Duncan Smith

"We realise there is a need for the welfare reforms, however the people targeted are the profoundly disabled, we are talking about real people and their ability to exist in this world.

"I personally thank Iain Duncan Smith for being a gentlemen and saying 'I cannot be involved in this'".

Resignation

Mr Duncan Smith resigned from his post as Work and Pensions Secretary last week, citing pressure to make cuts to disability benefits.

In his resignation letter, Mr Duncan Smith said he had 'reluctantly' come to believe that the latest changes to disability benefits and the context that they were made in were 'a compromise too far'.

PM's support for Osborne


David Cameron and chancellor George Osborne Meanwhile, Prime Minister David Cameron has signalled his support for Chancellor George Osborne after he was forced to abandon £4-billion of benefit cuts for the disabled.

Downing Street have rejected suggestions that Mr Cameron was happy for the Chancellor to cut welfare payments to the less well-off as they did not vote for the government.

The Prime Minister's Spokeswoman said: "He doesn't accept that. We don't accept that. 

"This government has been very clear that we want to focus on how we as a country live within our means while making sure that we are supporting those who are most vulnerable."

She also commented that the Government would now bring forward alternative proposals to the cuts to PIP in the Autumn Statement towards the end of the year.