Killer policies must change – delegates

Liberal Democrats at their party's autumn conference said that the government has a duty of care towards sick and disabled people but that current welfare policy is failing them and the Welfare Reform Act "does not do enough to remedy the situation."

They called for an independent review of the Act and the launch of a public consultation on the assessments carried out for disability living allowance, employment support allowance and personal independence payments.

The results of this consultation should be used by the Department for Work and Pensions to reform its sickness and disability policies, they argued.

And they described the time limiting of contributory ESA, where the benefit will be stopped after a year, as "counterproductive and harmful."

Junior coalition partner Nick Clegg also gave limp assurances that the party would not allow any more cuts to benefits, which he admitted affected the poorest in society.

But disability campaigners said that the damage had already been done.

Disabled People Against Cuts spokeswoman Linda Burnip said: "It's total hypocrisy, a bit like Clegg saying sorry about student fees in the hope that the Lib Dems won't be seen as a nasty party.

"If there are so many aspects of the welfare reforms they don't like then they shouldn't have voted for them in the first place. It's too late now the damage is done.

"Clegg and his party should share the blame for pushing through the reforms that have led to the deaths and suicides of benefit claimants."