by Gareth Cross
A Derry SDLP councillor has called for the DUP and Sinn Fein to apologise for welfare reform.
The call came was made at a full meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council held in the Guildhall last week.
SDLP councillor Shauna Cusack called for 'urgent intervention' to address concerns surrounding PIP (Personal Independence Payment).
PIP was introduced in 2017, and replaces Disability Living Allowance. Those receiving PIP must have under-go assessments to determine their level of disability.
In the north these assessments are currently carried out by Capita.
Cllr Cusack said that "this week two years ago Sinn Fein and the DUP voted to allow welfare reform to be introduced in Northern Ireland".
She said that both parties needed to accept responsibility and issue an apology to the public over welfare reform.
Cllr Cusack told the meeting that since PIP had been introduced in June the SDLP had been inundated with requests for help.
Cllr Cusack said that the meetings people had with Capita for assessment left them humiliated and deeply troubled.
She claimed that deaf people were asked to face the wall while being shouted at and people with mental health issues had their meetings cancelled at the last minute.
Cllr Cusack said it was clear PIP wasn't working and called on council to write to the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Communities and request he instigates an urgent review of PIP assessment and consider further exemption rules.
The motion was seconded by SDLP councillor Martin Reilly.
Independent councillor Darren O'Reilly said he had seen a 'close family member' go through the PIP process and found it 'unbearable' to watch.
He said that their illness was not taken into the decision and that the person wasn't eating or sleep and that he had seen them physically shaking at the prospect of the assessment.
Sinn Fein councillor Sandra Duffy hit back at what she described as 'revisionism' from the SDLP and said that Sinn Fein had secured £500m in mitigation against welfare changes.
Cll Duffy said she would not be lectured to by a party that had twice been rejected by the electorate this year.
However, she said she would have no problem supporting the motion as PIP was part of the Tory culture of shame and punishment.
DUP councillor David Ramsey said that everyone was blaming the DUP as usual but that he supported the motion.
Alderman Ramsey said there was a lack of focus on mental health issues and that the situation at Capita had led to a large number of whistleblowers leaving the company.
He proposed council submit a freedom of information request to find out how many workers had left Capita since the beginning of PIP.
The amendment was passed unanimously by council.
Cllr Cusack said that she wanted to clear up a few issues, firstly that the £500m in mitigations secured by Sinn Fein was 'not nearly enough'.
She told the meeting that Sinn Fein were allowing the DUP to prop up the Tory government by not taking their seats and that she would not be proud to be a Sinn Fein MP.
Cllr Cusack accused Sinn Fein of "not standing up for the community".
The motion was passed unanimously.
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