We need to protect pensioners from Gordon Brown's plans to cut benefits

It is very worrying that some 3,000 people in Harlow and the surrounding villages could lose their disability benefits. I am strongly opposing Gordon Brown's plans to scrap disability benefits for the elderly in Harlow.

The small print of Labour's plans to create a National Care Service reveals they will scrap Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance for pensioners to pay for it.

An average £3,400 a year will be snatched away from 2.4 million pensioners - equivalent to a quarter of the average pensioner's income. In the Harlow constituency, which includes Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon and Sheering, this would affect 3,000 pensioners – 2.030 who receive Attendance Allowance, worth an average of £60 a week, and 970 who receive Disability Living Allowance, worth an average of £75 a week.

Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance are based on need; they are not means tested and are intended to cover the extra costs arising from the impact the disability has on the life of the disabled person. The key feature of these benefits is that they can be spent by disabled people how they wish, without restrictions, to best support their individual care needs.

I find it astonishing that Gordon Brown has chosen to penalise one of the most vulnerable groups in our society for the sake of another of his eye-catching announcements.

As with every Labour initiative, someone has to pay and, as with many of them, it is once again those who are least able to afford it who are hit by Brown.

These benefits provide vital support for disabled pensioners, giving them the chance to lead an independent life with the freedom to tailor their care to their needs.

Of course, we need to do more to help people with their care costs, but it is completely wrong to do so at the expense of disabled pensioners. Conservatives will protect Harlow's pensioners and fight against Gordon Brown's plan to scrap benefits for the disabled.

Given what is planned, I am glad that last Thursday Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Theresa May and Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley launched the Conservatives' campaign to Protect Britain's Pensioners against the Labour's Government's proposals to integrate Attendance Allowance (which is only paid to the over-65s) and Disability Living Allowance for the over 65s into a future social care system.

The Conservatives want to do more to help people with their care costs, but we strongly believe that it is wrong to do this at the expense of disabled pensioners.

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