Latest news with #disabilitybenefits
The Independent
19 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Scotland refuses to match Labour's ‘damaging' welfare cuts
The Scottish government announced it will not mirror the planned changes to welfare disability benefits proposed by Labour. The cost-cutting measures are largely focused on the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), designed to help with extra costs incurred by living with an illness or disability. The equivalent in Scotland is the Adult Disability Payment (ADP), and the administration of which is devolved to the Scottish government. Holyrood's social justice secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville, confirmed the decision in an official announcement, criticising the UK government for the plans. Ms Somerville said: 'The UK government's proposed reforms will be hugely damaging to those who rely on social security support, particularly during the ongoing cost of living crisis. These plans have yet to be passed at Westminster, so there is still time for the UK government to step back from this damaging policy and I strongly urge them to scrap their harmful proposals. 'The reforms do not reflect the Scottish government's values. We will not let disabled people down or cast them aside as the UK government has done. We will not cut Scotland's Adult Disability Payment. 'The UK government should follow our lead and protect the social security safety system, rather than dismantling it. If they do not, then disabled people can draw no other conclusion than the UK government remain content to balance the books on the backs of the most vulnerable.' Ms Somerville highlighted findings by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) that the changes are set to push 250,000 more people into poverty, including 50,000 children. The MSP for Dunfermline claimed this threatens to undermine work to reduce child poverty, pointing also to Labour's refusal to scrap the two-child benefit cap. Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall presented the welfare bill on Wednesday, which MPs are set to vote on next month - but are currently divided. Ms Kendall defended the reforms - aimed at encouraging more people off sickness benefits and into work - saying they were necessary as the 'social security system is at a crossroads'. She said: 'Unless we reform it, more people will be denied opportunities, and it may not be there for those who need it. "This legislation represents a new social contract and marks the moment we take the road of compassion, opportunity and dignity.' While Scotland is able to decide how to administer the ADP, the measures in the bill regarding Universal Credit are still liable to impact Scottish nationals, as this benefit is managed centrally. From April 2026, the payment rate for the health element of Universal Credit will be frozen. Those already receiving it will remain on £423.27 a month until 2029/30. However, new applicants after this month will receive a severely cut rate of £217.26 – almost half. The controversial proposals have drawn widespread criticism from charities and campaign groups. More than 100 Labour MPs are reportedly considering voting against the government on the plans as the government faces a significant rebellion.
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The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
‘I feel like an expensive pet': Independent readers open up on the human cost of disability cuts
As Labour faces mounting backlash over plans to cut disability benefits, dozens of Independent readers have voiced fear, anger and despair over what they see as a betrayal of society's most vulnerable. Their comments reveal the human cost behind the headlines: carers facing destitution, disabled people fearing the loss of their last shred of financial independence, and a pervasive feeling that the reforms are not about support, but punishment. Several readers spoke of lifelong conditions that make work impossible, and how benefit cuts would not help them back into employment, only into poverty. Others warned that the reforms are economically short-sighted, creating more strain on the NHS, social services and unpaid carers. Beyond practical concerns, many touched on the emotional toll of feeling vilified, dismissed or forgotten by politicians and the general public. Here's what you had to say: It's not just PIP cuts! It's not just PIP cuts! It's the cuts to the Universal Credit Health Element and Carer's Element too that many will lose. Those who work part-time and do not claim PIP will lose out, and those who have paid in, getting contribution-based benefits, will be thrown under the bus by unemployment insurance, limited to six or 12 months, because they may have a partner, when normally they would claim in their own right. These issues are not being talked about. Disabled people in all these situations will lose massively and Labour have learnt nothing from the deaths of claimants under the Tories. They know and have heard the evidence, criticised the Tories for being cruel, yet they think this is acceptable. This is not about helping people into work; it is punishing them for being unable to do so! The Force Grinding existence of poverty I have fibromyalgia and many other chronic long-term conditions, and those 14 years under the Tories forced unnecessary austerity and cruel, draconian DWP cuts to the most vulnerable people in society, many with lifelong chronic health conditions, making work impossible, and no employer would give us a second look. Those years of horrific treatment by the DWP, constant demonisation and vilification in the media and press, being made to feel like a criminal for just being alive, although it is more like a grinding existence of poverty and constant scapegoating – which feels like a form of abuse via proxy, designed to wear us down until we are broken and prone to taking our own lives… I've been there! That this isn't a national scandal on the level of the Infected Blood, Post Office Horizon, Windrush etc., is utterly shameful. But for decades, the disabled and chronically long-term sick amongst us have been treated as a drain on society – thus our plight is swept under the carpet and our lives deemed of no value. The Tories were 'stealth culling' us for years, but I never thought I'd see the day that Labour would carry through their callous policies. RedRocket68 Insulting assessments Simply cutting benefits across the board isn't the way to deal with this. There is undoubtedly misuse in the system, like in all systems, and that's why there needs to be a workable structure in place to address this. Nothing here can or ever will be foolproof! The severely disabled and their carers need support, and not to be living in fear that they won't be able to survive. Anyone who's cared for someone knows what a hard, unrelenting job it is – often 24/7. Some of those making these assessments seem to be oblivious as to what disability means for those who can never get away from it. Insulting questions, which lead to people saying they can manage things they can't, are just a small example of what people are faced with in these so-called 'assessments'. Often disabled people face more challenges than most can imagine or are even interested in. Those who do get jobs face the daily challenge of getting there – especially if they're dependent on a wheelchair. There's no quick fix for this, and slashing vital payments certainly isn't one! Ambigirls These cuts will break people None of the arguments the government is using stand up to scrutiny; there's no evidence which supports the cuts. The majority of the impact of disability is hidden outside people's close circle, especially intimate, embarrassing, and financial issues. People do not realise how bad things are, or how a lack of support can destroy you. These cuts will BREAK people. Cuts will also negatively impact the economy and cause higher dependency and increased costs to the NHS and local services in the medium to long term. KittyKat They've already cut mine by 36% Not badly so, but I'm disabled and have lived with not only the endless threat of losing my benefits – I have had them slashed (36%) and halted altogether. I wonder how far this has gone toward the destruction of my health, and yet there are many far worse off than myself. TomSnout We are where we are Unfortunately, the government does not have a time machine to go back and change decisions that some people may not like. We are where we are now. And where we are now is even higher taxes than the current record, to pay for even higher benefits spending, which, again, is already at a record (all in real terms). Mark Constant cycle of torture It's not about 'people who can work, should'. Realistically, no employer will jump at the chance to employ a disabled person – and if they do, it'll be a constant cycle of torture for the worst affected, who will be forced – and it is forced—into work they cannot do. In six months or less, they'll have worsened in health and require the services of occupational health. And what is occupational health going to tell them? Quit! Resign! You can't work after all! This welfare reform needs total scrapping. VIMS2022 Universal Credit won't help carers There will be many carers left destitute because the benefit system doesn't allow them to claim any other benefits. Universal Credit doesn't cover someone who's unable to work due to caring responsibilities. They will get nothing! Everlasting I've been waiting five years I would love nothing more than to walk again. But this is my fifth year of waiting. In case you're thinking I can't be so bad, I have severe end-stage arthritis. What bone I have left is twisting. I'm pretty darn sure I'm not the only one. Cynicalme A vendetta against the most vulnerable Having attended the consultations into the green paper, I witnessed so many who were terrified of how the cuts would rob them of their hard-fought careers. A warning for those calling for an end to disability support: these measures only save a pittance, so expect more cuts. If they can stoop low enough to give the most vulnerable a good kicking, then nothing will stop them going after pensioners next, who are the biggest slice, by over half, of the welfare bill after all. TalkingSense Easy targets PIP isn't awarded because of your ability to work or not. Why cut PIP? To save money and pretend that those who have disabilities don't have them anymore. And we are the easiest ones to target. Starmer has calculated that the 'grey vote' will be useful in the next general election, and voters will be upset if their granny and grandad die from cold. Children have voting parents and will grow up to be voters. But the disabled? Nah. Sub-humans without a voice. As I said, easy targets. News for him: disabled people also have loved ones who are voters, and we are voters too. I am about to be a grey voter, and I have a disability. Labour won't be getting my vote ever again. LizzieM I feel like an expensive pet I'm disabled. My partner works. I can't claim any benefits due to her income. PIP is therefore my only source of income and independence. It allows me to get to my own appointments, and it pays for my prescriptions, eye tests, and dental care (not that it covers this—I haven't seen a dentist in years due to the cost). PIP also makes me marginally less of a burden on my partner, as I can pay for my own prescriptions and even pick them up or get them delivered. To remove this money will drive me into poverty, make me rely more on my partner, and cost her more money. This will put pressure on our already strained relationship, as I will feel like an expensive pet, rather than a valued human being. It is cruel, vindictive and callous. I would have expected this from the Conservatives after the minefield they created throughout austerity, but for a Labour government to penalise disabled people in such a manner is bordering on political insanity – and the very definition of cruelty. Silvafox Why do they always pick on us? My husband is disabled, paralysed, uses a wheelchair – only one side of his body works. Due to other health issues, he can't have a motorised wheelchair, so we have a manual one. I take him where he has to go. He is so stressed by all of this that his condition is worse. Why does the government always pick on people who cannot defend themselves? It happens all the time. Bonniebell Employers won't take the risk The problem with DWP trying to engage disabled individuals in finding suitable work leaves a lot to be desired. Employers are more reluctant to take on disabled people on the grounds that they have to look after them. They consider disabled people as cheap labour, and the cost of employing them far outweighs the benefits. There is a pool of people who have no skills, and that is disadvantageous, not to mention that disabled people have no history or record of having worked for a considerable time. Kingdaniel Want to share your views? Simply register your details below. Once registered, you can comment on the day's top stories for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click 'log in' or 'register' in the top right corner to sign in or sign up.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Benefits bill on course to rise by £18billion a YEAR without reform - equivalent to more than the entire police budget
Spending on sickness benefits is on course to rise by £18 billion without reform – more than the entire police budget. Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall is facing a furious backlash from Labour MPs and campaigners who warn that 'cruel' cuts to disability benefits will drive hundreds of thousands into poverty. But official figures published alongside the Government's long-awaited welfare legislation yesterday reveal that spending on benefits will continue to soar even if the reforms survive a Commons rebellion, with many Labour MPs threatening the first big revolt of Keir Starmer 's premiership. An impact assessment reveals that spending on sickness and disability benefits for working-age adults is set to jump by £18 billion a year to £70 billion by the next election, if nothing is done to trim the bill. The report adds: 'The increase alone is more than the entire police budget.' The 2025-26 police budget is £17.4 billion. A Whitehall source said the surge in spending underlined the need for reform, adding: 'These figures show that the current welfare system is unsustainable.' Ms Kendall's reforms will trim £5 billion from the total unless they are blocked by mutinous Labour MPs. But spending on personal independence payments (PIP), which is at the centre of Labour's civil war on welfare, will rise by £8 billion to £31 billion – an increase of more than a third. Despite a tightening of eligibility criteria, the Department for Work and Pensions estimates another 750,000 will be claiming the benefit by the next election. Ms Kendall said the welfare package 'marks the moment we take the road of compassion, opportunity and dignity'. The cuts were needed to put the welfare budget 'on a more sustainable path'. 'This is about ensuring fairness for people who need support and fairness for the taxpayer too,' she added. But Labour critics warned there was 'no moral case' for taking benefits away from people currently classed as 'disabled'. Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy said the scale of the cuts 'would have made George Osborne blush'. She added: 'We cannot underestimate their human and political cost. The public will not forgive us if we remove support from those most in need of it.' Fellow Left-winger Richard Burgon said: 'These cruel cuts will drive hundreds of thousands of people into poverty. These cuts should have been dropped – now they should be voted down.' More than 100 Labour MPs have raised concerns about the proposals with party whips, but ministers are privately confident they can avoid a humiliating defeat in the Commons early next month. The most controversial cut involves ending eligibility for PIP payments for 800,000 people, who will lose around £4,500 each. The Government's own assessment suggests this will drive 250,000 people into poverty, including 50,000 children. The package also involves 'rebalancing' Universal Credit (UC) payments to end the 'perverse' incentive that makes it attractive for people to claim they are too sick to work. The standard UC payment of just over £400 a month will be increased by more than inflation, while the 'health element', currently worth an extra £423, will be frozen. The changes will hit around three million people. The Policy Exchange think-tank has warned that the sickness benefits bill will hit £100 billion by 2029/30 – meaning £1 in every £4 of income tax will be spent on it.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Liz Kendall 'firm in convictions' ahead of welfare vote
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has said ministers are "firm in our convictions" on welfare cuts, ahead of an expected backbench rebellion on their plans to overhaul the benefits comes as she unveiled the draft law to deliver the plans to cut Pip disability benefits and the sickness-related element of universal have also produced official assessments highlighting a gradual reduction in support for those who will no longer meet tighter eligibility criteria, and protections for the most more than 100 Labour MPs have expressed concerns about the proposals, which will be voted on for the first time in around a fortnight. The Lib Dems have said the changes could be devastating for disabled people, while the Green Party described them as "cruel".Despite the threat of unrest from his own MPs, earlier this week Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer reiterated his support for the changes, telling reporters: "We have got to get the reforms through."Kendall echoed his sentiment, telling BBC Radio 4's PM programme that although her "door was always open" to colleagues, the government was "firm in our convictions". She insisted the changes were not motivated by finding savings, saying "I have never started from a spreadsheet," and too many people were being "written off" under the current welfare system. The minister also said claimant levels were unsustainable, pointing to figures showing that a record 3.7m people were claiming personal independence payments (Pips), the disability benefit for those who have difficulty completing everyday tasks. It is not means-tested and is available for people who are in work. The Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, published on Wednesday, will tighten the criteria people have to meet in order to get Pips, and cut the element of universal credit which relates to sickness. In its impact assessments, the government said nine out of 10 current Pip claimants would still receive their payments by the end of this Parliament (around 2030).However, any reduction or withdrawal of payments will be gradual - that is because there won't be changes to eligibility without an assessment taking place, and claimants are only re-assessed every three to four analysis also suggests that re-assessments can sometimes lead to increased payments – currently around one in five, and that proportion could increase by 2029 as conditions tend to get worse not the government expects 370,000 existing claimants in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to lose out, saving £1.7bn in 2029/30.A further £1.89bn could be saved from a predicted 430,000 drop in the number of potential future claimants. A knock-on consequence will be on carers who may lose their eligibility for Carers' Allowance, a benefit for full-time carers, if their partner is no longer eligible for Pip. The government expects £500m will be saved in Carers' Allowance by 2029/ have defended the proposal by arguing they are providing improved support for people who will never be able to bill would ensure people with severe lifelong conditions will no longer face re-assessments for eligibility, and a boost in their weekly payments. The universal credit impact assessment estimated more than 200,000 would be covered by this assessments say that while welfare payments are expected to rise by the end of the Parliament, changes in the legislation will slow the rate at which it grows. An impact assessment carried out by the government in March suggested the welfare cuts could push an extra 250,000 people, including 50,000 children, into relative poverty. However, at the time ministers stressed the figures did not factor in the government's pledge to spend £1bn on helping the long-term sick and disabled back into work, or efforts to reduce Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: "If ministers were serious about getting these costs down it would be fixing health and social care, to get people fit and well and back to work."Cat Eccles, Labour MP for Stourbridge, told the BBC the move was "brutal" and that people unable to wash themselves could lose out under the proposed new system.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Rayner refuses to rule out punishing Labour MPs who rebel over welfare cuts
Angela Rayner has refused to rule out punishing Labour MPs who vote against the government's plans to cut disability benefits in the coming weeks, as ministers prepare to publish the full details of their proposals for the first time. The deputy prime minister defended the plans in the Commons on Wednesday during a session of prime minister's questions in which she was deputising for Keir Starmer. She told MPs the party was pursuing the plan – which is predicted to result in 1.2 million people with disabilities losing thousands of pounds a year – in the interests of both fairness and getting people back into work. But with dozens of Labour MPs preparing to vote against the measures, Rayner failed to deny recent reports that party bosses would remove the whip from those who rebel. Responding to a question from the SNP's Pete Wishart about whether the prime minister intended to remove the whip from rebels, she responded: 'We're absolutely committed to ending child poverty. We've already introduced free school meals. We're already supporting families. We've given a living wage rise to over millions of workers that need it. We're getting on the job.' The welfare bill is due to be published on Wednesday, with a vote on the measures due in the next few weeks. At their heart are cuts to personal independence payments (Pips) and carer's allowance, which form the bulk of the £4.8bn in savings the government is hoping to realise. The plan will tighten the eligibility for Pips so that even those who are not able to wash half of their body or who are unable to cook a meal for themselves will no longer be able to claim them, unless they have another limiting condition. The proposals have sparked uproar among Labour MPs, with as many as 170 saying they could vote against them – enough to defeat the government for the first time. The Guardian revealed last week that ministers had softened their plans slightly, giving a longer transition period for people who no longer qualify for the benefits, and paying more in universal credit to people with less than 12 months to live. But with many Labour MPs saying privately the changes do not go far enough, whips have instead gone on the offensive, warning members about the consequences if they rebel against the government and insisting there will be no further changes to the bill. Speaking to reporters in Canada at the G7 this week, the prime minister said: 'We have got to get the reforms through and I have been clear about that from start to finish. The system is not working. It's not working for those that need support; it's not working for taxpayers. 'Everybody agrees it needs reform. We have got to reform it and that is what we intend to do.'
