MPs have raised concerns about the government’s proposed cuts to DWP disability benefits, warning that the changes could have significant impacts on some of the UK’s most vulnerable groups.
Reports suggest that up to 800,000 people could lose their financial support as a result of these reforms. For the poorest disabled claimants, the reduction could be as much as £886 per month, putting many in a more precarious position.
This issue has sparked widespread debate, with campaigners and organizations, including DevonLive, highlighting the potential for increased poverty and hardship for those who rely on these benefits to support themselves.
The Risks of Sweeping Cuts to Disability Benefits
MPs from the cross-party group on Poverty and Inequality have raised alarms that these proposed cuts, derived from Labour’s Pathways to Work green paper, will worsen an already difficult situation for families facing the cost of living crisis.
The group’s members have voiced concerns that the plans could deepen poverty for people with disabilities. Green MP Sian Berry, who serves as co-chair of the parliamentary group, criticised the government for making life even more difficult for disabled people, who already experience significantly deeper poverty than the general population.
She stated,
Disabled people are already squeezed beyond belief, they’re already living in much deeper poverty [than the general population]… The new proposals will make things much, much worse. The government needs to start from scratch. It’s just a disaster on every front.
Opposition From Multiple Quarters
The proposed reforms have sparked strong opposition across political lines.
Over 40 Labour MPs, along with campaigners and charities, are urging the government to scrap the reforms, describing them as “impossible to support.”
In what appeared to be an attempt to quell disquiet within the party, Welfare Secretary Liz Kendall put forward “non-negotiable” safeguards for those most vulnerable, including a 13-week transition period for recipients losing their Personal Independence Payments (PIP).
One claimant shared their distress, stating,
The cuts/changes to eligibility for PIP will decimate my life if they go ahead. It will cost me £8,400 a year. How am I meant to survive? – Another claimant stated,
In short: people will die. It remains to be seen if I’ll be one of them because, if things go ahead as planned, I don’t see a way forward.
Despite these concerns, Ms. Berry pointed out,
PIP helps so many stay in work. And they’re talking about restricting it. It doesn’t make sense.
Financial Implications for Disabled Claimants
For many, the proposed cuts are set to result in substantial financial losses. As mentioned above, a claimant noted that the changes could cost them £8,400 per year. The government’s proposals could also push 250,000 people, including 50,000 children, into poverty, according to government-endorsed predictions.
However, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has presented an even grimmer analysis, estimating that 400,000 people could be affected, with children making up a quarter of that figure.
Moreover, the impact on food insecurity is severe. According to the APPG, over 25% of disabled people face food insecurity—a rate nearly three times higher than that of non-disabled individuals.
Wider Consequences for Poverty and Food Insecurity
Disabled people are already disproportionately affected by poverty.
Their average monthly costs for essentials such as heating, transportation, and care exceed those of others by over £1,000 per month.
This financial strain makes the proposed cuts even more damaging, as many disabled individuals struggle to meet their basic needs.
Government’s Defense and Ongoing Political Divisions
The APPG and advocacy groups are calling for the reforms to be halted, recommending instead an increase in benefit payments to better reflect the actual costs disabled people face.
Despite internal dissent, Prime Minister Keir Starmer remains firm on his support for the reforms, emphasising the necessity to overhaul the welfare system.
Addressing the potential for dissent, Starmer said:
We’ve got to reform the welfare system,
highlighting his determination to press forward with the plans despite significant opposition from some MPs within his party.
