{"id":110120,"date":"2025-06-17T12:25:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T11:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/?p=110120"},"modified":"2025-06-17T12:19:25","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T11:19:25","slug":"dwp-benefit-cuts-could-hit-disabled-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/dwp-benefit-cuts-could-hit-disabled-people\/","title":{"rendered":"DWP Benefit Cuts Could Hit Disabled People Hard, Losing Up to \u00a3886 a Month"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

MPs have raised concerns about the government’s proposed cuts to DWP<\/strong> disability benefits, warning that the changes could have significant impacts on some of the UK’s most vulnerable groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 \u00a3886 per month, putting many in a more precarious position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This issue has sparked widespread debate, with campaigners and organizations, including DevonLive<\/a>, highlighting the potential for increased poverty and hardship for those who rely on these benefits to support themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Risks of Sweeping Cuts to Disability Benefits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

MPs from the cross-party group on Poverty and Inequality have raised alarms that these proposed cuts, derived from Labour’s Pathways to Work<\/em> green paper<\/a>, will worsen an already difficult situation for families facing the cost of living crisis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group’s members have voiced concerns that the plans could deepen poverty for people with disabilities. Green MP Sian Berry<\/em>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She stated, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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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.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Opposition From Multiple Quarters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The proposed reforms have sparked strong opposition across political lines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over 40 Labour MPs, along with campaigners and charities, are urging the government to scrap the reforms, describing them as “impossible to support.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In what appeared to be an attempt to quell disquiet within the party, Welfare Secretary Liz Kendall<\/a><\/em> put forward “non-negotiable” safeguards for those most vulnerable, including a 13-week transition period<\/strong> for recipients losing their Personal Independence Payments<\/em> (PIP).<\/p>\n\n\n

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DWP Benefit Cuts Could Hit Disabled People Hard, Losing Up to \u00a3886 a Month. Credit: Canva<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

One claimant shared their distress, stating, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The cuts\/changes to eligibility for PIP will decimate my life if they go ahead. It will cost me \u00a38,400 a year. How am I meant to survive?<\/em> – Another claimant stated, <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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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.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Despite these concerns, Ms. Berry<\/em> pointed out, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PIP helps so many stay in work. And they’re talking about restricting it. It doesn’t make sense.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Financial Implications for Disabled Claimants<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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 \u00a38,400 per year. The government’s proposals could also push 250,000 people, including 50,000 children, into poverty, according to government-endorsed predictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation<\/em> has presented an even grimmer analysis, estimating that 400,000 people could be affected, with children making up a quarter of that figure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, the impact on food insecurity is severe. According to the APPG, over 25% of disabled people face food insecurity<\/a>\u2014a rate nearly three times higher than that of non-disabled individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wider Consequences for Poverty and Food Insecurity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Disabled people<\/a> are already disproportionately affected by poverty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their average monthly costs for essentials such as heating, transportation, and care exceed those of others by over \u00a31,000 per month. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This financial strain makes the proposed cuts even more damaging, as many disabled individuals struggle to meet their basic needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Government\u2019s Defense and Ongoing Political Divisions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite internal dissent, Prime Minister Keir Starmer<\/em> <\/a>remains firm on his support for the reforms, emphasising the necessity to overhaul the welfare system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addressing the potential for dissent, Starmer said: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We’ve got to reform the welfare system,<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

highlighting his determination to press forward with the plans despite significant opposition from some MPs within his party.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Proposed DWP benefit cuts could drastically affect up to 800,000 disabled claimants, with some facing monthly reductions of \u00a3886, raising fears of increased poverty and hardship<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":110121,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-110120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-welfare","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110120"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110120\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110135,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110120\/revisions\/110135"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}