UK Disabilities Lives at Risk as Shocking Benefit Changes Spark Outrage! Here’s the update

The Labour government has reportedly abandoned plans to freeze Personal Independence Payment (PIP) disability benefits following backlash from MPs and disability advocates. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall had been under pressure to cut the benefits bill, with proposals to cancel an inflation-linked rise to PIP. However, it now appears that the freeze has been scrapped, and the government is instead considering changes to the eligibility criteria for PIP to achieve the desired savings.

PIP is a key disability benefit administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), providing financial support to help disabled people cover the additional costs of living with a disability. The current rates are £72.65 per week for the standard daily living component and £108.55 for the enhanced rate. For mobility support, the rates are £28.70 (standard) and £75.55 (enhanced) per week. The proposed freeze had sparked widespread concern, with critics warning it would push disabled people further into poverty.

The government is also considering cuts to the top rate of incapacity benefit as part of its efforts to reduce the welfare budget. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has emphasized the need to “get a grip” on welfare spending, describing the current system as “not working for anyone.” However, the decision to scrap the PIP freeze suggests the government is responding to pressure from MPs and the public.

Reforms to the welfare system are expected to be announced this week, ahead of Reeves’s Spring Budget on March 26. The reforms come as the number of working-age adults claiming incapacity or disability benefits has risen significantly, from 2.8 million before the pandemic to nearly 4 million today. Liz Kendall has warned that the number of people on PIP is set to more than double this decade, driven in part by younger people claiming benefits for mental health conditions. Recent DWP research shows that 270,000 people aged 16 to 34 are long-term sick with a mental health condition, an increase of 60,000 (26%) in the last year alone.

Kendall has stressed that work is beneficial for health, stating, “Increasingly, there is lots of clear evidence that work is good for mental health and physical health too.” She has also pledged to protect welfare payments for those who cannot work, describing it as an “absolute principle.” As part of the reforms, Kendall has proposed a “right to try guarantee,” which would allow disabled people to try employment without risking automatic reassessment of their benefits.

Despite these assurances, disability charities have warned that cutting disability benefits would have “disastrous consequences” for disabled people. David Southgate, policy manager at Scope, described benefits like PIP as “a lifeline” that helps cover essential costs such as equipment, home support, and heating. He urged the government to work with disabled people to fix the “broken benefits system” rather than cutting support.

The welfare reforms have also drawn criticism from opposition parties. The Conservatives have accused Labour of “dithering, delay, and division” on the issue, while the SNP has called for any planned cuts to disability payments to be “abandoned.” Some Labour MPs have expressed concerns about the impact of the reforms on vulnerable people, with fears that drastic cuts could worsen poverty and inequality.

The details of the welfare reforms are expected to be announced in a green paper on Tuesday, with further clarity likely to come in the Spring Budget. The government faces a difficult balancing act as it seeks to reduce welfare spending while protecting those who rely on benefits to meet their basic needs.

What do you think? Should the government focus on reforming the welfare system to encourage work, or should it prioritize protecting disability benefits for vulnerable people? Share your thoughts!