Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall confirmed on Tuesday 18 March that planned cuts to Britain’s disability benefits would go ahead, despite calls from MPs urging her to reconsider.
In a statement to the House of Commons, Ms Kendall outlined reductions in the eligibility criteria for personal independence payments (PIP) to save the government £5bn by 2030 and “fix the broken benefits system.”
Many in her own party have voiced their disapproval in what is shaping up to be the biggest test so far to Keir Starmer’s authority. Debbie Abrams, the Work and Pensions Committee chief, cautioned against “balancing the books on the backs of sick and disabled people.”
Under the proposed new system, only the most severely disabled will not have their entitlement re-assessed with the rest of claimants needing to submit to reevaluation and score four points in a minimum of one activity to remain eligible.
Defending the government’s position, Ms Kendall told the House that the current system was:
“Failing the very people it is supposed to help and holding our country back…Under this government, the social security system will always be there for people in genuine need. That is a principle we will never compromise on. But disabled people and people with health conditions who can work should have the same rights, choices and chances to work as everybody else.”
Last week, Health Secretary Wes Streeting sparked controversy by claiming on Sunday with Laura Kuenssburg that there is currently an over-diagnosis of mental health conditions which, combined with proposed reforms of PIP, has led many in parliament to accuse the government of betraying its voters.
Clive Lewis, a Labour MP, remarked that “My constituents, my friends, my family are very angry about this and they do not think this is the kind of action a Labour government takes.”
When asked what the effects of these cuts could be on University of Edinburgh students, the Disability and Learning Support Service declined to comment.
“Keir Starmer, 2020 Labour Party leadership election hustings, Bristol 1” by Rwendland is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.