Benefit cuts will hit severely disabled people despite ministers’ claims, say charities
“Huge swathes” of severely disabled people will be hit by the planned universal credit cuts, contrary to government claims that they will be protected, charities say.Organisations including Scope, Z2K and the MS Society say the legislation, which is due to be voted on again by MPs on Wednesday, fails to account for disabilities if they are progressive or fluctuating.The clause in the bill said to shield the most severely disabled and ill people from reassessment and the new lower benefit rate – known as the severe conditions criteria (SCC) – will only do so if a claimant meets a number of strict requirements, including that a health condition must be constant.It means people with severe illnesses that vary with symptoms day to day, such as Parkinson’s, bipolar and multiple sclerosis, could be put on to the reduced universal credit rate despite being too ill to seek employment.“Contrary to government claims, we have real fears that many disabled people with lifelong conditions that severely impact their daily lives will not in fact be protected from the cuts,” said Ayla Ozmen, the director of policy and campaigns at the anti-poverty charity Z2K.
“The protections have a very narrow definition – as drafted, they will only apply where someone is seriously affected by their condition at all times.Based on our experience, this will likely exclude huge swathes of disabled people, including those who have fluctuating conditions but who everyone would agree have high support needs.We’re calling on the government to drop these damaging cuts and go back to the drawing board.”James Taylor, the head of strategy at the disability equality charity Scope, said: “The severe conditions criteria are only going to apply to a small number of disabled people.The criteria are too narrow and fail to take fully into account those with progressive or fluctuating conditions.
“A lack of clarity about what the criteria mean also leaves them open to individual interpretation by assessors, and will see even those who are eligible missing out,”There is further concern among charities that the SCC require a person to have an NHS diagnosis for their condition, at a time when long waiting lists mean increasing numbers of people with mental and physical health symptoms are unable to access one,Taylor said: “The plan is to only include NHS diagnoses, which excludes people who were privately diagnosed, and that includes many with neurodivergent conditions,It feels like it’s been designed to cut support, rather than what’s best for disabled people, and will only move more disabled people into poverty,”Under the proposed rules, new universal credit claimants who apply for the “health element” would get less than half the amount of current recipients, resulting in a loss of about £3,000 a year.
Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, has pledged that the SCC will provide “peace of mind” and additional protection from the changes for “the most vulnerable and severely disabled” people,But the government’s own impact assessment projects that only 200,000 people will be insulated by the clause – just under 8% of those claiming the health top-up,Julia Modern, a senior policy and campaigns manager at Inclusion London, said it was the latest “seriously flawed” plan ministers had formulated “without any input” from disabled people or their organisations,“These criteria are designed to further reduce the number of people classed as severely disabled and who are protected from cuts,But everyone within the LCWRA [limited capability for work and work-related activity] group is already unable to engage with work-related activities.
No one should be targeted for cuts,”The Department for Work and Pensions did not respond to a request for comment prior to publication,Afterwards, the DWP disputed the charities’ interpretation of the bill, saying the SCC “protects those not expected to ever be able to work due to a severe lifelong health condition or disability that is not expected to improve, irrespective of their diagnosis or whether the condition fluctuates”,
Labour MPs alarmed by rise in sponsored events arranged by party
Labour MPs have privately raised alarm at the number of sponsored corporate receptions for backbenchers that have been arranged by the party, amid concerns about perceived conflicts of interest.MPs have received invitations for networking receptions that include explicit advertisements for property developers or public affairs firms. The invitations are sent to MPs directly from the parliamentary Labour party (PLP) office and forwarded by party whips.“The PLP office has literally become a public affairs agency,” one MP said. “The wording is genuinely shocking
Starmer and Macron agree that ‘new deterrent’ needed to stop small boats, No 10 says – as it happened
Downing Street has issued a statement about Keir Starmer’s talks with Emmanuel Macron over lunch today. It says the PM and the president agreed that “a new deterrent” was needed to stop the small boat crossings.This seems to be a reference to the idea of a “one in, one out” returns scheme, which would involve migrants arriving illegally in the UK being swiftly returned to France, but with the UK also agreeing to take in an equivalent number of migratns based in France who are claiming asylum in the UK. Starmer is said to be urging Macron to accept a deal of this sort, but Macron has reportedly been resisting, and the idea is unpopular with some other European countries. Last month Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Malta wrote to the European commission complaining that such a scheme could incentivise even more irregular migration into southern Europe
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Spare a thought for Rachel Reeves. After last week’s mini-meltdown during prime minister’s questions, the chancellor is now condemned to spend the next year grinning manically every time she’s out and about in public. Having a bad day at the office? GRIN. Had a row with the kids? GRIN. Now there is no escape
Caught between the Senedd and Westminster, Welsh Labour risks collapsing loyalty
Playing Tom Jones and Catatonia at the decks and later taking to the dancefloor wrapped in a Welsh flag, Eluned Morgan, at least, was having a good time at the Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno last month.But almost a year into the job as first minister of the Labour government in the Senedd, working alongside a Labour administration in Westminster, the party arguably does not have much to make a song and dance about.For 100 years, the Welsh have been Labour’s most loyal voters, and they have returned the party to government in Cardiff since devolution almost 27 years ago. But poll after poll now says Labour’s base has collapsed and the party will come third in the Senedd elections next May, after Plaid Cymru and Reform UK. In Westminster, the worry is the Welsh elections will prove a bellwether for the next general election in 2029
MPs and peers make awkward small talk during wait for box-office hit Macron
It wasn’t quite the Pyramid stage. When the queen, the pope, Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama were invited to address both houses of parliament, they were given Westminster Hall. On the first state visit of any European leader since Brexit, Emmanuel Macron had to make do with the Royal Gallery. The UK has been on quite the journey since Liz Truss was unable to identify the French president as friend or foe.Still, the Royal Gallery is not a bad second-best
Macron tells UK parliament that Europe must end its dependency on the US and China – as it happened
Macron says European countries must end their “excessive dependencies on both the US and China”.He suggests China’s use of subsidies are a threat to fair trade.And he says that President Trump’s trade war is also an attack on WTO rules.He says the European democratic model is as under threat from “foreign interference, information manipulation, domination of minds by negative emotions and addictions to social media”.UPDATE: Macron said European countries had to break away from economic dependence on the US and China
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