Standing up for disabled people will always be a priority for me as an MP. I am proud to have recently secured a commitment from the government to change hate crime laws so that hate crimes against people with disabilities will be treated as ‘aggravated’ offences worthy of stiffer sentences, and I am also supporting a constituent’s campaign to improve the accessibility of local bus services.
Since learning of planned welfare reforms, I have wanted to be sure that what the government was proposing would deliver on their ambition of ensuring that everyone who can work is working, while protecting the most vulnerable.
I will never accept a benefits system that writes people off and leaves them parked on benefits when they do not need to be, but I was concerned that some of the measures being proposed were not the right ones to achieve this aim.
Those who have written to me before will know that there are many policies that the government is proposing that I welcome: increasing the basic rate of Universal Credit; £1 billion in additional support to get people with disabilities and long-term conditions back into work; improvements to the Access to Work scheme that funds reasonable adjustments for disabled people in the workplace; and a new ‘Right to Try’ guarantee that means people with disabilities can try out a new job without risking losing their benefits if it doesn’t work out.
I also do not underestimate the financial pressures on our welfare system. Under the Conservatives, spending on working-age benefits reached £48.5 billion and is forecast to rise to £75.7 billion by 2030 — almost twice the defence budget. It is essential we bring those costs under control.
But any reform must be done in the right way: by supporting people into work, addressing the root causes of unemployment, and protecting the most vulnerable – including disabled people. I have been concerned that proposed changes to Personal Independent Payments (PIP) did not align with these aims, and might have left some disabled people who needed help really struggling. PIP is provided to people with long-term health conditions or disabilities – whether or not they are in work – which are intended to cover the additional costs associated with managing a disability.
Over recent weeks, I have received many emails from constituents expressing their worry about these reforms — including from those who have told me they rely on the PIP they receive to enable them to work. I have been deeply moved – and in some cases troubled – by the stories I have been told about a welfare system that already isn’t working for people, but which continues to provide a lifeline for so many in our community, including disabled people.
I have shared these concerns directly with ministers, including in the House of Commons and in one-to-one discussions with the Chancellor and the Welfare Secretary. Last week I told the government that I could not commit to supporting these reforms without reassurance on the issues constituents have raised with me.
I am therefore pleased that the government has listened, and I welcome changes that have been announced over the past week.
- Reforms to PIP will be shelved until a government review is carried out, with a new system co-produced with people with disabilities.
- The government will no longer be freezing the health element of Universal Credit, which would have cost claimants about £250 a year by the end of this parliament, and it will instead rise with inflation.
- The £1 billion budget for helping people into work will be increased, and the spending will be brought forward to this year, ensuring we can start getting more people off benefits and into work right now.
These are all important changes as we begin the process of tackling the root causes of ill health and unemployment. I am particularly pleased that the government will now involve disabled people in the co-production of a new disability benefit system, to ensure their voices are heard.
So please rest assured that I will always speak up for people with disabilities and will continue to champion reform of the welfare system that is fair, affordable, and shaped by the views of those most affected.