Kitty
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Quite rightly, too. People shouldn't be surprised to find themselves in hot water if they come up with policies as bad as this.
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UK: Disability benefits (UC, ESA and PIP) - news and updates 2024 and 2025
- Thread starter John Mac
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Quite rightly, too. People shouldn't be surprised to find themselves in hot water if they come up with policies as bad as this.
Lou B Lou
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Now Starmer et al are touting 'concessions' to the Bill to pacify the rebel MPs.
But that will be a trick. One suggestion is changing the 4 Points in one Activity of Daily Living PIP requirement to a 3 Points in one Activity of Daily Living PIP requirement.
That is the trick. Because only 1 of all of the Activities of Daily Living (need help getting in/out of the bath) has a 3 point possibility in the assessment. The rest of the Activities of Daily Living go from 2 points straight to 4 Points. So changing to a 3 Point requirement will exclude pretty much as many people.
Sorry if that sounds garbled.
But that will be a trick. One suggestion is changing the 4 Points in one Activity of Daily Living PIP requirement to a 3 Points in one Activity of Daily Living PIP requirement.
That is the trick. Because only 1 of all of the Activities of Daily Living (need help getting in/out of the bath) has a 3 point possibility in the assessment. The rest of the Activities of Daily Living go from 2 points straight to 4 Points. So changing to a 3 Point requirement will exclude pretty much as many people.
Sorry if that sounds garbled.
MrMagoo
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
No, it’s a good point.
How about they stop messing about with points, and accept they want disabled people to suffer.
MrMagoo
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Massive climb down apparently agreed with rebels.
Current claimants will keep all their benefits, changes will be for new claimants
www.bbc.co.uk
Current claimants will keep all their benefits, changes will be for new claimants
Keir Starmer climbs down on welfare bill after Labour MP backlash
Cuts to some disability benefits will only hit future claimants, not those already on it.
www.bbc.co.uk
Kitty
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
So a two-tier system, where the amount of help you receive could depend on what year you were unfortunate enough to acquire your illness or disability?
alktipping
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
From what i have seen it is not just new claimants it is for every review .Massive climb down apparently agreed with rebels.
Current claimants will keep all their benefits, changes will be for new claimants
Keir Starmer climbs down on welfare bill after Labour MP backlash
Cuts to some disability benefits will only hit future claimants, not those already on it.
Kiristar
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jun/27/no-10-climb-down-over-welfare-bill-move-win-rebels
I'm confused now. The guardian does say it's new claimants only but also that a "fundamental review" of Pip is being brought forward which the BBC omits.
The compromises "include exempting everyone currently receiving disability benefits from the changes and increasing the health element of universal credit in line with inflation.
Kendall said she would bring forward a more fundamental review into the personal independence payment (Pip) system and increase the amount of money to be spent on back-to-work schemes."
Kitty
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Makes you wonder if the government's making it up as it goes along, doesn't it.
Peter T
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
I remember a UK back to work scheme in place in the early 2000s. For a number of sessions I was obliged to explore the options to get me job ready with an advisor of some sort. I gave her details of what I need to do to reactivate my professional qualification, but she agreed I was not well enough to achieve that; I visited the county volunteer coordinator who gave me an overview of the type of volunteer opportunities in my area that could be used to get on a back to work track, but the advisor agreed I was not well enough to do any of them; there may have been other options explored but eventually the benefits agent agreed that getting back to work was not a likely prospect for me. This process triggered a down turn in my health.
If I remember correctly, this scheme met with little success and was eventually dropped.
Kitty
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
I guess it'll depend on what the eventual law says. If it is "new claims", it would only affect current claimants if they had a break in their claim.
But that might mean the impact on UC is quite significant. Most claimants with long term disabilities are likely to stay on PIP, but some of the same people might come on and off UC—for instance if they're able to work but it's hard to find jobs they can do, or they try work but find they can't manage.
If they have a break in their UC claim and don't have a four-point PIP award, might they no longer qualify for the UC disability elements?
If so, it's an immediate disincentive to look for a job or try working. Especially as it takes a huge amount of effort to find employment even when you're not disabled, and it's 20 times harder if you are.