Punishing disabled people is not a path to work

In recent weeks, Parliament has been debating the government’s controversial welfare Bill. Originally introduced by Liz Kendall, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Bill aimed to increase employment by “rebalancing” Universal Credit (UC) and changing eligibility for Personal Independence Payments (PIP).

The government proposed raising the standard UC allowance while cutting additional support for those with disabilities or health conditions. Simultaneously, it planned to tighten the points-based criteria for PIP, restricting eligibility to only the most severely disabled.

It is vital that those who can work should be supported to do so. However, the government’s welfare Bill was short-sighted and ill-thought out; this move was not going to get more people into work. On the contrary, it was going to strip away fundamental support that allows some of the most vulnerable in our community to live day-to-day.

I shared the story of my constituent Sarah during the debate. Sarah lives with a spinal cord injury and uses a wheelchair. Her PIP payments are not luxuries. They fund essentials like a pressure-relieving mattress, bathing aids, and transport to multiple medical appointments each month. Without this support, her life would become significantly harder.

Following widespread criticism from disability groups and many Members of Parliament, the government U-turned, saying the changes would only apply to new claimants. But that created an unfair double standard- support shouldn’t depend on when someone becomes disabled. As Sarah told me, her situation was never part of the plan. Others will sadly find themselves in similar positions and could face a future with far less help.

I voted against the Bill at every stage: for Sarah, the thousands of vulnerable people in Mid Sussex, and their unpaid carers who’ve all been overlooked. The final Bill has been gutted, with all PIP reforms now being delayed until after a review is carried out by the government in conjunction with disabled people and disability groups. However, for many, the concessions made to force this Bill through are not good enough.

We must reform our welfare system so that it works for those who need it. But the government’s original strategy was a cost-cutting exercise, not a plan to empower disabled people into work. Stripping vulnerable people of a vital safety net does not, and will never, achieve this. People like Sarah deserve our support. They don’t deserve a system that makes having a disability even more of a daily battle.