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Austerity 2.0? Announced Welfare Reforms

A digitally manipulated image features a protest sign with bold, handwritten-style text reading 'NO MORE DEATHS FROM BENEFIT CUTS.' The background is a collage of people engaged in various types of work, including wheelchair users and standing individuals. The image has a glitch-like effect with blue, purple, and green tones.

Article Summary

All the cuts are making disabled people poorer. This article looks into this and says it's like the last time there were loads of cuts.

Last week,  Difference North East emailed every MP in the North East. From Berwick to North Allerton, we expressed our grave concerns over the announced welfare reforms. Most MPs did not respond. Labour MPs told us they had disabled people at the heart of their decisions. We have not seen that happen. The government is ill-equipped to do a consultation. We do not believe they understand the full effects this reform will have. So, we ask the government to think about unpaid carers, provide clarity on the Work Capability Assessment, and consult far and wide before legislating. These welfare reforms will kill people. We can’t let that happen.

Our letter is below. Feel free to copy and expand to send to your own MP if you have received a similar response. 

Our Letter

Dear Labour MP,

Firstly, whilst the intention within these welfare reforms to simplify the system and protect those with the highest needs is welcome in principle. However the framing of these reforms – particularly around ‘incentives’ – risks further entrenching the harmful narratives that paint disabled people and carers as burdens. This undermines the dignity and autonomy that you have rightly highlighted as essential.   

Unpaid Care

Secondly, unpaid carers are the backbone of our welfare system – many of whom are disabled themselves. According to Carers UK, there are an estimated 5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK (1) doing the equivalent of £184 billion worth of care per year which is more than the total NHS budget in England. The current welfare reform fails to recognise this contribution and the current support for carers remains grossly inadequate.  

  • Carer’s Allowance is just £81.90 a week, and thus many carers earn less than minimum wage for their work. 
  • 1.2 million carers live in poverty and 400,00 in deep poverty (1) 

These figures make clear that unpaid carers are propping up a system that would collapse – they need more than just reassurance they need a system that reflects their value. 

Work Capability Assessment

Thirdly, the decision to scrap the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) might sound like progress, but I must ask what it will be replaced with. The widespread concern that merging assessments or relying more heavily on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) criteria could leave many people without the support they currently rely on, especially those with fluctuating or mental health conditions. The reassurance that these changes won’t happen ‘immediately’ is not reassuring for someone who cannot work in any frequent manner.  

Your response suggest this will ‘focus on what people can do’, but without a clear understanding of the barriers disabled people face – including stigma, inaccessible workplaces, and a lack of appropriate support. It is hard to hear this as anything other than ‘pushing people off benefits’. 

Listen First, Legislate Second

Any reform must be underpinned by kindness, empathy, and the lived experience of disabled people and their carers. We will not stand for Austerity 2.0. The changes must see the human cost, not the lines on a budget. A truly fair system involves listening first and legislating second. That means: 

  • Involving disabled people and carers at every stage of reform. We welcome your intention to consult with disabled but we ask that you will push the government to engage in a truly accessible and inclusive consultation. The consultation must hear as many views as possible and take into account an intersectional view of the barriers people might face in accessing it. 
  • Guaranteeing that no one loses financial support due to administrative or ideological changes 
  • Addressing the backlog in PIP and ESA decisions and ensuring assessments are trauma-informed and flexible. 

Sustainability and Allyship

Fundamentally, I disagree in how this government appears to be defining ‘sustainable.’ We are a growing and aging population which means welfare and health budgets will expand. Sustainability is a moral obligation in this case which goes beyond the financial. There is more than enough money in this country to fund our services  if taxation is levied and pursued from those with the most.  

We urge you to become an ally in Parliament. Please advocate in the strongest terms for a welfare system that recognises and respects the dignity of disabled people, the unpaid work done by millions and is rooted not just in reform but compassion. 

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