By Imran Hussain MP
Personal Independence Payment is a vital source of support that thousands of my constituents rely on to live with dignity, independence and stability.
These reforms come at a time when disabled people are already facing growing pressures. From rising costs to long NHS waits, support is being stretched. We must ensure any changes to PIP are driven by fairness, not cost-cutting.
PIP exists to support dignity, not deliver cuts. But under these new proposals, nearly 9 in 10 standard-rate PIP claimants could lose out. That is absolutely devastating in scope and impact. This isn’t reform—it’s a targeted cut on those who need support most. The Government’s own estimates show 250,000 people pushed into poverty.
That’s a quarter of a million lives impacted overnight by a policy choice we should reject outright. It is absolutely indefensible, and it will drive more disabled people into poverty, further strain public health, and leave those with the greatest need behind. We should be helping those with the greatest needs in our society, not abandoning them.
This is not about simplifying the system. The “4-point rule” is a cruel test dressed up as reform. It means people with complex, overlapping needs—who score a few points in many areas—could be cut off. These are real people: with anxiety, chronic pain, or fluctuating conditions. If they don’t tick a box, they don’t get help. This system should protect, not punish.
If funding is the issue, there are better answers. A 2% tax on wealth above £10 million would raise £24 billion a year—over five times what the DWP hopes to save. Let’s be honest: this is not about sustainability. It’s about a political choice that will impact those with the least. We cannot build a fairer Britain by weakening the very foundation that protects our most vulnerable.
I cannot, in good conscience, support this. This is a moral line we must not cross. Instead of slashing support, we need to work with disabled people, not against them. Let’s reform for dignity, not for short-term savings. We must invest in people’s ability to live, not punish them for needing help. Anything less is a betrayal of what our welfare state is supposed to stand for.
- Imran Hussain MP is the MP for Bradford East, you can follow him on Facebook, Twitter/X and TikTok.
- If you support Labour Outlook’s work amplifying the voices of left movements and struggles here and internationally, please consider becoming a supporter on Patreon.
Welfare Cuts will Deepen Poverty – Andy McDonald MP
By Andy McDonald
As a Member of Parliament, I am sounding the alarm over one of the most devastating proposals to come before Parliament in years: the government’s planned £7 billion cuts to disability benefits. These changes, buried in the Pathways to Work green paper and set to be legislated soon, have not undergone official consultation. Worse still, disabled people—those most affected—have not been meaningfully engaged on what these reforms will mean for their lives.
The scale of the cuts is staggering. By 2029/30, 800,000 fewer people will receive the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), including 370,000 people who already rely on it. The average annual loss per person is expected to be £4,500.
On top of that, 3 million people will see reductions to the health-related elements of Universal Credit. Some will lose as much as £3,000 a year. Carers—who already perform vital roles often without recognition or adequate support—will also lose out. And for families already teetering on the edge of financial insecurity, this could be a tipping point into deeper hardship.
These aren’t just numbers—they represent real people facing unbearable choices: heat or eat, rent or medication, essentials or dignity. Cuts on this scale will drive up poverty, push more people to food banks, and heap further strain on public services like the NHS, social care, and mental health support. Already, nearly one in five disabled Universal Credit claimants has used a food bank in the last month. That figure should be a national scandal.
In response, ministers argue these cuts are about encouraging work. But the Learning and Work Institute and IFS estimates suggest only 1–3% – or tens of thousands out of millions – will move into employment as a result. That leaves 97% worse off with no realistic alternative. These aren’t work incentives—they’re penalties for being unwell or disabled.
As the MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, I’ve pressed the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for answers. I’ve asked for breakdowns showing how many people in my constituency, across Teesside, and throughout the North East will be affected. How many will lose entitlement? How many will face reduced support? What’s the projected rise in poverty levels, nationally and locally?
Again and again, the answers have been vague, incomplete, or entirely absent. In many cases, I was told no assessments had yet been carried out, or that analysis was “planned” but not yet done. On the crucial matter of constituency-level impacts, the government has refused to publish any breakdowns at all.
I’ve also sought transparency on whether equality and poverty impact assessments have been conducted. If they have, will they be published before any legislation is introduced? Will disabled people, carers, and advocacy groups be consulted before decisions are made?
Here too, the response is deeply concerning. While the government says some advisory panels will include disabled voices, not all areas of reform will be consulted on. In fact, major changes—such as new PIP eligibility thresholds and cuts to the Universal Credit health element—are set to be introduced through primary legislation without consultation. The justification? That these reforms are too urgent to delay.
Let me be clear: urgency cannot excuse secrecy. We are talking about reforms that will have profound, potentially devastating effects on the lives of millions of disabled people and their families. Yet they are being pushed through without the necessary evidence, without local impact data, and without the voices of those most affected.
This is no way to make policy in a democracy. Decisions of this magnitude must not be made in the dark. They must be scrutinised, debated, and shaped with the people whose lives hang in the balance. Transparency and public accountability aren’t optional—they are the bare minimum our constituents deserve.
Public opposition to these proposals is clear. Polling shows a broad consensus against these cuts, with voters from every major party expressing concern. People understand that a compassionate society does not turn its back on those most in need. They know that cuts like these don’t just fray the safety net—they tear it apart.
I cannot, and will not, support legislation that inflicts this scale of harm on the people I represent, or on the wider public. It is not compassionate. It is not necessary. And I will be voting against.
- Andy McDonald is the Labour MP for Middlesbrough & Thornaby East. You can follow him on Twitter/X, Facebook and Bluesky.
- If you support Labour Outlook’s work amplifying the voices of left movements and struggles here and internationally, please consider becoming a supporter on Patreon.
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