Cutting disability benefits as part of welfare reform would have a “catastrophic impact” on people, more than a dozen charities have warned the Chancellor.
The organisations have written to Rachel Reeves urging her to “safeguard” disability benefits in her upcoming spring statement, arguing that hundreds of thousands of disabled households could be pushed into poverty otherwise.
Signatories to the letter – including Disability Rights UK, Citizens Advice, Scope and Sense – say that cutting disability benefits will not achieve the Government’s target of getting more people into work, and are pressing instead for better support for disabled people to help them find suitable jobs.
The Chancellor will deliver her spring statement on March 26 in response to the latest forecasts from the Budget watchdog, with increased borrowing costs and weak economic growth likely to require spending cuts in order to meet her commitments on managing the public finances.
Curbing the cost of welfare is expected to be among moves to contribute to savings.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has previously said there are 2.8 million people not in work due to ill-health and one in eight young people not in education, training or employment.
The sickness and disability bill for working-age people has risen by £20 billion since the pandemic and is forecast to hit £70 billion over the next five years.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has previously said there are 2.8 million people not in work due to ill-health (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
She has said an upcoming Health and Disability Green Paper will set out plans to support those who can work back into jobs, rather than write them off.
But in their letter to the Chancellor, the charities – also including the MS Society, mental health charity Mind, foodbank organisation Trussell and Parkinson’s UK – urged Ms Reeves to “think again about cuts to disability benefits”.
They said: “We agree with the Government’s ambition to support more disabled people into work. However, making cuts to disability benefits will not achieve this goal or fix the system.
“In fact, there is little evidence to suggest cutting benefits increases employment outcomes. We know the benefits system is broken and needs reform.
“That there are disabled people out of work who want to work given the right support. And for some disabled people, work isn’t appropriate. Changes to welfare must start here. Not with cuts.”
They said an analysis of official figures by Scope suggested a further 700,000 disabled households “could be pushed into poverty” without Personal Independence Payments (PIP).
They said this “can be a lifeline for disabled households” and can enable people to work.
The charities said the Government “has an opportunity to work with disabled people and the sector to bring about meaningful change” and warned that their voices must be heard, adding: “Disabled people should not be an afterthought.”