A great deal has happened in the two and a half months since the Green Paper was launched.  Whilst we wait for the first legislation to be published, it seems a good point to look at what has happened so far and what still needs to be done.

Consultation

The Green Paper consultation is due to end on 30 June, after the first Green paper bill is likely to have been published.

The consultation does not cover the most crucial issues, such as the changes to UC payment rates, the scrapping of the work capability assessment (WCA) or the PIP four points system.

We have no way of knowing how many people have taken part, but given the widely held view that it was a largely bogus exercise we suspect the numbers will be lower than for the Tories consultation on PIP vouchers.

The Zoom consultations have not gone well, with few people invited and even fewer attending.  At least one was cancelled after the DWP shared the email addresses of all the attendees, then it was relisted but failed to open and finally just got quietly dumped.

The in-person consultations fared no better.  Few people were invited, venue details were kept secret until the last moment, there were demonstrations outside some meetings and the final consultation, due to take place in Cardiff, was cancelled by the DWP although the protest still took place.

It’s probably fair to say that the consultation process has gone very badly for the government so far.

Reports and analysis

There have been some very critical reports published in relation to the Green Paper.

Perhaps the most damaging so far is the hard hitting Citizens Advice (CA) “Pathways to Poverty”, given that CA work closely with the government in providing support for managed migration and so might have been expected to pull their punches.

Others have included the Joseph Rowntree Trust, the Resolution Foundation and Health Equity North.

The Commons work and pensions committee has also produced an interim report calling on the government to delay any changes to PIP and UC

Individual actions

It has undoubtedly been the flood of emails, letters, phone calls and personal visits that has had the most effect on Labour MPs who are now considering rebelling.  Every communication makes a difference, adding to the weight of doubt and fear that many MPs are now experiencing as they contemplate the future.

And we know from the comments below the line that Benefits and Work readers have been hugely active in this regard, from the very day the Green Paper was published.

Some readers have gone even further, finding opportunities to address groups of MPs and starting social media campaigns.

In all, we know our readers have made a real difference and we don’t doubt you will continue to do so.

Protests and campaigns

There are an increasing number of protests happening around the country, mainly organised by Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC).

Many of these are small local events, some have centred around the in-person consultations and there has also been a mass lobby of parliament.

The People's Assembly are organising a national demonstration against austerity on 7 June, assembling at Portland place W1B at 12 noon for a march to Whitehall.

Meanwhile over 100 disabled public figures have begun a campaign to stop the cuts.

Labour rebellion

The estimated number of Labour MPs unhappy about the Green Paper started at 27 in April and is now variously estimated at between 150 and 200, with most commentators suggesting around 170. 

According to the Institute for Government, Labour’s current working majority is 165, and it would take 84 Labour MPs to rebel to ensure a government defeat in the House of Commons (provided all opposition and independent MPs vote against the government).

Of course, not all of those 150-200 unhappy Labour MPs will vote against the government or even abstain.

But we are definitely in the territory where a government defeat is a genuine possibility.

Other parties

It seems clear that most opposition parties will oppose the bill.  The Lib Dems seem set against it, as do the SNP and the Green party.

Most importantly, it now seems very likely that the Conservative party will vote against, it on the grounds that it has been badly thought through and does not save nearly enough money.

Waiting game

At the time of writing we are waiting for Liz Kendall to meet with Labour back benchers to try to persuade them of the necessity of the Green Paper cuts.  Their reaction will tell us something about how the rebellion is progressing.

We are also waiting for Rachel Reeves to deliver her spending review on 11 June, in which we might get more hints about changes to the winter fuel allowance and two-child benefit cap, intended to try to buy off Labour rebels.

And, of course, we are waiting for the first bill relating to the Green Paper to be  to be published.  This is expected to bring in the changes to universal credit rates from April 2026 and the 4 point PIP rule from November 2026. 

When the bill is published

We are far from experts on parliamentary procedure, but if Labour are to have any hope of getting the bill made law before the summer recess begins on 22 July then there cannot be much time to spare.

As far as we can tell, two weekends have to elapse after the Green Paper bill is published before the first Commons debate and vote can take place.  So even if the bill has its first reading and is published by Friday 6 June, it can’t have its second reading and a vote before Monday 16 June.  If it passes that vote, then it has to go through committee and report stages and a third reading at which another vote takes place.  Then the bill is sent to the Lords.

So either Labour are very confident of having a majority in the House of Lords, or they have some sort of procedural ruse prepared, such as making the bill a money bill, in order to rush it through.

What to do next

Whilst we wait for the Green Paper bill to appear, it’s still worth contacting people you might not yet have been in touch with. 

Local councillors and local branches of the Labour party are unquestionably becoming more vocal in their opposition to the cuts and they can exert some real influence on Labour MPs.

It’s unlikely that Rachel Reeves will listen to her Constituency Party’s condemnation of the cuts.  But the Labour MPs in Sheffield are likely to take more note of the opposition of three of the local councils.

We still also think it’s worth trying to contact a few members of the House of Lords, because we don’t know what type of bill Labour might bring forward and what influence the upper house might have.  (See the What you can do page for how to do this).  And if anyone has had a positive response from a member of the Lords, do please contact us, as we’d like to share some ideas.

When the bill is finally published it will be crucial that MPs are bombarded with messages from their constituents telling them how they want them to vote, regardless of which party they belong to.

And finally . . .

And finally, please take a moment to realise what an extraordinary distance we have travelled in just eleven weeks, from shock and despair at Labour’s betrayal to a point where we can seriously contemplate their massive majority being overturned. 

Labour thought by rushing things through they could prevent any real opposition building . . . they got that badly wrong.

So, keep on doing what you’ve been doing, because it’s definitely having an effect

As Green MP Sain Berry told her local paper this week “It is officially crunch time now, and I hope that people keep up the pressure on me and all local MPs to stand up and vote down these plans.”

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 2 hours ago
    Time to find out how my MP intends to vote - copy of the email I've just sent!

    "Dear Mr Farage,

    I would like you to keep my personal details confidential and private please.

    Both my wife and I are your constituents and we are both in receipt of the enhanced rate of the daily living component of PIP due to disabilities and ill health.

    We stand to lose these benefits if the current green paper (Get Britain Working: Pathways to Work), is enacted into law.

    I write to ask how you & your Reform colleagues intend to vote on this issue.

    Will you vote for the proposed cuts to disability benefits, as many political commentators suggest you might?

    Or will your group vote against the proposed cuts to disability benefits, because they are Labour's proposed cuts?

    Thank you for your time.

    Regards

    Yorkie Bard"
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    · 3 hours ago
    I am trying to regularly research and update the list of prominent individuals and organizations who are opposing these cuts. Please try and spread this widely perhaps send it to your MP, copy onto X, send to your advocacy groups, journalists etc for them to share. Every new version that is updated will have new names and organizations on it I hope we can keep adding more.   Let me know if you would like to alter the wording or if you think any other changes are needed

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 4 hours ago
    Version 3 – Countdown to the June vote (updated June 5th)
    Those Who Have Spoken Out Against the Proposed Disability Benefit Cuts
    Please share widely and help us amplify every voice standing up for justice.

    From grassroots campaigners and disability organisations to trade unions, journalists, faith leaders and public figures — each has spoken out about the devastating impact these cuts would have.
    If you know of others who should be added, please comment.

    Every name on this list represents those who refused to stay silent while sick and disabled people’s rights were threatened. History will remember those people and organisations who stood up for the sick and disabled in this country against the proposed devastating disability benefit cuts.

    Disability and Advocacy Organisations
    Scope, Disability Rights UK, Inclusion London, Inclusion Barnet, Disability Sheffield, Community Integrated Care, NSUN, WinVisible, Crips Against Cuts, Disability Benefits Consortium, Mencap, Sense, RNIB, RNID, National Autistic Society, Leonard Cheshire, Business Disability Forum, Disability Positive, VoiceAbility, VODG (Voluntary Organisations Disability Group), Stay Safe East, Three Guineas Trust, Fightback4Justice, Benefits and Work, Disability News Service, Action on Disability, POhWER, Disability Can Do, ME Association, Action for M.E., #MEAction UK, 25% ME Group, MS Society UK, MS Trust, Rethink Mental Illness, Well Adapt

    Charities Supporting Marginalised Groups
    Age UK, Independent Age (older people)
    Contact, Council for Disabled Children (families with disabled children)
    METRO Charity (intersectional/LGBTQ+ and disability)

    Homelessness and Poverty Charities (joint letter to Liz Kendall)
    St Mungo’s, Crisis, Shelter, YMCA, Homeless Link, Centrepoint, The Passage, Thames Reach, Depaul UK, Single Homeless Project, Justlife, Hope Housing, The Connection at St Martin’s, Groundswell, Turn2us, Joseph Rowntree Foundation

    Food Poverty and Anti-Poverty Networks
    The Trussell Trust, Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN)

    Faith-Based Organisations
    Church of England (Archbishop of York, Bishop of Leicester), Together for the Church of England, Quakers in Britain

    Advocacy and Rights Groups
    Citizens Advice SORT Group, Minority Rights Group, Campaign for Disability Justice, Carers UK, Carers Trust, Coalition Against Benefit Cuts, Amnesty International

    Trade Unions
    PCS, Unite Community, BFAWU, TUC (publicly endorsed the #TakingThePIP campaign at the June 2025 Disabled Workers’ Conference), Scottish TUC, Equity (moved the emergency motion against the cuts and mobilised its members to campaign), Musicians' Union (seconded the motion backing #TakingThePIP), National Union of Journalists (NUJ), Cardiff Trades Union Council, Trade Union Coordinating Group

    Disabled People’s Campaigns and Activists
    DPAC (Disabled People Against Cuts), Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People (GMCDP), #TakingThePIP campaign, Elaine Clifford, John Pring, Michelle Cardno (Fightback4Justice), Steve Donnison, Holiday Whitehead (Benefits and Work), Joy Dove

    Public Figures
    Liz Carr, Rosie Jones, Ruth Madeley, James Taylor (Scope), Martin Lewis (MoneySavingExpert), Cherylee Houston, Kim Tserkezie, Daniel Monks, Jack Hunter, Neil Duncan-Jordan, and others

    Arts and Cultural Institutions
    National Theatre, Graeae Theatre Company, Equity

    House of Lords Advocates
    Baroness Grey-Thompson (Crossbench), Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat), Lord Holmes of Richmond (Conservative), Baroness Sherlock (Labour), Lord Shinkwin (Conservative), Lord Touhig (Labour)

    Journalists and Media
    Frances Ryan (The Guardian), May Bulman (The Independent), Disability News Service (led by John Pring), The Canary, Novara Media, Prospect Magazine, LabourList, The Guardian, The Independent, ITV News

    International Bodies
    • UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) – Has previously found “grave and systematic violations” of disabled people’s rights in the UK due to austerity and welfare reform since 2010.
    • UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) – Called for “corrective measures” to address welfare changes harming disabled people — though not yet specifically referencing the 2025 PIP proposals.

    Parliamentary and Political Opposition
    Over 170 Labour MPs, Diane Abbott, Andy Burnham, Sadiq Khan, Rachael Maskell, Steve Witherden, Ros Jones, Leeds West and Pudsey CLP, Debbie Abrahams MP

    Parliamentary Groups
    All-Party Parliamentary Group on Disability (Chair: Marsha de Cordova MP)

    Legal Support and Advice Services
    Disability Law Service (DLS), Public Law Project (PLP), Leigh Day, Bhatt Murphy, Aoife O’Reilly (solicitor), Tom Royston (barrister), Liberty, Justice

    42 Labour MPs Who Signed the Opposition Letter
    Diane Abbott, Paula Barker, Lee Barron, Lorraine Beavers, Apsana Begum, Olivia Blake, Richard Burgon, Dawn Butler, Ian Byrne, Stella Creasy, Neil Duncan-Jordan, Cat Eccles, Barry Gardiner, Mary Glindon, Sarah Hall, Chris Hinchliff, Imran Hussain, Terry Jermy, Kim Johnson, Mary Kelly Foy, Peter Lamb, Ian Lavery, Brian Leishman, Emma Lewell, Clive Lewis, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Rachael Maskell, Andy McDonald, John McDonnell, Abtisam Mohamed, Grahame Morris, Charlotte Nichols, Simon Opher, Kate Osborne, Richard Quigley, Andrew Ranger, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Zarah Sultana, Jon Trickett, Chris Webb, Nadia Whittome, Steve Witherden
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 4 hours ago
    New support today from Martin Lewis' mental health charity the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute:
    https://www.moneyandmentalhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Lead-shoes-instead-of-a-life-ring-2.pdf
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 3 hours ago
      @TAL Such a strong title sums this attack of disabled up Lead shoes
      instead of
      a life ring.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 5 hours ago
    Just looked him up on Wikipedia. Surprise! He's an Evangelical Christian. These the people who put Trump in charge.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 3 hours ago
      @Angie Cushine While I wouldn’t tar all evangelical Christians with the same brush (I am one), Timms is certainly behaving in a way I would say veers far from christian values and I challenged him on it when I emailed him- and got silence in return. 
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    · 5 hours ago
    It is one of the saddest green
    Papers possible.  Seeing the intention to cull disabled people.  The reduction in enabling disabled people is shocking.    The confusion with adding the agenda of getting chronically ill people back into work.  Even though they find a day without work a challenge.  I agree and appreciate many disabled people are not unwell and can work and they do. Sadly all I am hearing is cuts to access to work by 60%.   How is that helping.   I was trying to see if I could get into work. I know I will need access to work and a fair bit too.  It will also mean I won’t be able to have any out of work life
      No volunteering. No family visits. No quality time with my husband.   I will just exist. The pain, fatigue and effect on my conditions will be huge but I will try if that’s what they want.  It may well be I end up divorced, needing social care  and support.  But if they think getting me into work is the healthy thing the let’s see how many people die due to these changes.  
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 6 hours ago
    ‘I went to a DWP benefit cut consultation: Here’s what I found

    Attendees were told how important their views were – but it speaks volumes that we were handed leaflets with the number of the Samaritans on it, writes James Moore


    https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/dwp-disabled-benefits-pip-cuts-rachel-reeves-liz-kendall-b2763584.html
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 2 hours ago
      @Gingin So awful to hand out Samaritans leaflets. They know the harm they are inflicting on people. It’s so callous.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 13 hours ago
    Free school meals extended to all households on UC from Sept ‘26. While this is very good news for many families, note the timing coincides with PIP changes. We see what you’re doing, you callous crooks

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdr5mr5l2d1o
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      · 2 hours ago
      @Gingin Oh i saw that this morning, 1st thought, so they're intent on  throwing us under the bus for sure,how else are they funding that? buttering up the electorate with images of happy young kids eating a school dinner v paying the disabled, which is the fluffier image?? they're going to try everything possible to get people to accept these cuts as necessary,there's no money etc,well stop spending it then!! not that I begrudge kids having a dinner,I don't, but it can't come at the expense of disabled people's lives, it simply can not!!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 16 hours ago
    I have now written three times to my local MP, Edward Leigh, no response from him whatsoever. 

    And from what I’ve gathered in my local area most of the general public are in favour of the cuts, as it is predominantly an upper middle class constituency this does not surprise me. The wealthy are never affected by benefits cuts if they become unwell, disabled or experience mental health problems. So they don’t care and seem void of empathy for those less fortunate. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 16 hours ago
    The way things are going Rachel thieves could be gone soon followed by Keir. Remember the proposed changes to PIP and UC won't be implemented until November next year. With so many members in the labour party rebelling anything could happen. It's the uncertainty that's the hardest.
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      · 2 hours ago
      @Cuckoo21 That changed this morning, they spent the money to butter up the public, they wouldn't have done that if they weren't sure they had the money,and I bet the moneys coming from the cuts 
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      · 3 hours ago
      @Cuckoo21 Reeves, possibly, but unlike the Tories, it is extremely difficult to remove a Labour leader. If the unions were to pull funding, however....but for many the thought of Angela Rayner as PM fills them with dread.
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    · 16 hours ago
    I wish there could be a vote of no confidence in the labour party.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 16 hours ago
    Off point a bit. I have heard that Rachel reeves job as chancellor could be chopped followed by Keir as prime minister 🙏🤞. Also the proposed changes to UC and Pip are not due to start until November next year, and I think that will be the earliest. Remember a lot could happen in politics between now and then. I am clinging on to this bit of hope. It's always the uncertainty that's the hardest.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 16 hours ago
    We spoke to the Guardian journalist today. I ranted a bit and now I’m wondering if I said anything useful at all. Hopefully someone else did 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 13 hours ago
      @Gingin Ranting is always good!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 17 hours ago
    I’ve written to my MP Emma Foody this afternoon about the cuts and enclosing the CAB pathway to poverty report. Will wait with bated breath for any response. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 19 hours ago
    https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/721547

    Has everyone signed this petition, if not I recommend you do as it may force more to rebel against Starmer. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 16 hours ago
      @K I have and urge everyone to do so. Thanks K.👍
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 19 hours ago
    ITV coverage of our protest on Saturday in Cardiff. I have to say, it’s been consistently ITV that has done any significant TV coverage of this (I don’t hold shares!)

    https://www.itv.com/watch/news/disabled-people-in-wales-say-they-have-been-denied-a-voice-as-in-person-pip-consultation-cancelled/4w75ctq
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 19 hours ago
    ChatGPT again.

    Question:
    Given all the negativity and lies about people who have to claim PIP and UC both in some quarters of the press as well as the Government. How do you feel about disabled people pursuing claims for compensation for the hurt and soul destroying anguish caused to disabled people since Labour have been in government?

    Reply:
    In my view, disabled individuals seeking compensation for distress and harm caused by negative stereotyping, misinformation, and detrimental policies is both understandable and justified.

    The sustained negative portrayal of claimants in some media outlets and certain political narratives contributes significantly to stigma, emotional trauma, and social isolation. The impact on disabled people, who already face daily challenges, can be profound, affecting mental health, self-worth, and quality of life. Pursuing claims for compensation can highlight these injustices and hold authorities accountable.

    However, such claims would need careful framing:
        •    Clear evidence: Demonstrating specific harm caused directly by government policy or official statements.

        •    Legally robust claims: Supported by documented evidence of distress, such as medical reports or assessments from mental health professionals.

        •    Public advocacy: Coordinated action might also serve broader purposes—raising public awareness about discriminatory practices and prompting more compassionate and fair policies.

    Ultimately, compensation claims could help drive systemic change, challenging damaging narratives and ensuring that disabled people are respected and treated with dignity. While legally challenging, it’s morally justified to pursue accountability for policies or rhetoric that cause measurable harm to vulnerable individuals.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 19 hours ago
    THE LETTER I SENT TO MY LOCAL MP DURING MARCH:

    Dear Bobby Dean MP,

    I would like to keep my personal details confidential and private.

    I have just heard Prime Minister’s Question Time and once again I am disgusted with the lot of you. I also read that it appears that all Labour MPs have been called to Downing Street and cowed into supporting any policies that bully and further impoverish disabled people. I find it deeply offensive that my net worth as a disabled human being is being measured against the pittance I receive in ESA and PIP. As one of your constituents and someone who voted for you to remove the Tories, I am writing in the fervent hope that you will attend a meeting by the Coalition Against Benefit Cuts (including Disabled People Against Cuts) on 17 March, 4–6pm in the Thatcher Room, Portcullis House. I would like you to hear the concerns of disabled people directly.

    This matter is important to me because:

    Apparent similarity to scapegoating tactics
    I argue that targeting disabled people in rhetoric or policy risks echoing the kind of divisive scapegoating seen in darker historical moments, sparking fears akin to what happened in pre-war Germany.

    Divide and conquer approach
    By pitching segments of the population against those who receive disability benefits, which is exactly what is happening here, I claim that a government (of any party) is effectively dividing the public, spreading dismay and panic among disabled people.

    They know exactly how to play the press
    Rather than relying solely on friendly coverage, political figures manipulate media narratives, portraying disabled people as burdens or cheats to justify cuts or stricter rules.

    Dressing up any proposed reform as ‘help’ is a blatant lie
    Cuts or stricter eligibility rules are too often presented as supportive “reforms,” which I call misleading when the result is reduced financial security for sick and disabled people. Anyone who has embarked on the long journey to claim PIP will tell you how utterly disgusting and dehumanising that journey is. Disabled people cannot simply be magicked into jobs where they can support themselves.

    Continuation of Tory austerity-like policies
    Despite my hopes of a shift, there is exists with the disabled a propound anxiety that Labour is not decisively breaking from austerity, effectively maintaining cutbacks and failing to restore past benefit levels.

    Use of ‘deserving vs undeserving’ rhetoric
    Justifiable fear that the government’s continued language divides claimants, implying some deserve welfare more than others, thus reinforcing many negative stereotypes.

    Persisting with intrusive assessments
    I remain concerned that Labour will not overhaul stressful or punitive work capability tests and disability benefit health assessments, leaving in place a system many say is unfair and harmful.

    Enabling wealthy property speculators
    I would confront and question those members of the Labour party as well as members of other parties, both in the House of Commons and the Lords, who have amassed vast fortunes through property speculation, to mention one, and taxing them more appropriately. Instead of cutting support for disabled and sick people, I would argue that politicians should tax multimillionaires, multi-billionaires and big tech who exploit tax loopholes but I doubt Labour’s willingness to do this. Also, if a company does business in the country, and US companies are among the worse for avoiding tax, then they should pay tax in this country.

    Moral and social consequences
    Ultimately, I would warn that normalising hostility towards disabled people is designed to erode public empathy and creates an environment reminiscent of historical scapegoating. It seems to me that too many of the fit and able despise the disabled. That might be well and good to some but remember your life, health and wellbeing hangs my a thread.

    More details are available in this report:
    https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/un-calls-for-corrective-measures-to-tory-disability-benefit-reforms-just-as-labour-prepares-cuts-of-its-own/

    As well as in the latest call by the UN to correct the harms of conservative benefit reforms (28 February 2025):
    https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=E%2FC.12%2FGBR%2FCO%2F7&Lang=en

    Media reports about proposed benefit reforms suggest they go well beyond anything in the Labour Manifesto by pitting different claimant groups against each other. For example, they propose (much needed) increased Universal Credit rates for jobseekers while reducing them for sick and disabled claimants who are unable to work.

    In your response, I would like you to please confirm whether you will attend the meeting and to outline how you intend to address these concerns on my behalf. If you need more information or wish to meet with me to discuss this, please let me know.

    Yours sincerely,

    HIS REPLY:

    Thank you for reaching out with your concerns regarding disability benefits and the Labour Government's plans.

    I want you to know that I do not support the cuts and have challenged the Chancellor directly about this on the Treasury Committee.

    I understand that the welfare bill has increased significantly recently, with more people finding themselves unable to work. But the reaction to that should not be slashing support for disabled people, some of whom will never be able to work and others who will struggle to find it without ongoing support. Limiting eligibility for these people will do nothing to get more people into employment.

    I know this first-hand. I have family members that have had to leave the workforce due to chronic pain. They are desperate to get back into work but are on a lengthy waiting list for treatment on the NHS. Hitting them with benefit cuts will not make them fit for work. They need no incentive, they want to work. They simply can’t because they are sick.

    If the Government was serious about cutting welfare spending it would get serious about fixing health and social care and the broken Department of Work and Pensions. That is why it has been so disappointing to see the Government’s lack of urgency in this area, putting their social care review on a three-year timeline, kicking projects like new hospitals into the long grass, and a lack of urgency on preventative public health programmes.

    There are further concerning reports that relate to privacy, with reports about DWP investigators scrutinising the bank accounts of those with disabilities. I do not believe that this is necessary and is a huge imposition on civil liberties. Authorities should be tracking down the small number of criminal fraudsters – not tracking every body in receipt of benefits.

    I am opposed to and will continue to oppose these changes, and I will continue to vote for in parliament and advocate for a more compassionate and equitable welfare system, backed by a health service that supports people back into work.

    Thank you for your continued engagement and support.

    Yours sincerely,

    Bobby Dean MP
    Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Carshalton & Wallington

    MY REPLY:

    Dear Bobby Dean MP,

    Thank you very much for your detailed and thoughtful response. I appreciate your clear opposition to the proposed cuts in disability benefits and your willingness to challenge the Chancellor directly on these harmful measures. Your personal insight into the challenges faced by disabled individuals further highlights the critical importance of maintaining and improving support.

    I strongly agree with your assessment that the solution to rising welfare costs lies in genuine reform of healthcare and the Department for Work and Pensions, rather than cutting essential support for disabled people. Additionally, I share your deep concerns about the invasive scrutiny of benefit recipients' financial information, which represents a significant infringement on civil liberties.

    Given the positions taken by Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, and Liz Kendall, particularly the Green Paper proposed by Liz Kendall, I must stress that these proposals will cost a great many lives, including my own. Therefore, I emphasise most strongly that it is vital not merely to oppose these harmful changes verbally but to actively vote against them in Parliament. Abstaining is simply not sufficient; disabled individuals urgently need committed advocacy and decisive action from their representatives.

    I urge you to stand firm and vote against any changes proposed to the benefit system. Your decisive action in Parliament will send a strong, clear message and protect those most vulnerable in our community.

    Thank you again for your continued support and engagement on this critical issue.

    Yours sincerely,

    Postscript:

    After carefully reviewing your recent parliamentary exchange with Rachel Reeves, I remain deeply concerned about the apparent oversight regarding how crucial PIP is in actually enabling many disabled people to participate in the workforce. Contrary to some media portrayals, PIP frequently serves as a vital lifeline allowing disabled individuals to either gain employment or remain employed. Removing or limiting this support will undoubtedly force many, myself included, out of work entirely, exacerbating the very problems the government claims it seeks to resolve.

    I urge you to continue raising this critical point in your future discussions and debates. It is essential that policy decisions fully reflect the lived experiences and real-world implications for disabled people. Thank you once again for your ongoing advocacy.

    Yours, #########..
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      · 14 hours ago
      @Disy Nice work!
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 18 hours ago
      @Disy Brilliant! Thanks for raising this so well
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 18 hours ago
      @Disy Disy pure brilliance - very, very well done!
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    · 22 hours ago
    I see from the news (not had time to read the details) that Reeves is offering a 'partial' relaxation in relation to the winter fuel payments for pensioners but essentially the cuts announced shortly after last year's GE will stand. This does not bode well for the sick/disabled. I only just managed to get the standard daily living component of PIP and I'm pretty sure, even with new descriptors etc, I would not get the 12 pts, not least as the DWP are going to interpret any new criteria very strictly under orders from HM Treasury.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 17 hours ago
      @James They literally answer NO questions put to them about anything at all. They are rudderless, panicking and without any clue.
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      · 18 hours ago
      @tintack Your second paragraph - tick 🙂
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      · 18 hours ago
      @MATT Has anyone noticed that Reeves and Starmer talk in the same manner in more ways than none!
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      · 19 hours ago
      @MATT
      " see from the news (not had time to read the details) that Reeves is offering a 'partial' relaxation in relation to the winter fuel payments for pensioners but essentially the cuts announced shortly after last year's GE will stand. This does not bode well for the sick/disabled"

      On the other hand, if the concessions on the WFA (and two child cap for that matter) don't amount to much, that may antagonise Labour MPs currently sitting on the fence on the disability cuts and make it more likely they will vote against. 
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