The Autumn Statement 2023

Albus_Scope

Hey @Meg24 welcome to the community.

I'd not read too much into things yet as we don't have full information.  It sounds like they're giving people on standard UC 18 months to find work, then for 6 months they'll be on the 'back to work' scheme.  This appears to only be for Universal Credit, they've not mentioned any other benefits. 

mason50

Hi . Was this today ? 

poppy123456

mason50 said:

Hi . Was this today ? 

Yes, it started at 12.30.

ladyluck

I’ve only just got my disability award and now they are throwing figures of 18 month plans, back to work, or then the end of benefits. Am I getting this all wrong? It’s hard enough to live as it is. 

Meg24

I'm only reading the comments in the papers as I can't deal with listening to them, I get too angry. They are reporting that he expects to reduce the LCWRA by half with 'these measures' We need more clarity because if he's not talking about us I don't understand what it is that he is doing re the 18 months limit. They haven't posted any further details, just moved on to NI

Hannah_Alumni

I always like to say to myself, these proposed changes take time, and they will be challenged. We have seen many U-turns from the government, and we are just over a year away from a general election. 

Meg24

Guardian also reporting that Rachel Reeves agrees with him, not surprised by that of course, she's basically a Tory, however Labour need to protect us better. We need hope, I need hope or I'm feeling done for.

Becky93

Meg24 said:

The Guardian & Independant reporting that the new maximum length of benefit is 18 months without having to find work, then you get put on notice to find work and in 6 months you lose benefits. Are they serious? Are there any exceptions? There have to be some and who will they be? Are they going to backdate this? I have been in the support group for 14 yrs! So do I get kicked off now?! They can't allow this surely, they are talking about literally starving people, throwing us on the streets to die. They are beyond all evil. 

There will still be LCWRA, so people who are not expected to look or find work.

I would recommend everyone not worry about these changes until you know they're going to directly affect you. They will take years to fully implement, and there's a good chance they never get implemented in the form the headline quotes talk of.

Becky93

Even the numbers are contradicting. We've heard 400,000 back into work, today we're hearing 200,000. Where is this half of the people on LCWRA coming from, as that would be over a million, absolutely no chance it will be as many as that.

Meg24

I really need to know what changes are being made to the substantial rules list, and the engaging with others criteria. If those are both proposed to be scrapped then Labour needs to step up. Many thousands, hundreds of thousands of us will be put in serious danger if this is not stopped by the next government.

mason50

I have been worried about this I am in the esa support group and have been for years. 

poppy123456

ladyluck said:

I’ve only just got my disability award and now they are throwing figures of 18 month plans, back to work, or then the end of benefits. Am I getting this all wrong? It’s hard enough to live as it is. 

Which will not apply to those that have a limited capability for work. It will be for job seekers only that refuse to engage with looking for work. 

ladyluck

Thankyou for your reply Poppy, I’m really worried as I’ve had to retire early and just getting about day to day is really challenging. 

Meg24

Becky93 said:

Even the numbers are contradicting. We've heard 400,000 back into work, today we're hearing 200,000. Where is this half of the people on LCWRA coming from, as that would be over a million, absolutely no chance it will be as many as that.

In the Guardian they quote him as saying cutting those who don't have to look for work by half. 

mason50

Poppy before this autumn statement came out the government were talking about getting people with disabilities back to work but they haven’t mentioned it yet . How long does it go on today please ? 

Meg24

Meg24 said:

Becky93 said:

Even the numbers are contradicting. We've heard 400,000 back into work, today we're hearing 200,000. Where is this half of the people on LCWRA coming from, as that would be over a million, absolutely no chance it will be as many as that.

In the Guardian they quote him as saying cutting those who don't have to look for work by half. 

Sorry it's in the Independent. Says those who have no requirement to look for work will be cut by half.

apple85

I’ve been posting screenshots from the official autumn statement document on the 
‘Welfare benefits news, possible changes & constructive ‘discussion - an ongoing thread’

(start page here:
https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/110575/welfare-benefits-news-possible-changes-constructive-discussion-an-ongoing-thread/p8)

even with this doc we are still very very short on details on what these changes actually are and how they’ll be implemented (currently searching for other relevant docs they may of also been published today)

Grissom123

This all strikes me as a very desperate attempt by the Tories to win back voters for the next election. We've all seen the (very well deserved) beating they've taken lately and they've never looked more pathetic than they do now.
I can't see any of this actually working in practice, like for example where are they going to find all these working from home jobs for all these sick/disabled claimants? Where are they going to find employers willing to take on people who likely will require a lot of time off due to their conditions and who will most likely have to have adjustments put in place?

poppy123456

mason50 said:

Poppy before this autumn statement came out the government were talking about getting people with disabilities back to work but they haven’t mentioned it yet . How long does it go on today please ? 

There’s not been any details confirmed about anything to be honest, so we are no more the wiser than we were in the spring budget. 

This budget is as I expected and any potential changes could take many years and may not even happen. 

Meg24

Meg24 said:

Meg24 said:

Becky93 said:

Even the numbers are contradicting. We've heard 400,000 back into work, today we're hearing 200,000. Where is this half of the people on LCWRA coming from, as that would be over a million, absolutely no chance it will be as many as that.

In the Guardian they quote him as saying cutting those who don't have to look for work by half. 

Sorry it's in the Independent. Says those who have no requirement to look for work will be cut by half.

"Mr Hunt said the measures will halve the number of people who are signed off work with no requirement to look for work.

Those who do not find a job after 18 months will then be given six months before their

payments are cut off" 

This in the Independent livestream section. 

Might be badly worded but if taken as read it sounds like they're planning to boot half of us out of LCWRA and then cut us off after 18 months. As I said, maybe they've mixed it up but that's why we need more clarity. And Reeves needs to wake up to what that means in practice for us and get off her electioneering horse and make it clear she will change tack, if not we need to know that too. I know I don't want to end like that, I would rather leave while I still have a roof over my head.