Email Template - Welfare Reform

FeistyPigeon

Flying visit tonight folks (but will flap by tomorrow).

Been emailing MPs again. If any of you have the energy to send another email, feel free to use mine as a template, just copy n paste + add your name / address and MP's name. You can find their email addresses here:

https://members.parliament.uk/members/Commons

Their "concessions" don't go anywhere near far enough. They're trying to buy us off to stop us protesting. These changes won't make life any easier for us, and they'll make them a lot worse for those coming after us.

But, the Labour rebellion has shrunk. And they have a 3-line whip for the vote on Tuesday, threatening anyone in Labour who votes against the bill they'll be kicked out of their party. So they need to know our feelings about this bill, and that they're doing the right thing by voting against it.

So, here's my email:

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Dear <your MP>,

Thanks very much for your continued support with the Welfare Reform Bill. I have in the last few days discussed the proposed concessions with others in the disability community, and the general feeling is that the changes do not go anywhere near far enough to mitigate all the bad policy decisions.

If this bill passes it's second reading on Tuesday, the voices of the disabled, who know better than anyone what it's like to live with these conditions, will still not be taken into account. And there has still been no assessment on the likelihood of us securing employment, or what such employment would look like, for those of us who can work.

This whole episode has appeared very much a cost cutting exercise, with little regard for the welfare of the disabled, whom they claim to be so concerned about. I would urge you, if you've time, to read Olivia Blake's (MP) report in the Guardian of her experience attempting to navigate the welfare system (link below):

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jun/28/disabled-labour-mp-olivia-blake-welfare-bill-u-turn-starmer

As so many of us have found, her experience with application for PIP is already extremely difficult. Many of us are already excluded from this benefit, as we don't fit the narrow criteria you need to qualify. As she quite rightly says "“This is not a system designed to support, it is a system that is toxic and makes people more ill.”

Most of all, the concessions offered now leave a bad taste in the mouth: we feel the government is trying to buy us off by suggesting the reforms will only affect future claimants. I cannot turn a blind eye to the immorality of treating disabled people even more harshly in future years, just because they have the misfortune to develop their disability at a later date.

So we do hope you can continue to oppose this bill. We need proper reform, not a benefits system that, as Olivia says, will be debased further from "the already limited support disabled people rely on, condemning many to a life of poverty and deteriorating health.”

Thanks so much for all your support,
Yours sincerely,

<your name and address>

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Here's the article I mentioned in the email, it's very good, worth a read:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jun/28/disabled-labour-mp-olivia-blake-welfare-bill-u-turn-starmer

Keep up the pressure folks. We really need to make a stand about this. don't let them bulldoze their way through with these "reforms", originally planned by the last Tory government.

chiarieds

Good to hear from you @FeistyPigeon - I read the article by Olivia Blake this morning, & appreciate her input. A bit of a shame if Labour don't even listen to their own disabled MPs.

Have you replied to the Govt's Green Paper, or better still emailed them much as you've said here? You can see the email address nearly at the end of the Green Paper: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper

consultation.pathwaystowork@dwp.gov.uk the 'consultation' closes 11.59 tomorrow

I was reading this today where Timms said they'd had 40,000 responses to their Green Paper: https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/16168/pdf/

Sorry, it's a nuisance when something that's supposed to be a hyperlink doesn't work, so you'd have to copy the above & paste it into your browser.

Sorry for the late response & look forward to you flying by tomorrow!

Rosie_Scope

Thanks for sharing @FeistyPigeon, All these emails really do help to keep the pressure on MPs, and it's really helpful to have a template for those who might struggle to put something together themselves.

Hope you're doing well at the moment!

@chiarieds, thanks for sharing those details too. I've had a little look and got the link to work so hopefully people will be able to click through ☺️

chiarieds

Thank you for that @Rosie_Scope - it was a committee meeting on 25 June. Timms certainly sounded determined despite concerns raised by other members.

FeistyPigeon

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1043409#Comment_1043409

Yes, still to do chiareds, thanks for reminding me. I thought it more important to wing these emails out first as the vote's tomorrow. The "consulation" process is going on with Timms, I think until Nov, now. But promise I'll get onto it just sharpening my talons… (do pigeons have talons?)

Cripes! Just re-read your message chiareds - didn't know closing date was so close!! I'll see what I can do…

FeistyPigeon

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1043543#Comment_1043543

Thanks for your kind comments Rosie : ) I'm mostly the same, a bit better. But got fed up keeping off the keyboard to try to to calm the tremors. All this that's happening is really too important to put off, once the changes come in, that's it.

But flapping along as best as can : )

Holly_Scope

Great to see you back @FeistyPigeon, albeit only a flying visit for now. 😊