Universal Credit Act 2025 - Latest Updates (05.03.26)
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They are focussing on groups whose conditions are most likely to have changed. For example, people with a short-term prognosis, such as those claiming for pregnancy complications or those who have recovered following cancer treatment. It also includes individuals whose initial awards were short and who were given a 1–2 year review date.
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I agree, or rather having a separate discussion for chatter about it, fears and worries, and then this left open for genuine questions that may easily get missed otherwise.
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I don't think anything should be 'locked', or that there should be a separate discussion for chat or fears (if it's on this topic) - it seems to me it would then lose momentum and members would not then be able to express concerns, or fears, about specific points.
I find it very easy to scroll through to find any 'official' commentary but I read all the 'chat/concerns' anyway and personally, find them valid and illuminating.
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Just to add, the first two posts are 'the facts' (on page 1) provided by Scope 'community' and Mary. Everything else seems to me to be chat/discussion - I don't see why there'd be any need to 'censure'/disallow that. Imo, none of the 'facts' get lost in the chat as they're clear for anyone to read, as they see fit.
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I do understand that @Santosha12, and I truly would not want to see anyone censured or disallowed.
I suppose my concern is that people scrolling through because they want answers will find their fears heightened or reinforced by some of the responses, especially as some contain inaccuracies or fears shared as fact.
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I get that, I guess my point is that Scope have created the thread and the facts are very clear in the first two posts.
Any further debate/drilling in to what that means for individuals' circumstances is what all the chat is about, including opinions.
If it's split to a separate thread I can't see how anyone would bother replying as they'd have to remember what they've seen on the original thread to continue the debate elsewhere (I might be misunderstanding what the suggestion is 🫠😊). Others' fears will still present themselves from seeing the same contributions elsewhere. To me, it just has the potential to close the discussion.
Any inaccuracies here can be corrected by those 'in the know'.
It's a minefield I think - a complex topic which has been set out well and clearly by scope. The ongoing exchange is, to my mind, just members navigating that and posing the questions and thoughts that are genuine to them and their circumstances.
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"Any inaccuracies here can be corrected by those in the know".......... @Emilee it's probably incorrect of me to say that with certainty as, for example, the 'Severe Conditions Criteria', issued to the healthcare professionals, won't be issued publicly until the autumn. I think it's that lack of information and ambiguity that creates uncertainty, worry and fear and not something that Scope will be able to provide clarity on. I personally will continue to avoid You Tube !!
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Oh thankyou very much for that information x
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That is fair, I understand your points and why this way works well for people too
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I should acknowledge there was a thread last year that got split, for discussion I think, but I can't remember what that was about, possibly Welfare Changes, I don't know tbh how that worked.
When I'm on a thread I often have to go back to page 1 to double check what the thread is 🙄😅 but that's just me, and I can go off topic if I'm not careful which can be frustrating.
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Me too my mind goes onto ten other subjects at same time then i feel rude if i dont ask how the person is and then i message as if im talking of its aboit uc i can end up talking about weather what ive bought how my day is the works then i relize ive gone off topic hard for some people to stay focused
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I have emailed various disability and mental health charity and advocacy groups since the UC ESA AND PIP BILL was passed earlier this year to
request we work together to reverse it.
It CAN be reversed because quite simply there are 13m disabled people, 8m pensioners the sheer weight of voters numbers IF a campaign is organised including Mind, Age UK, other elderly pensioners charities, SANE MDF, UKAN SSO, I wont list the m all but there are dozens of charities, advocacy groups in this field, with millions of members and supporters.
However the response has been poor indeed, even from Scopes Campaigns Dept, and it CEO. Basically no response.
I was applauded, which I do not care for much, I'm here to change the world into a more disability, mental health age friendly world, with our human rights fully implemented, be they UN, domestic not to feel good from getting 6 badges and rising up levels.
It seems Scope and other charity advocacy groups do not believe it to be possible, yet it ENTIRELY IS to reverse these UC [ESA cuts too] AND PIP BILL, by sheer weight of numbers,
if Scope helps to build an alliance, of all the charities.
People who support scope, all disabled, distressed, and elderly people ae now suffering from the cuts, and really SUFFERING as is evident from the above discussion.
Why then are we taking it lieing down?
Why did the campaigns department not answer my many emails to it and its CEO call for:
- building alliance with al elderly, disability, mental health charities,
- in the run up starting now to the next general election to organias more leter writing campaign
- mass lobbies of parliament, and peaceful demos with publicity stunts?
Many of us are suffering cuts, depression, anxiety, trauma, some are suiciding, many 1000s of disabled people had befits cuts 10s of 1000s in 300 years, Are our lives and theirs worth nothing.
This is SERIOUIS, We all need to think about what I'm saying; is my leadership compassion, inspiration, nurturing meant anything in the run up to the UC ESA CUTS AND PIP BILL, surely it means something now?
I speak the HARD truth we are succumbing largely unconsciously to Oppression: disablism, mentalism, ageism, We are acting like VICTIMS, and there is absolutely no need for these vicious £2.5bn BUT we have to believe we CAN, YES WE CAN reverse those cuts, if we do not then there will be 2 massive consequences from hell:
- disabled, elderly and distressed people do not get disability welfare benefits in the first place, or get them cut, when we all know current disability benefits do not cover the extra costs of disabilities
- and this will result in great suffering hardship and poverty for distressed, disabled, elderly, and 190s of 1000s of more welfare suicides, as it HAS done in the last 30 years.
- seriously, are we going to allow that to happen, have we no fight back, no human spirit, are we in fact victims without human dignity. stark language I realise quite deliberately. Its the moment of truth we allow ourselves to be oppressed walked over, with only a partial victory - the govt aimed for £5bn disability welfare benefit cuts. Well are wee . I suggest we need to wake up to a totally achieveable revrsal of the cuts, to sucide prevention, human dgnity rights and support for disabled distressed and eldery folk, and get on with building that alliance to reverse the cuts.
- Finaly to have a reply to my emails to the Scope CEO and Campaigns staff is just good manners, and respect, but no one bothered. I feel deeply HURT by that and mostly onbehalf of the distress its causing to other disabled people in this forum or not.
I stil seek a reply, I put hours and hours of effort into those emails.
WE CAN REVERSE THE CUTS BUT HAVE UP OUR SELF ESTEEM, SELF COMPASASION, AND DEMAND OURT HUMAN RIGHTS THROUGH SHEER WEIGHT OF NUMBERS AND PEOPLE POWER, GET IT?
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Hi madmilan thankyou for all your work i agree with you im hoping with the rise of the Green party that in may they get more seats and labour get less it seems the worlds going back in time all people fought for over the years is slowly been taken brick by brick its more out of the peoples hands but we have to remember we are powerful togeather we wasnt meant to live so oppressed kept down disrespected disregarded and i agree not many charties even unions stepping up
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Hi,
upon reading it says they want to target these groups, in this paragraph
In the Pathways to Work Green Paper last year, we said that we would turn on scheduled WCA reassessments as we build up capacity in our assessment providers. We are prioritising scheduled reassessments for people who are most likely to have had a change in their circumstances—for example, those with a short-term prognosis, for whom we can reasonably anticipate that a
change in their health condition has occurred. That includes those with risks from pregnancy complications, or those who have recovered following cancer treatment.
https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2026-03-04/debates/1532738B-A3C2-4ACB-AE5B-0D7B8FAC2600/WorkCapabilityAssessmentTimescales1 -
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There is a valid legal challengeThere is a valid legal challenge to the UK's Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Bill due to concerns over its potential impact on human rights and the Equality Amendment Act 2010. Legal experts have warned that the proposed changes to PIP could face significant legal challenges, particularly regarding the Equality Act 2010, which prohibits discrimination against disabled people. The Equality Act 2010 could come into play here, and there are concerns that the new criteria may disproportionately affect those with particular disabilities, especially mental health conditions. Legal action might be possible if the Government's criteria unfairly impact disabled people or fail to provide reasonable accommodations for specific needs. The assessment process could be scrutinized to ensure it is lawful, rational, and proportionate. Express+2
Therefore we need to organise and work with this legal challenge, with Minds Legal Unit, pro bono lawyers, Public Health Lawyers Age UKs to reverse these £2.5bnn cuts in the UC AND PIP Bill cuts.
I am not giving up, protesting, peacefully not fighting back, I am a true Buddhist; anger never persuades, law, facts and evidence in the courts does.
I am copying this to Minds Legal Unit, for advice, and all pro bono law charities, and group. Pro Bono means in Latin: ''for good cause'; do you all agree that we human beings have dignity a right to adequate benefits, to equality, to self esteem/ duty of care, right to life, to be inspired, and to overthrow disabalist oppression? We can reverse these cuts, our livers literally depend on it, here were still ongoing sucides during the run up to the UC PIP BILL in July 2025. Some indeed expressed extreme distress: suicidal feelings, including me, but I chose to be a politico-spiritual warrior for disabled people, for compassion for adequate benefits and other rights for us all. If I had suicided it would mean disabalism, and a Labour (sic) govt had won.
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Thankyou for sharing that i wiah i could believe that they would put an element of understanding and properly trained staff on board those assessements give many of us ptsd
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Where would you like the cuts to be, there has to be some sort of cut or whole thing will stop.
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Im beyond caring at this moment in time
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Afternoon @Catherine21, I think Swiftfox’s question may have been in relation to @MadMilan2019’s comment which discussed reversing the cuts.
I agree though, it can be difficult to find the energy and it’s okay to oppose the cuts and not have an answer as to how the government could balance that in budgets.
I’ve also sent you a quick PM, please look out for it.
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