The Green Paper Discussion (the document link is here too!)

So kind of you loucie....I really appreciate that. Xxx

As it stands the current system is still in place.

To stage the current points system they will need a change in the law

so right at this moment and for a while the current system it looks around Nov 2026 it will change, but they originally said UC would take under 5 years that nearly tripled and cost billions more.

In terms of all the announcements its the green paper which will go into the committee phase and this is normally where the nightmare fuel gets watered down. Legal challenges are going to happen without question, this is blatant cost cutting not "saving people from a live of not working". Truly right now focus on the tribunal and i truly hope it goes okay for you.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj924xvzrr2o

Some hope from "The I" this evening:

Rachel Reeves has been warned that ministers could still resign over her controversial benefits reforms, and that expected spending cuts at next week’s Spring Statement will only make their anger worse.

Labour tensions are growing over £5bn of welfare cuts set out this week, while the Chancellor is expected to outline further spending reductions, which her allies had to deny amounted to austerity, to balance the books in Wednesday’s statement.

A minister told The i Paper that their colleagues in Government ranks below Cabinet level were already considering quitting and that Reeves announcing a shrinking of the overall spending settlement for Whitehall departments would only make matters worse.

They said that “frontbenchers may well go over it [planned cuts to benefits]” or the “package won’t remain intact” in its current form as a rebellion brews on the back benches.

This revolt could spill over into frontbenchers quitting to vote against the benefit changes in Parliament, the minister said.

Although warnings last week of resignations over the welfare package have not been borne out, the comments suggests that ministers are not yet out of the woods on benefits cuts.

Alongside the Spring Statement next week, ministers are expected to publish impact assessments which will spell out how many people and who are affected by the decision to tighten disability benefit eligibility criteria for personal independence payments (PIP), which has already put MPs on the warpath.

There were signs of growing discontent on Thursday as Blackpool South MP Chris Webb, who was elected for the first time last year and is not seen as a trouble-maker, said he had “serious concerns” about the changes to PIP and would rebel over them when they come to the Commons for a vote.

“These cuts could see between 800,000 and 1.2 million people lose between £4,000 and £6,000 a year – a devastating blow for many of my constituents who are already on the edge,” he said.

“Taking support away from those who need it most will push more people into poverty and deepen the already harsh realities faced by disabled people in Blackpool.

“When you elected me as your MP, I made a promise: I will never vote for anything that makes people in Blackpool poorer – and some of these reforms could do exactly that.”

Webb said that “instead of targeting the most vulnerable, the Government should be looking at fairer alternatives” such as a “modest” 2 per cent tax on wealth over £10m that he said would affect just the richest 0.04 per cent of the population and raise £22bn.

“This is the kind of reform we need – one that protects the vulnerable instead of punishing them.”

Referring to a meeting with Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall on Wednesday which some attendees described as “****”, Webb added: “I voiced some of my concerns to the Secretary of State yesterday and will be speaking to her at length about them soon.”

It came as Chief Secretary to Treasury Darren Jones all but confirms the Chancellor is expected to cut the overall spending “envelope”, or allocations, for Whitehall, saying “budgets will be going down in terms of the annual rate of growth”.

But Jones said it was “incorrect” to label this austerity as it will be accompanied by modernising reforms that will make public services cheaper to deliver, including new plans to harness AI to enable better monitoring of departments’ spending announced on Thursday.

The mooted cuts are already beginning to provoke anger on the Labour left, with MP Ian Byrne tweeting: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. #AusteritylsAPoliticalChoice”.

They will take into consideration your partner's earnings. The Government will hopefully in the coming days/weeks give more clarification on everything. This is what the Government would like to do and it's a Green Paper. You can also give your response to the Green Paper. I think it's important to do that if you can.

BUT isn't it the case though I am severely disabled they'll change WCA..move it over to PIP and reassess anyway..with changed criteria?

@luvpink You are 100% correct. I totally agree 👍

 Nice one @Summerlove

In the 5 minutes I watched the video and read the comments, the key theme from this great presentation is that “EVEN LOYAL LABOUR MEMBERS HAVE SAID THAT THEY WOULD NEVER EVER VOTE FOR LABOUR AGAIN.”

It’s very badly written in the green paper, so we are unsure.

There’s a possibility that anyone with ESA contribution based, if that proposal goes ahead, will lose their entitlement eventually. As well as any NI contributions for their future pension.

So if you are on ESA contributions based I would reply to their green paper pointing that out.

the NI contributions you have earned through the years whilst in CBESA can’t be touched.

The moment CBESA stops your NI contributions towards your pension will stop and you will have to pay those contributions through either work or your own pocket

That’s my understanding

I wrote to my MP (newly elected Labour) on Tuesday asking how he intended to vote. I have not even received an acknowledgement. They are sh***ing themselves I think. If/when I do receive a response, I will be posting it on every local FB page I can find, so that people know whether he supports the plan or not. That way he will be held accountable by constituents.