Green Paper Discussion (from 24th March, 2025)
Comments
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@sarah_lea12 and @Tonypiano777 A daily devotional thread would be great 🙏
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Everyone….ive just watched the news. There was a brief article about Rachel Reeves disasterous mini budget which will take place tommorow. They said the news is seeking submissions. from groups and individuals about how the spring statement will affect you…..if anyone is game to do this there is a form you can fill in on the bbc website, link below,
https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u187894196
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I've just filled that out now. Thank you for the link. Are submissions being taken tomorrow?
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I just took the new PIP test and scored 17 and 24. This was based on what I believe they cannot argue with, I could in theory receive more points.
I have to say I'm undecided on this new 4 points thing. On one hand, I can see how many many people will be effected and the knock on affect, but, I also see how many, who may not have many struggles and can live a fairly normal life, can score low on a number of descriptors and still qualify. I say this because just this week I have discovered two friends receive PIP and I am quite shocked. One is getting married, works full time, flies around the world on their own and is more than capable of being independent regarding cooking, washing etc. The other has some difficulties in social areas and going out, but can manage all other areas independently. I am fully aware I don't see everything, but it does also explain why many people assume people are pulling a fast one regarding disability benefits.1 -
@onlymeagain When it comes to myself, I only claim for my mental health disability so to others, I seem like I can do everything perfectly well but, as you said, not everything is seen and in reality, I struggle a lot with certain issues that lead me to qualify for PIP.
For the 4 points rule, if I was awarded correctly, I wouldn't necessarily need to worry about myself too much because I would've got 4 points on at least one descriptor. Due to being awarded incorrectly, thanks to the assessor that lied on certain points, I do not qualify for PIP at all with the 4 points rule.
Even if I did qualify, I would still be just as angry. I feel it's just a moral standpoint. There's that on top of so many other cuts/changes that will negatively impact those with disabilities and it's just wrong what the Government are doing. Especially trying to justify it as a moral decision to save money on their abysmal budget.
(I just want to add that this comment is not an attempt to come at you. I really hope that it didn't come across like that and I'm so sorry if it did, I'll remove if you want me to. I think it's just tiredness/late night posting. Good indication I need to head to bed!)
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They want to run the story tommorow I believe……that’s what they said on the news. Good on ye for filling it in! I’m in the process of filling it in
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B&W do point out that the consultation on offer is a sham, the worst parts of the green paper have no consultation, e.g. the green paper asks what should happen to those who are victims of the 4 point change, it doesnt ask if the 4 point change should happen. The 4 point change and some other things wont have a consultation and will likely be law by end of July as things stand (effective date from Nov 2026). In the consultation I answered the question that the victims should keep their existing award, as thats the only sane response.
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Your post came across just fine :) As I said I'm undecided as I can see why the changes might be needed, but also don't accept changes should be made because I know the knock on affect it would have. I have two sons on PIP and whilst one should be okay, I'm not sure on the other. He currently gets enhanced living and mobility but his difficulties are more mental health than physical so he could easily be one of those who loses PIP if this goes ahead and they use the 4 point rule as a way to get people off PIP. I think that's what I fear the most, that rather than wanting PIP to go to those genuinely in need, it is a reason to reduce the points people get so they no longer qualify.
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I get you. I'm hoping that these changes really don't make it through. They're already facing so much backlash even from their own MPs so I can't see that changing too much, other than more MPs potentially rebelling. It's so mind boggling to me when they talk about needing to save money or talk about fraud rates. Fraud rates from the DWP's own stats is around less than half of 1%. Plus, there are so many areas that they could save money rather than cutting from those who need it.
I've been trying to see a bit of positives, even though that is so hard, and I've been trying to think of the sense of unity it has brought people in a sense? Don't know if that makes sense but it feels like so many people are coming together, making their voices heard as much as they can, doing their best all to bring about a message and change. I just always love when there's that sense of unity.
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Looks like more welfare cuts are going to be announced tomorrow (Sky News). ITV News website (Anushka Asthana, Deputy Political Editor). 'I can reveal that the OBR has judged the net savings from the welfare package to be at £3.4 billion, significantly below the amount that government analysts had laid out.
Sources tell me that Chancellor Rachel Reeves will now cut an extra £500 million by freezing incapacity benefits (the higher rate of universal credit) until 2030 after an initial cut, and will also slightly reduce the basic rate of universal credit in 2029 after an earlier increase.'
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Sky News is also reporting it as well. It seems to be never ending.😖
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It’s also ironic that they say this when one of the biggest “types of support that can improve the employment prospects of disabled people” is PIP. Because it allows so many people to stay IN work, and the fact it’s not means tested means people can build up working hours gradually, won’t lose out if they have to take time off, etc…
So evidently the obvious solution is to make it harder to get!
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I keep having to remind myself that it is a Labour government implementing these severe cuts. I know for a fact that had Labour published their intentions in their manifesto they would not have won by a landslide and would not have the huge majority needed to force this through. People were duped into believing their lies about eradicating poverty. They are just going to end up adding millions more to the number of people who will be in abject poverty.
I also know had the Tories tried to do this, Labour would have voted against it in huge numbers so I don't know what to say except this is really true evil being carried out by the people who claim to stand for the vulnerable people in society it is going against the equality act and is going to cause unimagineable harm, they will literally have blood on their hands. They talk about it being their moral duty when all I can see are immoral acts by Labour.
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Labour are set to increase the cuts as OBR have said the cuts will be less than Labour predicted.
The increase of basic rate looks like will be short lived to 2029 as some kind of temporary marketing gimmick to sell the reform, and new claimants aside from getting halved rate will also be frozen.
This ideology is really hard, the leaders of this party really dont like the idea of supporting disabled people.1 -
I completely agree with you @Loulou82xx. I hope the Government funds Social Care/NHS appropriately because it will be them who'll have to deal with the fallout if this all goes ahead. Labour will be shown the door after one term.
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People talking about Labour u-turning, but I remember pre election I didnt get any such vibes from them.
I remember all of the following pre election.
Kendall appointment, she is a red Tory, one of the most extreme right of the party, and has never believed in support without work. Voted in favour of Osborne cuts.
Kendall constantly tweeting, get Britain working, and saying its the key of Labour's plans for growth.
Kendall ignoring her disabled constituents, ghosting them.
Reeve telling parliament she will overhaul WCA to make large cuts.
Keir saying again and again they are the party for "working people".
Reeve telling parliament she will provide rigorous fiscal rules and keep spending down.
Labour either abstained or voted in favour of Tory plans to cut benefits.
Reeve was already known for her anti social security stance a decade ago.
The removal of a disability advocate from shadow DWP position.
Labour when last in power shown their colours, they introduced both ESA and LHA. ESA originally was 3-36 months reassessment. Stated intention to kick a million sick people out of the safety net.
The huge attack on PIP was not in their manifesto, so one could argue thats a bit of a surprise, but I think the overall targeting of the sick isnt a surprise. However there was so much anger towards the Tories, I think people out of shear hope, told themselves Labour were not capable of such actions.
The sad thing is, the alternative wasnt really any better, the Tories already had their own ESA/LCWRA plans set to be carried out starting 2025 (very quickly), they had the same health top up plan by end of decade, there was a PIP consultation with all sorts of nasty proposals although nothing was announced pre election. On the LCWRA side, it wasnt quite as bad as the Tories were not planning to freeze/half LCWRA rate, they also added assurance existing LCWRA would never be assessed again. Given we have a 2 party political system it was a lose/lose at the election.5 -
From Chris Smyth (an editor at The Times) on twitter, re the apparent new plans:
So it applies to new claimants and they will have their LCWRA (which is already just half of current claimants’ LCWRA) frozen.
I wonder if MPs salaries will be frozen too?
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Oh God, Rachel Reeves at it again 😐️
Chancellor Rachel Reeves expected to announce further welfare cuts in spring statementhttps://news.sky.com/story/chancellor-rachel-reeves-expected-to-announce-further-welfare-cuts-in-spring-statement-13335729?dcmp=snt-sf-twitter
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At this point I am convinced they are 'trying to kill us all off'....seriously !
If they tax the super rich, and all the oil and tech companies etc , then they'd have more than enough to fill their 'imaginary black hole'.
I feel physically sick about it all and this week I've hit rock bottom with crohns and lupus flares, no doubt brought on by stress because of all this.
I even collapsed yesterday, ended up losing my phone.....I'm wrecked, as we all are !
I'm Sick of us all being vilified and punished for being sick and disabled.
This is so so wrong, we are all vulnerable and they just keep kicking us ......
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