Solicitors

@Slonvinton @Catherine21

Thanks so much for all your thoughtful and valid points following mine. I truly hear you.

It’s saddening to see the hurdles that so many disabled people face when navigating legal battles. But as I mentioned earlier, we can still take some reassurance from the fact that the core protections of the Equality Act 2010 remain in place -nothing has changed yet.

Even though we might not hear about every legal development in the news, I genuinely welcome all the ongoing discussions happening behind the scenes to improve the legal processes and experiences for disabled people.

Please be assured that our rights as disabled people are still protected under the Equality Act 2010-there’s no change to that at present, so please don’t doubt your entitlement to protection.

If you have any specific concerns about whether your situation meets the legal definitions under the Act, it might be helpful to seek support from your local welfare rights service, or even explore the short free consultations that some solicitors offer. It’s always worth getting that bit of additional clarity and reassurance when you need it.

Best wishes!

Thanks so much for offering your great insight, @MW123.

The nuances in social security laws make much more sense to me now after reading your posts—both here and in the Green Paper thread-as well as the recent Benefits and Work news update about the disappointing outcome on seeking legal advice from Leigh Day on aspects of the Green Paper.

However,It all now underscores the urgency and importance of sharing our personal impact stories and lobbying our MPs to vote against (or) at least abstain from voting for the proposal when it comes before Parliament in June. At the same time, it’s vital we continue amplifying our voices by supporting campaigns and petitions, engaging with DPOs, and getting our stories to ministers and create awareness within the wider public.

There’s still hope, and there is real power in our collective voices and lived experiences.

Once again, thank you.

Hi @MW123,

Thank you so much for your kind words about my Christian retreat -it really means a lot.🙏🏽

I managed to attend a few sessions, and although the physical challenges navigating the beautiful but hilly Welsh countryside limited my participation, the sessions I did attend were deeply reviving. It was wonderful to network with others, and I was struck by how many disabled people were there -many using wheelchairs — and how much anxiety there was about the proposed benefits changes. There were even breakout counselling sessions for those needing space to be heard, which says a lot about the emotional toll these policies are already having. We have exchanged contacts and are now supporting each other, just as we do in this forum.

Also, thank you again for sharing the GCN Chambers main link — it was very informative, and I’ve taken time to critically read through it and related documents, including the Benefits and Work FOI analysis.

Here’s my take:

While Tom Royston’s legal analysis understandably feels disappointing at first glance — as it finds no immediate clear legal route to challenge the flagship elements of the ‘Pathways to Work’ Green Paper — it still offers hope for the future . As he rightly points out, future legal challenges are likely to arise once the proposals are enacted and specific regulations start to impact individuals disproportionately. In other words, although the basic framework (like the PIP 4-point rule) may be hard to challenge early, the implementation of these rules could still be contested under the Human Rights Act 1998 and Equality Act 2010 when cases of unfair treatment or indirect discrimination come to light.

In parallel, there is real political impetus building.

As you highlighted, approximately 100 Labour MPs are reconsidering their stance, and around 55 are expected to abstain. As a follow on-Even though Starmer unfortunately deflected and silenced Labour MP -Andy McDonald’s legitimate question at PMQs — about whether the government should wait for the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) impact assessment before pushing through such radical changes -there is now growing unrest inside Parliament. According to the official Parliament records, the OBR’s next forecast (expected in autumn) will assess the real-world effects, but MPs are being asked to vote before these independent economic and social impacts are known. (Parliament Business Papers, 2025).

And as you and I have stated all along : This makes it even more vital for us, as disabled people and allies, to lobby our MPs to oppose the reforms in the June parliamentary vote. There is a real opportunity to influence the political outcome. It’s not inevitable that these proposals will sail through -especially as public pressure mounts.

Regarding the FOI analysis by benefits and works:

Labour’s new 4-point rule means if I don’t score 4 points on any daily living task, I’ll lose my PIP. Right now, through the evidence gathered, It’s clear that 87% of claimants like me and many of our members may potentially fail. The government argues fewer will lose out because we’ll fight harder(It this is correct-I feel this is the most sadistic argument by this evil Gov😡), but Benefits and Work think that’s unrealistic. This looks like a hidden deceptive plan by the cruel Labour to scrap most standard rate awards -and maybe scrap the standard daily living rate altogether in the future when the single PIP assessment is introduced. 😡

But despite all this -and it is extremely heavy along with the struggles disabled people already face ,I do believe there is still light at the end of the tunnel.

The growing political opposition, combined with the possibility of targeted legal challenges once the regulations take practical form, means that this is not a done deal. Our collective voice, activism, and resilience will matter enormously in the immediate months ahead.

Thank you again for all the information you shared and all the motivation you’re offering across this forum — it really helped me put these pieces together more clearly.

Sending solidarity and strength to you and all members as we continue to navigate these changes together.

Take care, and let’s all keep the faith!