Get your MP to act against cuts

The Benefits and Work website has this evening published a piece of analysis that will wipe the floor with MPs' stock replies to our objections. (Apogies if the links don't translate to copy & paste.)

Mental health PIP claimants demonised as cover for massive assault on physical health awards

Under both Conservative and Labour governments, the DWP have colluded with the press to demonise younger claimants living with mental health issues, ADHD and autism.  Ministers have joined in, to create a smokescreen which obscures the politically inconvenient truth that the majority of those at risk of losing their personal independence payment (PIP) under the Green paper proposals are older people with physical health conditions – many of whom have worked all their adult life until they became ill.

Sickfluencers

In January, the Canary highlighted the fact that “Disabled people living with mental health conditions came on the receiving end of an exponential surge in corporate media attacks against benefit claimants in 2024.”  It also found many articles “blaming the rise in disability benefit claims on the increase in claims from autistic people, and people with ADHD.” 

Sinister TikTok and Youtube “sickfluencers” who encourage young people to make spurious claims for benefits rather than find employment have become a staple of these hate tales, which continue to the present day:

Spike in disability claims for ADHD — as influencers provide advice  Sunday Times 14.04.2024

‘Sickfluencers’ help followers claim benefits as 15,000 a week approved  Times 30.11.2024

The benefits sickfluencers teaching Brits how to play the system and take YOUR tax to splash on flash cars and exotic hols  The Sun 07.02.25

The £3.5bn-a-year benefits bill for anxiety and ADHD  Telegraph 19.03.25

Disability benefits for anxiety and depression double since pandemic  Times 25.04.2025

And Liz Kendall, in her speech launching the Pathways To Work Green Paper argued that PIP claims were “rising faster among young people and mental health conditions . . . And the consequences of this failure are there for all to see. Millions of people who could work trapped on benefits… denied the income, hope, dignity and self-respect that we know good work brings

But, if this is the problem that the reforms are designed to fix, why are the bulk of the cuts aimed at older people with physical health conditions?

Physical health to be hardest hit

All the figures provided by the DWP suggest that it is physical health awards, not mental health or neurodevelopmental ones, that will bear the brunt of Labour’s cuts.

PIP awards at risk are those where the claimant did not score a minimum of 4 points for any daily living activity.  DWP statistics show that of all at risk awards:

• 72% are based on physical health
• 26% are based on mental health
• 1% are based on ADHD
• 1% are based on autistic spectrum disorders (ASD)
• 25% are based on learning disabilities.

(Numbers do not add up to 100% due to rounding). 

Clearly, from these numbers, ADHD and ASD awards are not at the forefront of cuts.

The DWP did not provide us with a condition specific breakdown of awards, but even from the categories it did provide, the focus on physical health is very apparent.  The percentage of awards with no 4 point or higher descriptor is:

• 79% for back pain
• 77% for arthritis
• 71% for regional musculoskeletal diseases (excluding back pain)
• 68% for chronic pain syndromes
• 62% for cardiovascular disease
• 55% for respiratory diseases

By comparison, 48% of awards for anxiety and depression have no 4 point or higher and, as we have seen above, 19% for ADHD and 6% for ASD.

What Labour are threatening with their Green Paper then, is almost eight out of ten awards for back pain and arthritis being stopped and even awards for conditions like heart disease and breathing problem being taken away from well over half of all current recipients.

If Labour were honest about this, they would probably find their plans much harder to sell.

Older claimants to be hardest hit

The other claim being made by Labour is that these cuts are aimed at preventing a whole generation of young people becoming permanent benefits claimants and never experiencing the “dignity and self-respect” of work.

The truth is the opposite:  younger claimants are much less likely to lose their awards while older claimants, most with a lifetime of graft behind them, are much more likely to lose their PIP. 

According to the DWP’s statxplore, the percentage of PIP claimants aged between 50 and 66 is, for example:

• 82% of those living with arthritis.
• 79% of those living with respiratory illness
• 75% of those living with cardiovascular disease
• 63% of those living with back pain
• 57% of those living with chronic pain
• 54% of those living with regional musculoskeletal diseases (excluding back pain)

Claimants living with mental health conditions tend to be younger:  only 36% of claimants living with anxiety and depression are aged  between 50 and 66. 

Those living with  neurodevelopmental issues are even younger: just 4% of claimants living with  ASD and 2.5% of those  living with ADHD are aged between 50 and 66.

But, as we have seen, mental health and neurodevelopmental claims make up only a little over a quarter of all at risk claims.

Whereas, just the six physical health conditions listed above, include over half of all the 1.3 million at risk claims. 

When it all unravels

There is no question, as our research has shown, that claimants living with mental health conditions will be hit dreadfully hard by the Green Paper changes and some of them will be amongst the most vulnerable people in our society.

But the number of claimants with physical health conditions who will be plunged into desperate circumstances by a sudden drop in income will be even greater.

Labour ministers may well succeed in conning their own MPs into voting the changes to PIP into law before the summer recess.

But, when the cuts actually come into force in November 2026, the deception will not hold.

It will rapidly become obvious that Labour is systematically destroying the income, not of young people led from the path of gainful employment by greedy “sickfluencers”, but of older people with a lifetime of work behind them. 

And as images begin to appear in the press of disabled people close to retirement age, some using wheelchairs or supplemental oxygen kits, queueing at food banks and debt advice centres, Labour MPs may regret their gullibility.

By the summer of 2029, after two and a half years of thousands of older, disabled claimants being remorselessly stripped of their PIP every single month, there will be a general election at which they may regret it a great deal more.

END OF ARTICLE

Its quite concerning that the ''spying on bank accounts'' is nearing the end of the consultation period, two more stages to get through, it is back in the house right now then it only has the Lords to go. This along with the green paper is a lot to take onboard all at once. I hate the fact that the disabled/out of work are a multi target of the Government. My bank account is just that, ''mine''. Oh sorry, my thoughts are very disjointed at the moment, maybe this bit doesn't belong in this thread, if its a problem let me know and I will remove it ☺️

Dear kind members,

Ever since the Green Paper thread crashed, I’ve been unable to access the main discussion. Could someone kindly help by listing the above petitions on the main Green Paper thread?

The long-awaited WCA petition -which directly challenges the unlawful nature of the consultation- has now finally been published, following strong scrutiny by Parliament. Some wording has been changed to avoid clashing with existing policies, but the core message remains.

Now more than ever, we must stay positive, united, and focused. Every petition contributes to the wider movement. Let’s stand together and support all efforts that push back against these harmful proposals.

Catch up soon!

In solidarity ✊

Thank you so much for this kind gesture, @chiarieds-I truly appreciate it.

Thanks also for adding my petition. I don’t mind at all that you included another one-after all, we’re all united in the same cause, standing up against these harmful proposals.
And funny you mention “gremlins in the works”-I’ve got a few theories of my own about those gremlins! 😳

Thanks for the link to the Green Paper post and thread. I was able to read through the comments, but I’m still unable to post or reply, which is a bit frustrating.

I really appreciate you checking in on me. To be honest, like many of us, I’m dealing with my share of health issues and significant pain-but I haven’t stepped back. I’m still in the game! 😊

Just hoping the website/forum issues get sorted soon so we can all stay fully engaged.

Take care,
In solidarity ✊

Oh @chiarieds, bless you-you’re such a lovely soul. Thank you so much for taking the time to link everything and explain it all so clearly. Honestly, your little tutorial was great ! I’ve had the exact same issue you described with posting on the forum -at first, I thought it was just my wonky hands playing up, but then I realised it’s the forum itself! I also have another issue where the page sometimes auto-refreshes, and I lose my posts. Now I just copy the post into my Notes app or Word before replying- it autosaves, and I don’t lose everything if the thread suddenly refreshes.It also works much better with my voice dictation software.

I mostly use my mobile phone to access the forum — it’s easier for me to navigate and use voice control  , personalise touchscreen for clicks, since my hand movement is a bit limited.  I don’t have a desktop, so I usually access Scope on my phone — it’s just more flexible for me. I’ve got one of those long-arm flexible gooseneck mobile stands that keeps the phone steady, which really helps when I need to do the odd taps and clicks. I did try accessing the forum on my laptop this morning, just to see if it made any difference- but nope, same issues as before!

I totally agree with you -The Scope forum is amazing.I’ve only been on the Scope forum since January, but I’m learning so much every day-from lovely members like you and so many others on this forum who’ve been part of Scope for a long time. It’s honestly been such a warm and eye-opening space,I’m really grateful to be part of it.

It really does feel like a special kind of solidarity -even though we’ve never met in person, there’s such warmth and understanding here. I find it really comforting. I can really see why you value Scope so much, @chiarieds!

Sorry, I’m rambling now -I could go on and on! I know this thread is about getting MPs to vote against those awful proposed benefit cuts, so I’ll try to end it here! 😊

Oh !!Your son sounds amazing, by the way- finding creative ways to get around tricky systems.We need more of that energy!🤩

Thank you again for your kindness , compliments and support, Chiarieds. It really means a lot to me. Let’s all keep looking out for each other. Together, we’re stronger !💜 💪🏼

In Solidarity ✊

The mp's will vote as instructed by starmer or lose their jobs, all we can hope for is the good conscience of MP's, I would argue that hope is on extremely thin ice.