Disability Benefit Cuts - Take action before July 9th.

@Catherine21 I was wrong in a previous post. A Debuty Speaker can select ammendments. According to B & W, 38 ammendments have been tabled. Some will be silly but other worthwhile changes to the Bill could be lost:

MPs faced with chaotic 38 pages of amendments tomorrow - help them choose

 Published: 08 July 2025

Thirty eight pages of amendments have now been tabled for the committee stage and third reading of the Universal Credit and Personal independence Payment Bill tomorrow.  The Commons will have just one chaotic session to work through them all before voting on a final, amended version, of the bill.

The Deputy Speaker will select which amendments are to be considered and group some together to speed the process.  For a bill which will affect the lives of millions to be rushed through in an afternoon in this manner suggests a desperate desire to avoid scrutiny on the part of the government.

In the days running up to the third reading, MPs of all parties have put forward amendments. Some are unlikely to pass, such as a Conservative amendment (NC12) limiting eligibility to PIP to British citizens and excluding claimants with “less severe” mental health conditions.

Some others also overlap, with MPs from different parties putting forward amendments dealing with the same or similar issues.

Readers may want to contact their MP one last time, urging them to vote against the bill, but also suggesting amendments they would like them to support in the run up to the final vote – in case the bill is passed.

From DPAC on Facebook, seems the UN has intervened, hopefully that’s good news

Or use the above link to download it. (Apologies).

Haven't the Government been told twice before that it needs to do better re disability by the UN and have done not a thing to comply ? could be wrong but I'm sure I heard something similar in the past, could be the court of human rights though, who knows, they are always in trouble one way or another.

I met some good people on here and I'm very thankful for that .... I honestly believe these reforms , now they've been dropped and new ones are being proposed are going to be a long way off , especially for existing claiments....

Take me for example I'm on cbesa and lcwra but no pip....

Im expecting one more reassessment under the WCA that will hopefully see me up to April 2028 , when the new pip criteria kicks in , NOW I've heard it will be for new claims first and could be the back end of 2029 before I get reassessed under the new pip rules .... I cannot and WILL NOT let these bastards steal my life ....

For existing pip claiments it's looking better than it was a month ago , remember that feeling , pure doom .... Enjoy the small win .... The pressure is off for a bit .....

I find it incredibly hard to switch off but for the first time in years for 2 or 3 days I did just that , it was bliss ! I mean pure unadulterated bliss , I needed it so bad .... You should try as hard as you can to have just a little time away from it , it really helps of you can .... Remember what I said a month ago I didn't know how to even lift my head I was so worried with fear , at least we're not there , this will take a years to be running smoothly , give yourself a break , we all deserve it after the past few months

I don't really stress too much about things these days but I do like to keep my eye on the ball. The changes to welfare funding ( I truly believe will be massive ones, different name etc - same result ) are something we need to stay on top of, no that doesn't mean flying into a panic every hour but just be aware of and prepare for. Time is such a flipping illusion, one min I was 18 and in perfect health, but in what feels like a blink of an eye, I am a decrepit pensioner relying on basic SP and PIP to survive. To me what seems like years away might as well be tomorrow, thats just me though and I respect and think its great that Danny took time out to chill and forget about all this for a while😊

Does anyone know what’s happening with the amendment to the scc regarding fluctuating conditions ?

No, but I got a rough letter drafted for me. Anyone is welcome to use it as a template to address the SCC issue, if struggling.

Dear MP

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, and in particular the Severe Conditions Criteria (SCC). I’m writing to ask you to support Amendment 17, tabled by Graeme Downie MP, during the Third Reading of the Universal Credit Bill on 9th July. This amendment would ensure that people with fluctuating conditions—such as Parkinson’s, MS, ME/CFS, Long Covid, Sarcoidosis, and many others, are not excluded from the new “severe conditions” criteria.

This legislation, if passed in its current form, will devastate the lives of millions of disabled people across the UK. The SCC requires claimants to demonstrate that their impairments affect them “constantly”, defined in the Bill as “at all times” or “on all occasions on which the claimant undertakes or attempts to undertake the activity”.

This definition is not only medically inappropriate—it is devious and deceitful.

I have ******illlness***********, in order to qualify for LCWRA support group it is neccesary to prove that I cannot undertake an activity for the majority of the time, but the reality is, there is a…. ******************************short descripton of illness and symptoms affect me***************************

The new SCC definition is deeply problematic for people with fluctuating conditions with complicated symptoms varying day to day or even hour to hour. These illnesses follow unpredictable patterns, with periods of remission and relapse. Yet under the SCC, individuals with these conditions will be denied the higher rate of support, despite being already found to be permanently unable to work, according to the Govs own criteria. The government’s refusal to engage with medical experts and charities is deeply troubling. The SCC’s rigid criteria will exclude eight in nine current support group claimants, even those with lifelong conditions. The DWP is fully aware of these consequences. The speed at which this Bill is being pushed through Parliament suggests a deliberate attempt to avoid scrutiny. If passed, it will leave many unable to afford basic necessities, including housing.

The manner in which this has been handled is abhorrent.

I urge you to:

Vote NO on this discriminatory Bill.

Support amendments that: Scrap SCC cuts entirely.

Retain the full £423.27/month health element. Include fluctuating conditions like ME, MS, Parkinson’s, Long Covid and Sarcoidosis. Accept private and international diagnoses. Ensure compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This is a matter of justice, dignity, and survival. Please confirm your stance.

Yours sincerely,

I am 100% behind the people fighting to get the bill scrapped, but I suspect it will go through in some form or other (or there will just be another one down the line).

I'm only PIP, so I'm more concerned about how the review of that will be carried out, but I'm not letting myself get too wound up by it. If I did, it'd affect my ability to work (ironically), so I won't.

But I am rooting for everyone here in the vote later, that whatever happens is the right thing.

Also, this govt, like previous, have dodged enshrining the UN values in law, so while we are signed up to the treaty, they are able to bounce around on it and ignore the UN's opinion if they want to. It just shows the contempt of successive groups of politicians for disabled people in general.

It's on at 1.30 pm on parliament tv .