Letter to Liz Kendall
Comments
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Liz Kendall
Secretary of State
Department for Work and Pensions
Caxton House
Tothill St
London
SW1H 9NA
5 July 2024
Dear Secretary of State
Plans to tighten the Work Capability Assessment from 2025
Congratulations on your appointment as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
We are writing to you today, as leading organisations that represent or are comprised
of disabled people and people with serious health conditions; and anti-poverty
organisations to ask for your urgent commitment to abandon what we understand to
be imminent plans to tighten the Work Capability Assessment.
The Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that the planned changes to the Work
Capability Assessment from 2025 would mean that by 2028/29, 424,000 people with
serious mobility or mental health problems would be denied both extra Universal
Credit worth over £400 a month and protection from sanctions. They estimate that
just 3% of these people would be expected to move into work in the subsequent four
years. We do not believe the reforms, therefore, would achieve their stated objective
of reducing economic inactivity. Instead, they would condemn seriously ill and
disabled people to a life of poverty and the threat of sanctions.
Disabled people are already more likely to live in poverty, and recent research has
shown that two thirds of people currently living in destitution are disabled or have a
long-term health condition. We believe these plans would serve to exacerbate this
inequity. Particularly as, in recent years, the real-terms value of the basic rate of
benefits has hit a 40-year low, meaning that people losing ‘Limited Capability for
Work or Work Related Activity’ status are likely to find themselves unable to afford
essentials.
The potential impact of this on the health of people with serious mobility or mental
health problems is clear. There is also a growing body of evidence that suggests
inadequate social security can in fact make it harder to get a job – whether because
of being unable to meet costs associated with job-seeking, or because your time is
taken up with trying to manage on a very low income.
In addition, you will be aware that there is an ongoing Judicial Review challenging
the Government’s consultation process on which these planned changes are based.
As you know, the previous Government had planned for the regulations to bring in
these plans to be put before Parliament in June, once scrutinised by the Social
Security Advisory Committee. This was prevented, however, by the calling of the
General Election. As a new incoming government, we ask that you think again before
proceeding with these plans.
Instead, we ask that disabled people themselves are put at the heart of future
policymaking, that these regulations are dropped, and that longer term plans set out
in the Health and Disability White Paper to scrap the Work Capability Assessment,
and proposals for the future of PIP, are redesigned with disabled people at the
centre.
We look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely
Anela Anwar, Chief Executive, Z2K
Alfie Stirling, Director of Insight and Policy, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Alison Garnham, CEO, Child Poverty Action Group
Nil Guzelgun, Head of Policy and Campaigns, Mind
Kamran Malik, CEO, Disability Rights UK
Geoff Fimister, Co-chair, Disability Benefits Consortium
Mark Winstanley, Chief Executive, Rethink Mental Illness
Thomas Lawson, Chief Executive, Turn2us
Richard Kramer, Chief Executive, Sense
Dan Paskins, Director of UK Impact, Save the Children3 -
I think it's Rachel Reeves that needs convincing. Her talk today of having to make "difficult decisions" is really scary. Before they disappear for the summer break, they must seek to reassure disabled people that we are not about to be sacrificed on the altar of "difficult decisions" yet again. I'm so tired...
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Rachel Reeves did say that if Labour got in,PIP would be left alone.
There's a thread on here somewhere.
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Thanks for sharing this @carbow32. We do need to keep making our voices heard! I did find it hopeful at least when Starmer made his first speech and welcomed everyone to take part and give their input. It makes me more hopeful that what we say will be listened to now than before.
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If they don't remove this extra anxiety and fear that I have got on top of an already complex mental health condition I have. Then I will never vote for them again. They have had my vote or a tactical vote all my adult life.
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It's like were on some secret shelf somewhere isn't it not to be mentioned. That could be a good thing though.
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I still am somewhat puzzled why the disabled community are needing to have this convo in the first place when starmer on paper should be a natural disability ally (from reading background info about him)
14 years of Tory cruelty and sickness benefit claims have rocketed up - if she’s smart reeves should at least consider that more of the same won’t be successful and prehaps empathy & support could be a way towards results!
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it's early days yet.
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I just hope they tell us something before the summer break, if they stay ssilent I can only assume they don't intend to halt the mass migration to UC which is the first threat on my list atm. It wouldn't be a good sign for the future if they can't understand how dangerous that it, or worse that they do but don't care. I've been voting Labour since the early 90s, but this lot scare me.
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Maybe we will know more on 17th July after the Kings speach about what the new government plans going forward will be.
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I have a feeling we won’t know much until after the summer recess (July 20th - 4th September) then even then I think we might have to wait until Rachel reeves unveils the autumn budget.
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actually I would somewhat disagree with that - only because silence can often be deafening
there Are 2 very clear things labour could do before summer recess that would be hugely helpful to hear
> in terms of the remaining rollout of uc managed migration to the esaonly/esa+hb groups according to the dwp official rollout timetable this still isn’t due to start till 2028/2029 though the dwp want to change that schedule to sept 2024 to sept 2025 (dec 2025 the date for migration completion)
september 2024 is less than 7 weeks away so that date would need to be officially confirmed pretty soon. But uc managed migration has been riddled with issues (1/3rd not successfully transferring over to uc) and rushed - the fact that the dwp want to ramp up the speed of managed migration to be even faster than previous stages on groups of legacy claimants that are arguably societies most vulnerable is unbelievably irresponsible imo. Also the dwp were saving a few billion with the orignal 2028/2029 rollout datesLabour have the perfect excuse to pause uc rollout to short out problems or go with the new sept 2024 start date but slow down the rollout to a revised completion date of dec 2026 or dec 2027
If labour does nothing and leaves it up to the dwp that will speak volumes
> labour have allowed the pip consultation to continue and conclude (which I have no probs with that itself). However the Tory plan of making pip significantly harder to claim and replace cash with vouchers and providing receipts was a universally hated idea and honestly may be the straw that broke the camels back in terms of the disabled community public backlash (definite impression the disabled had finally been pushed too far when stride announced the pip consultation)There is something very simple that Kendall could say before recess that could take away stress and also imply respect towards the disabled - something like
“the dwp has no intention to make pip a voucher or receipt system, nor make to criteria harder or make pip means tested. We do however see this pip consultation as an opportunity to read the disabled community opinions, thoughts and input on the current pip and look forward to working with you all in creating pip reforms that works for everyone”
I’m sure a politican like Kendall could word it better but in essence I would would respect Kendall more if she 1)she takes the worst case scenario with pip reforms off the table officially and 2)she makes the disabled community feel like this labour government will actually willingly listen to their thoughts and even ideas
This would be such a simple thing to do that would earn labour & Kendall so many brownie points and unless I’m overestimating the intelligence of the likes of Kendall is a no brainer to do before summer recess
Also appointing a decent disabled persons minister within the next few days is a must!3 -
Even though he may be an ally on paper. We still need our voice to be heard to let them know what we think. The more input and feedback the better. Best not to leave it to chance.
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I think you misunderstood me slightly
On paper starmer should be a disability ally
But he’s shown nothing the past few years remotely ally like (there were rumours that when starmer 1st was voted as labour leader the labour disability support group tried to engage with him but he was totally disinterested in them)
Right now starmer is not a disability ally……….and I kind of judge him for that as things stand
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I’ve got that sinking feeling that starmer might be about to shaft the disabled community
The vast majority of shadow ministers have been transferred over to like for like minister positions
Foxcroft was an ally to the disabled community and I got to say I fully expected her to continue in the role
Obviously we don’t know who has the role instead but at least whilst the limbo continues, it feels like starmer is ‘flipping the bird’ towards the disabled community
I hope starmer puts someone decent in the role bcos I’m starting to get very nervous about getting another Blair or Cameron type
the disabled community can’t seem to catch a break right now!
update: don’t tell me we aren’t getting a minister dedicated to disabled people and just being incorporated into some other ministers overloaded brief? God I hope this isn’t the case (and starmer has learnt from the backlash of sunak trying to ditch the disabled ppl minister brief!)
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I don't really know much about universal credit other than I am not entitled to it.
I don't think this new Labour government are at all understanding or sympathetic towards the disabled community but I guess only time will tell.
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we get punished for existing. We no longer have a voice in government and that is sad.
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If I remember correctly Foxcroft's statement have often clashed with Kendall. It was something I noticed multiple times in the past 18 months or so. Keir wouldnt tolerate that in government so yep she is moved aside.
Labour have been posturing against the sick community since winter 2022. It has been gradually increasing in intensity, Reeves told everyone live in parliament e.g. the WCA is getting reformed to remove eligibility for a big proportion of claimants.
Since being appointed to the DWP Liz Kendall hasnt stopped going on about the long term sick, getting Britain working again etc.
Her most recent phrase it is bad for business to not push the sick into work. So business's been able to get cheap labour is more important than looking after sick people and doing the best for them with care.0 -
Hi just read in Disability and work , that Labour Social Security and Disability is Sir Stephen Timms
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