WCA consultation ruled unlawful - White paper, part 2

Labour have committed only to the cost savings (from across all of welfare not just disability benefits) inherited from the previous Government.

They have yet to release any details of how they themselves would like to make those savings.

Better to wait for the official news, rather than believing mish mash, ill informed click bait articles probably written by AI but a named journalist takes credit for them.

@Andi66 Here's a quote from today's "Guardian". To me, it suggests that the Lords believes there is a need for change but that any changes are not initiated for the sole purpose of saving money:

"Labour must carry out a root-and-branch overhaul of the UK’s incapacity benefits system if it is to rein in rising heath-related welfare spending, an influential cross-party Westminster committee has warned.

The House of Lords economic affairs committee – whose members include two former Treasury permanent secretaries and a former chancellor – said major reform was needed to address the rising social and fiscal costs of disability benefits.

The chair of the committee, the Tory peer George Bridges, told the Guardian the government must “step back and hold a fundamental review of the benefits system” that went beyond simply looking for “so-called savings”.

The committee’s remarks came amid rising concern among disability campaigners and Labour backbenchers over the chancellor’s insistence on sticking to inherited Tory plans to cut £3bn from incapacity benefits by 2028."

Surely savings can be found elsewhere. Like the NHS charge overseas people to use it. Like they do in other countries, they come in use it and fly out again. Get the money back from the waste ppe that was spent in the covid years from unscrupulous firms. Cut heating for mps out of tax payers money. Using tax payers money for their perks, they earn enough etc

I won't start a new thread but a Lords committee have called for reforms, these are recommendations NOT set in stone reforms.

The cross-party House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee (EAC) has today called for the government to “accelerate its plans to reform health-related benefits”, warning that the country now spends more on incapacity and disability benefits than on defence  

• A reform of the fit note system
• Individuals who are signed off work for more than a month should undergo additional or ongoing assessments
• Work Capability Assessment (WCA) is not rigorous enough and susceptible to error. The assessment should be face-to-face and seek to establish what work an individual can do rather than looking to corroborate what they cannot do.
• If people return to work, they should not be at risk of immediately losing benefits; or, if the job proves unsuitable, they should not be immediately faced with having to reapply for these benefits.
• Just as unemployed people have a work coach, so should those on incapacity benefit for the first two years of their period on benefits.

Remember these are recommendations, not set in stone plans.

Bare in mind though this "engagement" aspect has been mentioned by Alan Milburn.

Quite frankly I'm sick of this nonsense that everyone puts it on for the bennies, I have to take a breather just to not go on a rant. So more is spent on disability/incapacity benefits than defense spending….is that OUR fault? No it isn't, who was in government from 2010 to 2024? They had plenty of time to reform the welfare system.

I read the financial times article about this and people were salivating at this, yet I bet you that they're the ones who cry and whine about losing their Winter Fuel Allowance.

Yes reform needs to happen but it needs to be in a way that benefits the disabled, not slash and cut and MSM constant hit pieces.

Getting Britain Working White Paper ruled unlawful;

huge victory, we shall see. Human rights cannot be ignored, and we have a independent (of the govt of the day) judiciary, which is basic to democracy: the govt cannot be judge, jury, lawmaker, and executioner.

Laws must be objective and serve all citizens: all are equal under the law; nobody, not even govt, is above the law.

So keep writing to you MP: Google ''Fin your MP'' please.

Never give up. D o not give up on human rights to benefits,

right to life duty of care, health and safety etc. I guess there are about 300* human rights, so can we really lose, if we get solicitors, and barristers to enforce them on our behalf as citizens with universal rights?

• Under domestic UK , UN, and ECHR laws

It is a good Q that 'Labour' govt will still go ahead with disability benefit reforms, in fact I am sure they are consulting their lawyers, and bill writers right now.

We've won a battle not the war. We can win the war - which is an unfortunate word for a practicing Buddhist of 25.5 years like myself. And there is no justification for revenge, or ilwwil, ever Buddha said. We need to make a legal and moral case, with sweet reason, compassion for all, and show the govt and others, the very best in humans. Any fool can get cynical, downhearted, depressed, anxious, and inactive; we are better than that.

We are stronger, and more effective than we know; stronger together; unity is strength. I am impressed by the more positive tone in SCOPE's discussion forum in recent weeks; we are not victims. People have shown willingness to explore egal options, taken up a more positive suggested, active, organised tone. And have shared their legal, and other knowledge and inspirations.

Keep going, but we still need an alliance of disabled peoples organisations, Age UK as elderly often have several disabilities, trade unions, the TUC, friendly and free for good cause/ pro bono lawyers, e.g. Mind Legal Unit, pro bone group itself.

And we need to know what SCOPE Campaigns, and media dept are doing to create and promulgate this positive suggestion for a Disability Benefits Alliance