Labour doubles down on slashing billions from DWP's disability benefits bill

Ringing any DWP department is not something I would ever advise anyone to do. This is because you're not speaking to someone from DWP itself, you're speaking to someone from a call centre. Very often these people give some shocking misleading advice and have lead to many people missing out on benefits entitlement and that's just to start with.

There's no disability premiums payable when claiming UC like there is with legacy benefits. When someone claims UC from ESA, if they are in the Support Group their UC will automatically include the LCWRA element, is that what you mean by "disability element"

With managed migration if someone is worse of when the migrate to UC they would receive Transitional Protection to top up their income but this isn't forever and it does eventually reduce to zero. How long it lasts for is different for everyone and for some it may only last for a few months.

Ah, didn't know that about phoning the DWP Poppy - thanks for warning us!

What I mean by my disability payment, I get an additional topup to the basic universal credit which they list for "limited capability for work" and which amounts to the same (with inflation) topup I was receiving under ESA, that used to be called something like "disability premium" - some years ago now.

I do know that this additional payment is not available to anyone who signs on sick to UC now, if they are not already in receipt of a legacy benefit like ESA. They changed the rules back in 2017, as you can read here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-changes-to-limited-capability-for-work-payments/changes-to-limited-capability-for-work-payments-in-universal-credit

I would urge anyone thinking of transferring to UC from ESA to check that your additional disability element will be carried over to UC as it was with me.

It might be Kimmy + Poppy, I'm still getting the disability topup because I've been disabled for years, I was on ESA long before 2017. The payment has lasted quite a lot longer than a few months. They've told me it'll be removed when I'm fit for work.

I don't think they'll be able to force people who are disabled into work. It'll reflect badly on them and make them even more unpopular with the public.

How is someone with muscular dystrophy supposed to work? It's a progressive and terminal condition.

Ellen Clifford''s victory at the High Court set a precedent and a warning that if Liz Kendall and the DWP tries anything that will endanger the quality of life and wellbeing for disabled people, then they will have a fight on their hands.

not sure how badly it will reflect on them - both Tory & Labour govs have been using the media to paint this terrible stereotype on disabled of being a drain on society in more ways than one - we know some of the public bought into that narrative just not exactly what % bought into the ‘kook aid’ nor who’s indifferent either way

(For the record I have zero clue the percentage of public will stand up and create backlash for the disabled behalf when the time arrives - my human faith is low but I hope to be surprised)

Also the Ellen Clifford case is but a blip to Kendall/dwp plans……..it will make little difference unless it inspires more ‘David’s’ in the disabled community to take on the dwp ‘Goliath’ in the form of another lawsuit or other method - but I fear the disabled community too quiet & resting on laurels to build on miss cliffords success

Sorry to be bleak but the mere motion of the gov using the times piece to test the water of these cruel ideas shows dwp aren’t scared of public backlash and they think there is some chance they can get away with it (the article mentions reeves is banking on making massive welfare savings so she doesn’t have to reopen further taxes - city figures certainly look like they have her scared)

I’m starting to get the impression that this may be do or die (job wise) for both reeves and Kendall……….if they don’t get massive welfare savings and soon that could be their jobs gone for 2025 ends and starmers gov weakened (forced to change direction even) - I think most of us would like to see the back of those 2 and will get more proactive to disability activism these next few weeks

I've had night terrors as you describe for more that forty years. They've become more frequent since last April. I suppose it happens in sleep because we resist screaming out in daytime.

Thanks very much for that Poppy, I was getting worried they'd made a mistake + I'd have to pay it all back…

Thanks for the Times ref Apple, hadn't seen it. You've hit the nail on the head, if the Tories were in + mooting this, Labour would be loudly protesting, there'd be an opposition. Now Labour are back, there's very little protest. It was just the same under Blair, when they brought in New Deal (which meant working for dole money, aka American workfair), PFIs, school academies et al.

The Tories slashed the £20 uplift to UC, taken away our cost of living payments, and now Labour are proposing this. Makes you think they'd rather get rid of us altogether. What they will do is make our lives such a struggle, we won't be fit to do anything. Punishing people for being sick / disabled will not encourage them into work.