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

Sorry Catherine, my previous comment to you was referring to something else. No I mean by "new regulations" the altered medical assessment form they're planning to bring in with the green paper this spring. It won't come into force at once of course. But the talk is they're going to scrap some of the qualifiers, such as some of the mobility elements, to make it harder for people to qualify as disabled under UC.

Welfare spending from the horses (Gov) mouth:

Total £303 billion

Pensioners £166 billion

Kids + Working age, UC and all the rest £137.4 billion

Which includes disabled £90 billion

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-information-and-guidance/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-information-and-guidance

What bothers me is the mixed messages, one minute they're saying not to bash people with mental illness, then they use the media to bash people with mental illness, we won't be bad and we'll help people into work if they want to, then it's "lose benefits and forced into work", one minute one article says "will", then the next says "could".

I and many here have presumably been in abusive relationships, Labour's messaging, the media's messaging resembles something from an abusive relationship, the gaslighting, the manipulation. The abuse I got was from my father, he used to do the same things within a different context and that's why I'm picking up on this.

Labour should be honest about their plans instead of this dangerous nonsense because it's doing so much damn harm to people's mental health, I feel anger and resentment over this situation.

That's what they're trying to push through in the spring Catherine, but not yet ; )

here’s the mirror link for anyone wanting to read

https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/dwp-benefits-changes-launched-54-34589279

I have to ask those saying that Labour will have to pass legislation before enacting any of these disturbing rumours their reasoning behind

for example when the tories wanted to launch major reforms to the uc there was a (too short) public constitution and then a couple of months to read through the responses and then they announced their decision………I don’t believe they required any bill or legislation to enact the reforms (and in the end a few months before the GE they wanted to change details on that said reform)

I’m not an expect on bills and legislation and when they are legally needed so you all could be right (someone mentioned a green paper than a white paper would need to be published before any reforms to welfare payments and criteria which makes sense - but I do worry the likes of reeves will believe the existence of the ‘get Britain working’ white paper allows them to fast forward things)

I don’t think consultations are a legal requirement before a gov announces final details to reforms - and even if it was the pip consultation process is complete and ready to move to the next step any day (the wca consultation will run for 12 weeks from the end of march then probably responses considered for another 2-4 months - so that process will be completed sept to nov 2025)

But even if legislation is required this Labour gov has a massive majority. Even if tories/reform vote against (which would only be for reasons of spit if Labour plans are confirmed to be crueler than their own ones a year back) then you’d need a minimum of around a 75 Labour rebellion to down the bill in a vote of 2nd/3rd reading (that’s a massive rebellion needed in a vote that will be probably 3 line whipped and threats of the whip removed……….we are only 8 months into a 5yr term so basically it’s too early to have this level of descent- and if the tories swallow their pride on this and decide voting against only aids reform ‘game over’ is a cert) and lords will only be able to slow things down so much - the bill would reach royal assent in 6-18 months

If legislation is required of course

as I said before what will tip the scales will be the level of public backlash and/or number of legal cases taken up against the gov/dwp (if any)

personally it would be wise for the disabled community to identify the 100-200 Labour MP most likely to listen and/or sympathise with our situation and start writing/emailing even if they aren’t your mp

Right now the disabled community needs powerful allies (prehaps someone should try and get hold of Esther Rantzen - she has single handedly bent starmer round her finger and her fears have indirectly thrown the disabled under the bus (if you are paying attention to another bill) - my petty self thinks she owes us some support)

sorry, off topic, rant over

I think this is the video. Watching this has put my mind at rest.

I don't know how to make the link clicky.

https://youtu.be/Damd6GJapx0?si=l18LNFkPw4tN-yv9