Upcoming changes to benefits

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  • Stop_cutting_us
    Stop_cutting_us Online Community Member Posts: 9 Connected

    I hope theres no cuts at all to LCWRA but at least a freeze in inflation payments isn't as devastating compared to the reports of 34% or more of it being cut directly. That would be manageable, it would suck but that would not be brutal. They need to be stopped in changing the criteria of eligibility. They want to stop people with mental illness being eligible for getting LCWRA. They must be stopped at the courts if true as that's discrimination. Of course we don't know for sure until next week.

  • Autistic_Superpower
    Autistic_Superpower Online Community Member Posts: 23 Contributor

    Why thank you, I don’t know if it’s a leak or a compromise or what, but they’ve already backed down (apparently) on a PIP freeze, a LCWRA freeze for a year is a big improvement and we just then need to work on the PIP descriptors / application already being made harder than it already is.

    I agree, a freeze would be pretty grim considering the rate inflation has been this last few years but we could at least survive. A cut would be devastating.

    Like I said above i totally agree, changing the PIP descriptors is another thing to work on now.

  • secretsquirrel1
    secretsquirrel1 Online Community Member Posts: 674 Championing

    fingers crossed 🤞 touch wood ( touching my head) the descriptors are next .

  • Autistic_Superpower
    Autistic_Superpower Online Community Member Posts: 23 Contributor

    The Article has appeared in full on the Guardian Website now:

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/16/starmer-to-drive-through-welfare-cuts-that-could-affect-uks-most-severely-disabled

    It does say ‘The bulk of the expected £5bn to £6bn in cuts will come from making it tougher to qualify for Pip – a key disability benefit not linked to work – which is likely to deny payments to many with conditions such as autism.Despite the widespread backlash, scope for further change is now unlikely.’

    HOWEVER! There’s also news on the Daily Mail now, which while typical of them being so insulting to the disabled:

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14505345/amp/Labour-plans-tackle-welfare-bill-fears-backbench-rebellion.html


    It also has one other bit of good news on it here: ‘Any plan to freeze PIP or change eligibility rules would require primary legislation which could trigger a revolt.’

    So I’m hopeful even if they do try to change eligibility criteria on Tuesday (which seems pretty likely is the main thing, along with a possible LCWRA freeze ) then there’ll be such a major kick-off they’ll have to abandon that too.


    I at least feel much more positive now than i did at any other time since this was announced.

  • Jenwren
    Jenwren Online Community Member Posts: 82 Empowering

    I'm praying we just get a freeze for LCWRA (the group I'm in) for PIP rather than a cut. I don't know how anyone is going to survive a cut to LCWRA. I'm still so scared. I've got a review in 2027 so I could still loose it all together. I can only imagine how scared everyone else is here.

    I can't believe they're going to do something even George Osbourne thought was too cruel…I want to be angry but I'm so exhausted and afraid.

    I just wish I could stop ruminating and panicking about it, it's lived rent free and obessively in my head since the news broke. I just want the green paper so we actually know how bad it's going to be. Question: when the green paper is released how definate is it that will become law (sorry that's a dumb question, my brain just isn't working much) - do we have any hope/ recourse then? It sounds like they're breaking law esp mental health re Disability Act 2010, or am I just being naive?

  • geckobat
    geckobat Online Community Member Posts: 74 Contributor

    I really hope it would be a freeze over cuts if anything.

    The mental health issues side of things is also horrifying. They'll be going back to simply calling people 'neurotic' and 'hysterical' if they stick to this track. Saying all that's needed is a good slap and a whiff of smelling salts and all is well.

  • Ross1975
    Ross1975 Online Community Member Posts: 129 Empowering
  • geckobat
    geckobat Online Community Member Posts: 74 Contributor

    It's infuriating so many people still view disabilities this way, especially those that are less visible or not visible at all. I saw a comment on a YouTube video where somebody responded saying "if you can type, you can work". The utter ignorance.

  • secretsquirrel1
    secretsquirrel1 Online Community Member Posts: 674 Championing

    did you read the part about starmers been planning this since last year ? What rubbish, they don’t have a clue what they’re doing. So to get sick and disabled ppl into jobs that don’t exist they will try to stop them being eligible for pip which is a benefit for ppl who can also work. And if they lose pip and their car may not be able to get to work. Nit to mention discrimination towards MH and autism adhd. If streeting thinks MH is too over diagnosed that’s his problem to solve with the NHS . Let him explain to the specialists that he knows better. Most ppl can’t even get to see a specialist let alone get a diagnosis.

  • secretsquirrel1
    secretsquirrel1 Online Community Member Posts: 674 Championing

    thank you , I’d much prefer that option. From what I’ve tonight from another poster it looks like they’re going after pip criteria instead of cuts . I can take a freeze to pip and lcwra and hopefully the changes in pip criteria can be fought in court as I think has been done in the past if I remember correctly.

  • worried33
    worried33 Online Community Member Posts: 902 Championing

    Still cant find any on there. If you cant give me the link which takes straight to UC roles then dont worry about it.

  • Jenwren
    Jenwren Online Community Member Posts: 82 Empowering

    when I first got my PIP a couple of years ago they just told me it would be reviewed/ reassessed in 2027. I've never had PIP before so I don't know if this is normal/typical. Do people generally not get a date of when they are reviewed next?

  • worried33
    worried33 Online Community Member Posts: 902 Championing

    He is contradicting himself and relying on ignorance. It is not possible to say this reform is needed whilst also saying he wants to still support and keep dignity for disabled people, the two are in complete conflict.
    Also he is basically copying the Tories with claims of over diagnosis. Another minister who thinks he is a doctor.

  • worried33
    worried33 Online Community Member Posts: 902 Championing

    Bear in mind stuff gets watered down when it needs to pass a vote, these changes have cross party support and Labour has a huge majority. Basically if the back benchers are bribed enough with the freeze being removed and the promise of new roles in government, then there is no one left to oppose other than a successful legal challenge.

  • apple85
    apple85 Online Community Member Posts: 888 Championing

    https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/16/labour-is-deserting-me-disabled-people-fear-impact-of-pip-changes

    Recheck your data Rachel reeves - there’s a good chance you haven’t factored in everything you should of to your calculations

  • secretsquirrel1
    secretsquirrel1 Online Community Member Posts: 674 Championing

    if it were possible it would be a good idea having therapists in schools etc . Helping young ppl with MH or autism afhd into jobs could be a good idea if voluntary . But where are all these therapists coming from all of the sudden considering ppl wait years for help and a possible diagnosis.

  • worried33
    worried33 Online Community Member Posts: 902 Championing

    I suppose the question is, is the aim to save a total of 6 billion, or 6 billion per year, I feel they want to save it per year, because they could hit the total by freezing for successive years. When they say by end of parliament my feeling is they want to hit that annual 6 billion saving by end of the term.
    Obviously I agree with freezing being much much less painful than changing eligibility. It is far less cruel. Even a cut is less cruel than changing eligibility. I think the attraction of eligibility to ministers as we have seen with the media coverage is it gets way less media attention, people tend to just assume its getting rid of fraud or people who arent disabled, as there is wide spread belief PIP is too easy to get for minor conditions. There is huge ignorance of the reality.

  • worried33
    worried33 Online Community Member Posts: 902 Championing

    PIP has an end date unless its ongoing, but even then its a 10 year soft touch review.

  • apple85
    apple85 Online Community Member Posts: 888 Championing

    I don’t know how much the House of Lords could slow things down

    We somehow get to the halfway point of this labour 1st term (jan 2027) and mps suddenly have to start worrying about how they will retain their seat the next GE

    At this stage obviously defeat these plans would be the best outcome but the tactically delaying and holding up gov progress getting this into law is also a huge result

This discussion has been closed.