Disabled People in Poverty

The hon. Friend agrees with the need to support vulnerable people’s mental wellbeing and calls for proper staff and accessible mental health hubs in every rural community.

In his constituency, 23,000 people receive universal credit and 11,000 receive PIP. The changes will amount to about £22 million a year being taken out of the local economy without evidence to demonstrate the benefits.

Analysis from Policy in Practice indicates that four of the UK's ten worst-hit local authority areas by welfare cuts are in Wales. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s report found 37% of disabled working-age adults in Wales to be in poverty, with relative poverty increasing for those affected by PIP and universal credit changes.

Considering such a serious matter requires an equality impact assessment to understand its impact on residents up and down the country. Argues that a holistic impact assessment should be done before rushing into changes to PIP, highlighting its economic impact of £5 billion.

Of the 13,132 disabled people living in my constituency, 5,110 claim PIP. Cutting benefits without addressing extra costs faced by disabled people is unconscionable. A wealth tax would be a start, and there are other ways in which the Government could look for savings on disability benefits, such as reducing profits of US firms like Maximus.

Fourteen years of austerity followed by the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis have led to out-of-control inequality, with cuts costing lives. The hon. Member agrees that taking away PIP from residents in his constituency will add a greater burden on council services.

More than 6,000 people in her constituency claim personal independence payments and many are at risk of losing their jobs if the cuts go through.

Three quarters of adults receiving health-related universal credit are experiencing material deprivation; this is a national disgrace and the system should be reformed.

Only 54% of disabled people are employed, compared to an average of 84% for those without disabilities. The JRF says that individuals in full-time work are five times less likely to be poor than those not working.

The hon. Member highlights the challenges faced by disabled veterans in his constituency, such as inability to heat homes and food insecurity, calling for bespoke support for these individuals.

The hon. Member discusses the substantial additional costs of disability, including mobility aids, home adaptations, specialist care, heating, and travel expenses, noting that disabled households need an extra £1,010 per month.

Did not contribute substantially, just requested to speak but was declined by Oliver Ryan.

From discussions she has had in Clwyd North, it is clear that our systems need urgent reform to stop unacceptable obfuscation and delay from leading to mental anguish and financial hardship.

The Government got it completely wrong when they cut winter fuel payments last year and should admit their mistake by withdrawing the plans to cut disability support.

The proposed changes risk pushing 44,000 disabled people in his constituency into serious poverty. He agrees that taxing the super-rich is the right choice.

In Northern Ireland, over a fifth of the population aged 16 to 64 are disabled with the lowest disability employment rate and largest unemployment gap between disabled and non-disabled persons.

Asked if it was cruel that under Conservative rule, the number of people from working households living in poverty more than doubled to 1.3 million. Asks about findings from the Government’s consultation on mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting.

The hon. Friend agrees that tackling discrimination is important but argues against cutting disability benefits as it makes people poorer without addressing economic issues or supporting employment opportunities. Questioned whether the £12 billion promised by Conservatives for cuts had been identified or outlined and where the party would have made those cuts during their time in government.

Critiqued the Tory government's record on disability support, pointing out that the number of disabled people in working households living in poverty doubled to 1.3 million under their watch and highlighted the need for scrapping the work capability assessment.

The average extra cost of living for disabled people in the UK is nearly £1,000 a month, and PIP exists to help cover these costs, not as an income replacement.

The sequencing is wrong, the proposals are wrong and ultimately the outcomes will be devastating; employers have a major responsibility to support disabled people.

The hon. Member warns about the potential broader systemic costs of proposed PIP cuts, including pressures on the NHS and local authority social care, which could negate or exceed projected savings.

In her constituency, 10,000 people are in receipt of PIP or health element of universal credit, and they are terrified that the cuts will push them into poverty.

The Government plan to slash £7 billion from support for disabled people, pushing 300,000 to 400,000 more disabled people into poverty and deepening the poverty of up to 700,000 already impoverished disabled families.

My constituent Samantha, who is a recipient of personal independence payment, has submitted 100 pages of evidence for her PIP review which she still awaits a decision on. The Government’s intention to make the process more challenging will discriminate against the most vulnerable. Highlighted a constituent's case of severe distress over potential PIP reduction, underscoring the vital lifeline provided by such payments.

Emphasised the importance of PIP in supporting people with disabilities, highlighting cases where constituents are already desperate due to anticipated reductions. He also discussed barriers to education and employment for disabled individuals.

Asked the Minister about speeding up the PIP process to help those waiting for decisions, noting that delays are ruining lives and costing a fortune.

The hon. Member discusses barriers to disabled people finding employment and supports a campaign for people with disabled bus passes to use them at any time of the day.