30 Jun 2025
Amendments to the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill offer a promise of poverty and inequity to come.
Whilst we are pleased that the Government has shown a willingness to listen to the many thousands of people who have shared evidence, personal stories and campaigned against their proposed disability cuts, we fundamentally reject the Government’s concessions and call on MPs to vote against their amendment.
We do not know the full details of the Government’s plans yet – they are set to announce them ahead of the vote on Tuesday 1st July. We do know that for young sick and disabled people or people who are yet to develop disabilities, the amendments to the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill will offer a promise of poverty and inequity to come.
We stand by organisations who work with sick and disabled people in arguing that any proposals which make cuts to the already limited support disabled people receive must be resisted and rejected. As a network of over 120 organisations, many of us are working to provide support and advice to sick and disabled people in our city. We stand together against botched concessions to this rushed, financially driven and ill-thought-through proposal.
The Government’s amendments will create a two-tier society in which sick and disabled people receive differing levels of care and support. People who currently receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will now not be subject to the new assessment criteria, and people who currently receive the Health Element of Universal Credit (UC) will now see the amount they receive rise in line with inflation. However, people who claim PIP from November 2026 will be subject to the much harsher assessment criteria, meaning many people with severe disabilities and illnesses will lose their eligibility for support.
We are providers of free legal advice and support to people across Liverpool, the third most overall deprived local authority in England in terms of health and disability. As far as we are concerned these concessions, whilst affording some protection to existing claims, do nothing to amend the fundamental unfairness of the original proposals for new or repeat claims. We are disappointed that the Government has hashed together an amendment without undertaking dialogue with sick and disabled people and affected communities. We are quite clear that these proposals will not meet the Government’s plans of getting more people into work. Instead, they make poverty a problem for tomorrow.
Edward Hodgson
Written on behalf of the Liverpool Access to Advice Network Membership