US EditionCorbyn says welfare cuts 'save £5bn at the expense of people with disabilities'
- The UK government, led by Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, announced a major shakeup to the welfare system, aiming to save £5 billion a year by 2030 through reforms primarily affecting disability benefits, a move described as the biggest shakeup in a generation.
- The reforms are motivated by the rising costs of sickness and disability benefits, with the welfare budget projected to reach £70 billion and welfare accounting for almost a third of public spending, alongside concerns about unsustainable public debt growth.
- The Department for Work and Pensions proposes initiatives like a 'right to try' a job before benefit eligibility reassessment and ending reassessments for those who will never be able to work, while also planning a £1 billion employment support package to help disabled people enter the workforce.
- Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has called the current welfare system 'morally and economically indefensible,' while critics like Mr. Corbyn argue the changes will harm people with disabilities, and celebrities such as Brian Cox, Rosie Jones, Sir Stephen Fry, Stanley Tucci, and Dame Arlene Phillips have voiced strong opposition, some highlighting the potential for increased hardship and labeling the cuts as 'shameful'.
- While the government aims to create a fairer and more sustainable system and boost working families through rebalancing Universal Credit, experts estimate that these changes, particularly tightening eligibility for Personal Independence Payments , could result in 800,000 to 1.2 million people losing between £4,200 and £6,300 per year, raising concerns about the impact on vulnerable individuals and families already facing hunger and hardship.
12 Articles
12 Articles
'I'm LGBTQ+ and disabled - losing my benefits means I will lose my independence'
Sophie Molly, who is trans, says Labour’s benefits shakeup is ‘cruel’ (Picture:Sophie Molly/Getty) Amie, a queer woman who has been chronically ill and disabled since childhood, is worried. The Norfolk local is one of roughly 3.6 million Britons who receive Personal Independence Payment (Pip), a benefit designed to support disabled people whether or not they are in work. Work is something Amie finds tricky to do full-time. She lives with EDS (Eh…
The Conversation
caithness-business.co.ukWhy the social pain of welfare reform overshadows any economic gain
richardjohnson/ShutterstockThe UK government is calling it the “biggest shakeup to the welfare system in a generation” – prompted by what the prime minister described as the “devastating” cost of sickness and disability benefits. Planned reforms to cut those costs are designed to save £5 billion a year by 2030, from a welfare budget that will reach £70 billion on current projections. Similar warnings about unsustainable welfare payments can be h…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Left, 50% of the sources are Center
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
Ownership
To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage
