As we have a look at the Spring Statement and the way it affects disabled people, we’d like to take a look at the national context and figures. We also need to take a look at it in light of the Green Paper on disability advantages – which is linked to the Spring Statement. We also must take into accout elements of the autumn budget too, a few of that are set to start out on April 1.
Most people taking a look at all parts of it individually won’t see the results of how each intersects and causes problems – issues that I don’t think even the federal government has realised.
Let’s have a look at the changes to the incapacity elements of universal credit announced within the Spring Statement:
The Universal Credit (UC) health element will probably be frozen for existing claimants until 2029/30. In other words, they may lose half of it will definitely anyway. And for brand new claimants, the support will probably be reduced to £50 per week in 2026/27 and frozen.
Just just like the Green Paper, the motive force for that is to get disabled people back into work. Aside from the actual fact there are numerous disabled individuals who cannot work and want this health element, we’d like to take a look at the figures around employment to see the problems:
1. Job vacancies within the United Kingdom decreased to 816,000 in January.
2. There are 1.55 million people aged 16+ unemployed within the UK. That means there are usually not enough jobs for everybody.
If as an employer you’ve gotten this many individuals wanting a job, would you select a disabled person? The facts prove that it’s unlikely, as disabled individuals are twice as prone to be unemployed than their non-disabled peers. And in the event that they do get a job, also they are 17.2% more prone to be paid less than their peers. That’s an issue, especially whenever you have a look at the Green Paper on disability advantages.
Let’s have a look at the changes within the employer National Insurance contributions. This was within the autumn budget and comes into effect on April 1 but it surely was hoped it will be reversed within the Spring Statement. It wasn’t.
The Morning Advertiser sums up the price of this and the rise of the national living wage as follows: “…the annual wage cost for a full-time worker working 38 hours per week will rise by roughly £1,031.58.”
How does this affect disabled people? Well, again you’ve gotten to take a look at this side by side with the Green Paper. Disability charities that provide care can not afford to pay carers. As a result, many are closing down the care side of their work.
Cuts to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) mean less people will give you the chance to qualify for the highest rate of the day by day living section since the bar has been set too high. If you don’t get PIP, you possibly can’t apply for the carer’s allowance. This implies that members of the family who’re carers might want to get a job and find council-funded take care of their loved one. This means more pressure on local governments that don’t have the cash to take care of them and due to this fact many disabled people ending up in hospital more frequently – at greater cost to the NHS.
The government and the press proceed to place a spin on all the things coming out to do with disability advantages, so I’ll close with some corrections to the ‘spin’.
“PIP and getting back to work”
This is just not an out-of-work profit. It is designed to assist with the additional costs of getting a disability (on average, over £1,000 more per 30 days than those of a non disabled person). It mustn’t be used as a whip to get people back into work. Lots of individuals claiming PIP work full time and don’t claim every other advantages. Losing it should mean not having the ability to work in any respect – and all within the name of ‘getting people back into work’.
“Those with higher needs is not going to be affected”
Yes they may. The recent rules say you wish “4 points” in a single aspect of day by day living. What they now consider 1 point has modified. It’s 2 points for needing someone to hold you into the shower. I feel that makes the purpose very clearly!
“It won’t occur”
That’s true – a Green Paper is designed to permit for robust debate and consultation. However, the consultation for this is just not asking the best questions and never giving space to air concerns about probably the most problematic areas of the paper. Any request for higher consultation is being cut off. Some elements are set to start out in 2026, giving less time to seek the advice of. It still doesn’t stop disabled people scuffling with it and it doesn’t stop the soaring hate crime rate.
“You can get a automotive free of charge”
Well, no. Anyone saying that knows nothing concerning the 50-page document you’ve gotten to fill in, or what ‘points’ it’s essential qualify for the upper rate mobility component of PIP. The profit money for that goes towards the automotive (not towards other extra costs of living with a disability).
If you desire to know more about how any of the cuts affect disabled people, please follow organisations like Scope and Mencap as sadly, for a lot of reasons, it’s best to not take your information from Christian organisations unless they concentrate on poverty or disability.
Please pray. Please write to your MP about this stuff. And please, check on any disabled friends to see how they’re coping with what’s unfolding for the time being.
