Mind responds to benefits bill final vote - "brutal blow for disabled people"
Despite serious concerns voiced by disabled people and the organisations that represent them, the UK government's Universal Credit Bill has now passed its final vote in parliament, paving the way for it to become law. Cuts to the health element of Universal Credit will mean 750,000 disabled people will miss out on £3,000 a year by the end of the decade.
Responding to the outcome of the vote, Dr Sarah Hughes, chief executive of Mind, said:
"The Bill’s passing is a brutal blow for disabled people and a major downgrade of our social security system. Despite the removal of cuts to PIP, the Bill cements distress and hardship for any one of us who becomes unwell in the future and finds they need a safety net. It has been rushed through parliament without proper consultation or meaningful scrutiny. This is not how policies affecting hundreds of thousands of disabled people should be made.
“Cuts to Universal Credit (UC) for new recipients will push many further into poverty and isolation, forcing impossible choices between essentials like food and heating when people are at their most vulnerable. Reducing what little income UC provides will only make it harder for people with mental health problems to meet their most basic needs, connect with others and take steps towards recovery.
“We urge the UK government to learn from this process when it undertakes its review of Personal Independence Payment. It is essential that disabled people, including those with mental health problems, are able to shape it, so that reforms resulting from the review are truly coproduced. We must work toward a fair, compassionate social security system that protects people’s health, dignity and independence.”
