Our comment: Recent social security announcements and ahead to Government Spring Statement
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Our vision is for an equal and just society and we work hard to highlight the changes we believe are necessary to policies and systems so that they recognise the inherent dignity of each and every person.
At a time when we may feel surrounded by growing uncertainty, instability and an ever changing news cycle, we remain committed to being beacons of hope, calling for just solutions which promote human flourishing.
Ahead of the Government’s Spring Statement next week and following this week’s announcements about the social security system, we are thinking again about the changes we are calling for to help people transform their lives with dignity.
We strongly believe that society must protect those who may have particular vulnerabilities. These could be due to their incomes, family circumstances, health conditions or otherwise. They should not be the first to suffer when the Government says it needs to make cuts.
We are calling for the Government to urgently reconsider their recently announced changes to the eligibility criteria for Personal Independence Payments (PIP). The changes will narrow eligibility and are likely to leave many people in even more financial difficulty.
We know from people accessing our services that the financial cost of having a disability is huge, and too often crippling. We also know that people who have disabilities are already disproportionately affected by issues of poverty, with over half of people in poverty living in a family where at least one person is disabled.
With the Government continuing to prepare a new child poverty strategy, it’s also essential that they consider these reforms in the context of the disproportionate risk of experiencing poverty faced by children living in families where a person has disability. When considering how to effectively address child poverty, it is counterproductive to cut the incomes of so many families.
As the Government considers their next moves in terms of the economy ahead of the Spring Statement, whilst we recognise the challenges faced in the current economic climate, we believe that those who are most vulnerable and already receiving the lowest incomes should not bear the brunt.
What can you do to help?
Please join us in speaking up for a just society where the dignity of every person is recognised.
You can help us to raise awareness of the changes we are calling for by sharing our social media posts and sending this blog on to others in your community.
Particularly if you may be directly affected by these changes, you could also write to your MP, letting them know the impact of the cuts and urging them to speak up on your behalf and ask the Government to reconsider.