FROM: Disability Equality (nw) Ltd,
First Floor, Bannister House,
23 Sedgwick Street,
Preston,
PR1 1TP
Tel: 01772 558863
hello@disability-equality.org.uk
Disability Equality North West Limited is registered in England and Wales
Registered Charity No: 1114622 Registered Company No: 5506903
TO: Rachel Reeves MP
Chancellor
HM Government
24th of March 2025
Dear Chancellor,
I am writing to you on behalf of disabled people in Lancashire to urge you to think again about cuts to disability benefits, and more specifically to ask that you take time to listen to the lived experience of disabled people and the DPO’s (Disabled People’s Organisation’s) that represent them, before making any definitive decisions about the changes.
Disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and the Limited Capability for Work Amount, can be a lifeline for disabled households and can enable people who receive PIP to work.
Making the cuts to disability benefits, that you’re proposing, would have a catastrophic impact on disabled people in Lancashire and up and down the country.
Personal Independent Payment is not an ‘out of work’ benefit as the media would have us believe, it’s an additional benefit for disabled people who have significant care and mobility needs, that on average cost them an additional £975 per month (Scope Extra Costs Commission Report 2023), without it thousands of disabled households could be pushed into poverty.
Life costs more for disabled people. Huge numbers already live in poverty as a result of these extra costs. The impact of any cuts to disability benefits would be devastating.
We agree with the Government’s ambition to support more disabled people into work. However, making cuts to disability benefits will not achieve this goal or fix the system. In fact, there is little evidence to suggest cutting benefits increases employment outcomes. We know the benefits system is broken and needs reform. That there are disabled people out of work who want to work given the right support. And for some disabled people work isn’t appropriate. Changes to welfare must start here. Not with cuts.
We ask the Government to work with employers and disabled people to remove the barriers disabled people face accessing paid employment and to review the Access to Work system, ensuring that, going forward, we have a support system that enables those who want to work, have the right support to move into paid employment and that those who are unable to work are supported to live full and active lives in their local communities.
We want disabled people to be heard, listened to and supported by the Government. The needs, voices and lived experience of the disability community should be at the heart of the Government’s plans. Disabled people should not be an afterthought, we were there for you at the polling stations because we believed that you would be there for us when we needed, please do not prove us wrong.
Yours Sincerely,
Melanie Close
Chief Executive
Disability Equality (nw) Ltd
**We know the recent announcement about disability benefits has left many disabled people feeling anxious and worried, we’ve written to the Chancellor (letter above) asking the Government to sit down with disabled people to review the changes, before implementing and we will continue, on your behalf to ensure disabled people are not left in poverty.
If you wish to add your personal experience to our campaign please email hello@disability-equality.org.uk
