Benefits plan a ‘clear attack on disabled people’

Planned changes to health and disability benefits that face a crucial vote in the Commons later are a “clear attack on disabled people”, a disability rights activist has said.

Andrew Hamilton, from Bangor, County Down, said the Labour government proposals, if passed, would have “a devastating impact on disabled people”.

The proposals involve changing eligibility criteria for the personal independence payment (PIP) and the health element of universal credit (UC).

However, the move has proved controversial, with Sir Keir Starmer facing the biggest rebellion of his premiership to date.

Andrew Hamilton, who has cerebral palsy and receives Pip, told Good Morning Ulster the changes to the government’s plan could, on a surface level, be seen as a “positive step” but they were “political concessions”.

“The system needs to be more user-centric, it needs to be more focused on what the disabled person can do.

“To get people back into work they need to put measures in where disabled people aren’t discriminated against and employers are supported.”

Mr Hamilton, who founded the Just Include UK campaign group, said the government bill “is not the answer”.

Pip supports many disabled people to continuing working, the cost of transport to maintain employment,” he added.

“The government needs to support people instead of trying to take away stuff.”

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Gregory Campbell told Good Morning Ulster that while the government’s position has “changed slightly” he will vote against the proposed bill.

“The marginalised and the people who are going to be most directly affected are going to be impacted very negatively by the government’s proposals.

“I think the overall welfare budget has to be addressed.”

He added that he did not believe anyone could argue against bringing the “massively increasing amount of payments” made to the entirety of welfare benefit “under control”, but said it should not be done “at the expense of the most marginalised and disadvantaged”.

He added “people want to see a bigger crackdown on those who abuse the system”.

Social Democratic and Labour Party leader Claire Hanna said the bill “puts the fiscal horse before the employment cart”.

“There are reforms that would support people with employment but they haven’t been done yet,” the Belfast South and Mid Down MP said.

Hanna said that in England an employment bill has just passed but one in Northern Ireland was “not even out of the traps”.

“Devolution is about using the powers that we have to protect people here.”

Hanna said it will be an “economic shock” for those in Northern Ireland as there is a higher claimant rate than the rest of the UK.

“It is going to take the political structures here to step up and support people.”

Following the concessions made by the government, people currently receiving Pip, or the health element of UC, will continue to do so.

However, the planned cuts will still affect future claimants.

Pip includes a daily living component and a mobility component. Claimants may be eligible for one or both.

The assessments involve questions about everyday tasks, with each scored from zero – for no difficulty – to 12 – for most difficulty.

From November 2026, the government says people will need to score at least four points for one activity to qualify.

Existing claimants who request a reassessment after November 2026 – for example, because of worsening health – will be considered under the new rules.

More than three million UC recipients have no requirement to find work due to their health, a number that has risen sharply.

The basic level of universal credit is £400.14 a month for a single person aged 25 or over.

But if someone has limited capacity to work because of a disability or long term condition, this payment more than doubles, because of an incapacity top-up worth £423.27.

Under the government’s proposals, claimants will no longer be eligible for this until they are aged 22 or over.

New claimants will also see this top-up fall from £97 per week in 2025-26 to £50 a week by 2026-27, before being frozen until the end of 2029-30.

The government had planned to freeze the higher rate for existing health-related claimants but this will now rise in line with inflation.

The basic payment level for universal credit will rise to £106 a week by 2029-30.