Every Labour MP has been sent a letter by Green MPs ahead of an announcement next week urging them to rebel against plans to slash around £6billion from the welfare bill
Dear Colleagues,
Ahead of the upcoming Spring Statement and Green Paper on welfare, I am writing to urge you to oppose strongly and vote against any proposed cuts to welfare benefits, which are rumoured to be as deep as £6 billion.
Along with my Green colleagues, I am gravely concerned about the catastrophic impact any such cuts would have on millions of disabled people.
It is not news to you that those in receipt of health-related benefits already face inordinate hardships, with 50 per cent of people claiming Universal Credit who have limited capability for work unable to heat their homes, pay their bills or have low food security.[1]
Scope told us recently that proceeding with cuts rumoured to be set out in the forthcoming Green Paper on welfare reform, will push an added 700,000 disabled households into poverty.[2]
I am certain that your inbox, like mine, is filled with emails from constituents telling you how terrified and anxious they feel about how to make ends meet should their support payments be ripped away. There is no moral case for making these cuts.
The years of damaging austerity inflicted upon public services and welfare provision by the previous Conservative Government has already brought our communities to breaking point.
The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has called on the UK Government to take “corrective measures” to address the immense negative impact of welfare cuts introduced by successive Conservative Governments since 2010.[3] But even George Osborne, at the height of austerity, ruled out freezing inflation-linked rises to PIP payments; a change the current Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is rumoured to be introducing.
I know you didn’t campaign for this, and that you stood up at the election for a welfare system based on dignity and respect.
Like me, I expect you feel alarmed at the rhetoric coming from the Government that is instead scapegoating disabled people. Pushing people who are in need into deeper poverty will do nothing to address the root issues that lead to welfare claims, namely housing insecurity, poor quality jobs, huge wage inequality and a soaring mental health crisis.
[1] https://www.jrf.org.uk/news/factsheet-health-related-benefit-cuts
[2] https://www.scope.org.uk/campaigns/open-letter-to-the-chancellor-the-cost-of-cuts-to-disability-benefits
[3]https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=E%2FC.12%2FGBR%2FCO%2F7&Lang=en
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