We need a welfare state that is there for all of us when we need it, now and in the future, that protects those most in need, and that delivers equality and dignity for all.
There will always be some people who cannot work, and we should protect them.
But many sick and disabled people want to work, and they deserve the same choices and chances as everyone else to do so.
The broken social security system that Labour has inherited from the Tories is holding our people and our country back. The Conservatives have written off hundreds of thousands of people, trapping them in a life of inactivity and then blaming them for a rising benefits bill to grab cheap headlines instead of providing the support that is needed to get into work
Labour’s principles of reform is simple: disabled people who are able to work should have the same right to work and same right to choices and chances as everyone else.
Labour’s approach to reforming the broken system will be guided by five key principles:
1) We will always protect disabled people who are unable to work and support them to live with dignity.
2) Stopping people from falling into long-term economic inactivity through early intervention and prevention.
3) Restoring trust and fairness in the system by fixing the broken assessment process that drives people into dependency on welfare.
4) Delivering better and more tailored employment support to get more people off of welfare, into work – alongside a higher expectation to engage with that support.
5) Ensuring the system is financially sustainable to keep providing for those who need it most.
Labour is already supporting more people to get and keep good employment, working to improve the living standards of every family, and supporting disabled people through our Plan for Change:
Making Work Pay:
• Labour is strengthening disabled workers’ rights through our landmark Employment Rights Bill.
• Our Plans to Make Work Pay include disability pay gap reporting and extending equal pay rights to protect workers suffering discrimination on the basis of disability.
• Labour is investing £240 million to Get Britain Working and to better join-up work, health and skills so we can work to support more people into work.
• We have appointed Sir Charlie Mayfield, former Chair of John Lewis Partnership, to lead a review of how to urgently support disabled people and those with long term illnesses back into work and to stay in work.
• Boosted the minimum and living wages so that 1.6m eligible workers will receive a £1,400 a year wage boost.
Supporting those who need it most:
• Labour is providing £1 billion to extend both the Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments, to help families who are struggling with essential costs.
• The weekly earnings limit for Carers Allowance has been lifted by £45, the biggest increase since it was introduced in 1976, benefiting more than 60,000 carers by 2029/30.
• We have set out proposals for a new Fuel Poverty Strategy and to expand Warm Home Discounts to all households on means-tested benefits.
• We have introduced a new ‘Fair Repayment Rate’ that will mean more than one million of the UK’s poorest households will be £420 a year better off from next April, with Universal Credit deductions capped at 15 per cent, down from 25 per cent. The Trussell Trust have told us that this is one of the main things pushing people towards food bank use.
Fixing our NHS:
• After years of Tory decline, Labour is getting the NHS back on track, were driving down waiting lists and ending hospital backlogs.
• We have introduced the Mental Health Bill, which will modernise mental health legislation to give patients greater autonomy and support, and to improve care and treatment for disabled people.
• Extra £86 million investment in Disabled Facilities Grant.
Investing in SEND provision:
• Labour has committed £1 billion more to help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with complex SEND. All local authorities will see an increase in funding of at least 7% per head, compared to 2024-25.
• We have also announced £740 million of funding for 2025-26 to invest in places for children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision.
Accessible transport:
• Labour’s Bus Services Bill will require relevant bus staff to complete both disability awareness and disability assistance training, ensuring they have the knowledge, skills and confidence to support every passenger appropriately.
• The Task and Finish Group on Aviation Accessibility, chaired by Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson, is bringing together industry and consumer representatives to improve aviation accessibility.
• We are improving Passenger Assist, which allows passengers to book and receive assistance to enable them to make a journey by rail. Sports and culture
• The Government has provided support for the hosting of major events featuring disability sport, with £64.5m invested for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Cycle (20212025) via UK Sport.
• We have committed to continue funding for grassroots facilities, delivering £123 million in 2024/25, with a requirement for all projects to demonstrate how they will increase access and participation among under-represented groups, including disabled people.
Sports and culture:
• The Government has provided support for the hosting of major events featuring disability sport, with £64.5m invested for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Cycle (2021-2025) via UK Sport.
• We have committed to continue funding for grassroots facilities, delivering £123 million in 2024/25, with a requirement for all projects to demonstrate how they will increase access and participation among under-represented groups, including disabled people.
British Sign Language:
• The Government is introducing a new GCSE in British Sign Language. As well as learning how to sign effectively, the GCSE will give students an understanding of the history of sign language in the UK.
As a government it is good to see cross departments working so that genuine joined up thinking and action can take place to improve people’s everyday lives.
But without reform the welfare system will leave more and more people trapped in a life of unemployment and inactivity. Labour will fix our broken social security system so it supports those who can work to do so, while protecting those who cannot, putting welfare spending on a more sustainable path to unlock growth – as part of our Plan for Change. This is fundamental to our national renewal, improving lives and securing our future.
Common questions I’ve had from constituents answered:
1. Will I still get my payments as normal?
Yes, please be assured there will be no immediate changes to your health and disability related benefit payment. For more information about the proposed changes to health and disability benefits please visit www.gov.uk and search for DWP green paper.
2. Will my claim be affected?
No, there will be no immediate changes to your health and disability-related claim. If you have made a claim or are getting a health and disability-related benefit you should continue to contact us as usual and provide any information or changes to your circumstances and current needs. For more information about the proposed changes to health and disability benefits please visit www.gov.uk and search for DWP green paper.
3. When will the changes to health and disability benefits be made?
We are consulting on our proposed changes to health and disability benefits. The consultation will be open for at least 12 weeks and no changes will be made until we have reviewed all the responses. You are welcome to take part in the consultation at www.gov.uk. Search for DWP green paper. For more information about the proposed changes to health and disability benefits please visit www.gov.uk and search for DWP green paper.
4. Will my benefits change immediately?
No, please be assured there will be no immediate changes to your health and disability related benefit payment. For more information about the proposed changes to health and disability benefits please see Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper
5. I’ve submitted a claim but haven’t heard the outcome, will my claim be affected?
No, there will be no immediate changes to your health and disability related claim. If you have made a claim or are getting a health and disability related benefit you should continue to contact us as usual and provide any information or changes to your circumstances and current needs. For more information about the proposed changes to health and disability benefits please see Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper.
6. When will the changes to health and disability benefits be made?
We are consulting on our proposed changes to health and disability benefits. The consultation will be open for at least 12 weeks and no changes will be made until we have reviewed all the responses. You are welcome to take part in the consultation. For more information about the proposed changes to health and disability benefits please see Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper.
All these measures and answers sit alongside The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions announcement that the government is going even further, investing £1 billion into employment support. This is one of the largest ever investments in support to increase opportunities to work for sick and disabled people, guaranteeing high quality, tailored support to get people on a Pathway to Work.
If you or anyone you know has questions about the proposed changes then please do get in touch, Amanda is keen to hear from as many constituents as possible on their experiences of the welfare system.
