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Apologies for the long post. It is important that you read through it all, to be informed on what this Labour government are proposing for PIP recipients.
NO LEGAL SILVER BULLET TO STOP PIP PROPOSALS
Benefits and Work and Inclusion London have obtained counsel’s advice on possible challenges to the Pathways To Work Green Paper proposals.
The advice suggests that, at this stage, there is no clear route for a challenge or a ‘silver bullet’ to stop the ‘flagship’ elements of the policy.
Instead, individuals and organisations should focus their efforts on opposing the cuts politically.
The advice was provide by solicitors Leigh Day, who appointed barrister Tom Royston of Garden Court North Chambers to undertake the work. Both have a great deal of experience in social security law.
The advice addressed the following proposals in the Green Paper:
‘Focussing PIP more on those with higher needs’: the proposal to require at least one 4 point descriptor to be met to qualify for PIP;
‘Scrap the WCA’: the proposal to amend the process by which ill and disabled people can claim income replacement benefit, and the amount of money they receive;
‘New unemployment insurance’: the proposal to amalgamate contributory ESA and JSA into a single time limited contributory benefit;
‘Delaying access to the UC health element until age 22’: not paying 18-21 PIP recipients any extra means tested element in UC.
Looking in summary at the above proposals, counsel told us that substantial challenges to central aspects of the legislation would ‘be likely to fall at various places along a spectrum from ‘hopeless’ to ‘challenging’.”In other words, given the information currently available, the chances of preventing the proposals being made law or overturning them subsequently appear to be limited.
We know that this news will be greeted with considerable dismay by many readers, who had hoped that the courts could prevent such clearly cruel and discriminatory proposals coming into force.
But, at least with Labour struggling to quell rebellion in their back benches, campaigners now know where their efforts must be concentrated.
LABOUR STRUGGLING TO CONTAIN BENEFITS REBELLION
Labour is struggling to contain a rebellion by its own MPs over benefits cuts, the Guardian has reported.
The paper says the government is offering MPs unhappy with the cuts the chance to abstain or even simply miss the vote altogether, without any threat of punishment.
Backbenchers claim there are now 55 MPs prepared to rebel at the vote and another 100 who are still considering their position.
Labour MP, Neil Duncan-Jordan, who won his seat with a majority of just 18 votes but who has 5,000 constituents receiving PIP, told the paper “It goes without saying that if these benefits cuts go through, I will be toast in this seat.”
Benefits and Work believes that many MPs still have very little understanding of how many people will be affected by the cuts or how much suffering they will cause.
The best chance of preventing them lies in educating MPs before the vote, which has now been put back to early June, according to the Guardian.
MOST AT RISK PIP HEALTH CONDITIONS REVEALED
A Freedom of Information request by Benefits and Work has revealed the conditions most likely to be hit by the PIP cuts
The figures, show that they are overwhelmingly aimed at older, but still working age, claimants with physical health conditions, many of whom will have been employed for most of their adult life and some of whom will still be employed.
Almost half (46%) of all working age PIP claimants are at risk of losing their PIP award on review from November 2026, because they do not score 4 points or higher for any activity.
The percentage of claimants under threat includes:
Back pain 79%
Arthritis 77%
Other Regional Musculoskeletal Diseases 71%
Chronic pain syndromes 68%
Cardiovascular diseases 62%
Respiratory diseases 55%
Anxiety and depression 48%
Multiple sclerosis and neuropathic diseases 48%
The Pathways To Work Green Paper presented the reforms as a way to help people into work. It did not explain that three quarters of all claimants living with arthritis would be targeted for cuts or almost half of all claimants living with multiple sclerosis.Is this information you could share with your MP?
Read More and Comment
ALMOST NINE OUT OF TEN STANDARD RATE PIP AWARDS FAIL NEW TEST
The PIP 4-point rule will lead to almost nine out of ten current standard daily living awards being at risk of failing on renewal, a freedom of information request has revealed.
Out of 1,608,000 enhanced daily living awards, 13% (209,000) get fewer than 4 points in all activities.
Out of 1,283,000 standard daily living awards, 87% (1,116,000) get fewer than 4 points in all activities.
In effect, Labour are hiding the virtual abolition of the standard rate behind a seemingly small change to the scoring system.
It’s something else that the Green Paper kept very quiet about and another thing we think MPs should be told about.
Joss
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I’m shocked, that there appears to be no legal routes to abolish these changes!
It appears Labour is aware it will be out at the next GE and intends to inflict maximum damage across the board during it’s 5 year term.
That’s a fair assumption @kezo
Joss
Current car: BMW X2 sDrive 20i M Sport 5dr Step Auto In metallic Portimão Blue. 04:10:2025
Previous car:Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.
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