Welfare cuts are dangerous, campaigner says

A disability campaigner said personal independence payments (Pip) were "not a gift" and called proposed changes to them "dangerous and unacceptable".

Crips Against Cuts Northants was formed in March after the government proposed changes to the welfare bill which would have made it harder for people to claim the payments.

On Tuesday MPs will vote on the issue, after the prime minister was forced into a u-turn over concerns the cuts were rushed and would hurt vulnerable people.

Charlie Lincoln said: "What they are really doing is condemning future disabled people... they will be receiving less support for no reason other than timing."

Ms Lincoln from Northampton, has multiple health conditions including autism, ADHD and Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

Without the payments, the 29-year-old said she would struggle with expenses including transport, carers fees and maintaining the house she rents.

She has been made homeless twice and worries that without the payments, this could happen again.

The reforms are designed to reduce the overall working-age welfare bill by about £5bn a year by the end of the decade.

The benefit, which is paid to people with a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability, is set to be reduced by 50% in cash terms for new claimants from April 2026.

Speaking at a conference in north Wales, Sir Keir Starmer said fixing a "broken" benefits system needed to be done because it was "failing people every day".

He said: "Fixing it is a moral imperative, but we need to do it in a Labour way."

Bowie, 17, who is autistic and has ADHD said the potential cuts were "extremely dangerous" and "going to hurt thousands of people".

"It's ridiculous for the average person to understand the system.

"It's been extremely stressful not knowing if my government, a Labour government at that, are going to stop us from living like the rest of society, it's a very scary feeling... trying to remain optimistic that we can change it is a struggle to say the least."

Dozens of Labour MPs are still planning to vote against the government's welfare plans later, despite concessions being made.

"I'll still be voting against the changes." explained Lee Barron, the Labour MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire.

"I made it clear that if the bill didn't change, my vote wouldn't change. The bill hasn't changed.

"While there's been a number of announcements made, what we're due to vote on today is the original bill that was produced. That, for me, I can't support.

"The thing for me is that 95% of what's being put down [in the bill] we agree with.

"We agree that more people should be in work, we agree that where people can work they should work. We agree that the welfare bill can naturally be reduced by getting more people into work and by supporting them.

"Where the difficulty comes is cutting the payments for people who simply can't work. I didn't come into politics to push people to poverty, I came into politics to end poverty."

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