Lib Dems hit out over disability benefits cut

York Liberal Democrat Councillors have hit out against the Labour Government’s plans to cut £5 billion a year from disability benefits and have called on Labour MP Luke Charters to reconsider his support for the cuts.

Under previous Conservative Government proposals, welfare eligibility for those signed off as long-term sick would have been restricted so that 400,000 people would have been assessed as needing to prepare for employment by 2028/29, reducing the benefits bill by an estimated £3 billion.

Not only have the Labour Government pledged to carry this out, but Chancellor Rachel Reeves is seeking to almost double the savings target, which will hit those receiving disability benefits the hardest.

This would come from making it harder to qualify for Personal Independence Payments - a benefit not linked to work that is meant to help people with the additional costs of disability. Anyone below the age of 22 will now no longer be able to claim the incapacity benefit top-up to Universal Credit, and existing claimants will also see this frozen.

Liberal Democrat Councillors have submitted a motion to be debated at a Full Council meeting on 27 March which asks the Council to look at ways to mitigate the impact of these harsh cuts locally.

A group of Labour backbench MPs has come out in support of these proposals. A letter signed by York Outer MP Luke Charters MP says:

“As MPs, we understand that delivering this new social contract requires hard choices are made. We welcome the work that has begun to rebuild our welfare system, and we are fully supportive of it.”

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care, Councillor Carol Runciman said:

“These proposals show that despite years of promises by the Labour Party of an end to austerity, they are turbo charging it. 

“Luke Charters’ support for proposals to make it more difficult to claim the benefits that go towards helping people with the additional costs of disablement is shameful. This will make it harder for a number of disabled people who rely on this benefit to access work and participate in our economy. This is totally against the Government’s stated intention of helping more of those on long term sickness benefits back into work. 

“York residents have been let down by this Government and many residents are telling us about their disappointment with Labour both locally and nationally. Luke Charters actively supporting these cuts will only fuel that feeling of disappointment.

“We have submitted a motion which calls on the Council to look at the likely impact of these cruel and counter-productive cuts and how residents affected can get the support they need.”