📢 Benefit cuts don’t have widespread support

Our latest data shows that people’s problems are becoming more urgent and more complex. And the systems designed to support them are harder to navigate than ever. Join us on 25 September to hear from a panel of experts and explore our data ⤵️ https://bit.ly/41XFPsn #CADataInsights

Whilst the U turn on PIP cuts was a massive win, there's still lots of reasons we're concerned about the UC bill... The changes in the bill cut disability support for new claimants, creating a 2 tier system, as outlined here by @victoria-anns.bsky.social

New @citizensadvice.bsky.social briefing published with @julia-rt.bsky.social‬ on how Universal Credit can adapt to promote income stability for working households. We set out policy options for the UC review to consider to reflect the reality of low paid employment.

🚨 We're hiring a Policy Research Assistant in the Families, Welfare and Work team at Citizens Advice🚨 Come and help us make the benefits system fairer (and work with lots of lovely people)! Deadline to apply is 21st August: www.jobtrain.co.uk/citizensadvi...

The narrative around Universal Credit has long centred around work incentives. This new briefing examines how effective UC is at encouraging employment – and how that focus may have overshadowed the deeper complexities of getting into work. 🧵 🔗 www.citizensadvice.org.uk/policy/publi...

Govt dropped cuts to PIP, but today's Committee report highlights MPs' concerns that many disabled people will be pushed into poverty by remaining cuts to Universal Credit's health element. In evidence to the inquiry I warned of the hardship this will cause. 1/5 www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

🚨 New report alert 🚨 We’ve launched our first local deep dive research into health inequalities - starting in Chapeltown, Leeds. What does geography have to do with health & work? Quite a lot, it turns out. 🧵

Why shouldn't someone assessed by DWP as too unwell to work & facing significant extra costs due to disabilities & poor health receive state support at least around the rate of a minimum wage salary? I spoke to Ian Collins on TalkTV earlier about (misleading) reports today on this subject

1) New report alert 📚! Written [email protected] and myself, it looks at the relationship between health and work. It is the first report from our wider project on health inequalities, funded by @healthfoundation.bsky.social‬. 🔗 www.citizensadvice.org.uk/policy/publi...

We're still asking MPs to vote against the disability cuts bill tomorrow. New blog explaining why is out now: wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/3-reasons-wh...

As mentioned in the welfare bill amendment, the Government has not yet published any analysis on the employment effects of its benefit cuts. Here at @resfoundation.bsky.social, we gave it a go last month...

The government’s disability cuts will have a “devastating” impact on women’s health and dignity and could breach equality law, experts warn. The new rules won’t take into account menstruation or some women’s extra toilet requirements. My exclusive: www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

UC & PIP bill proposes the biggest cuts to disability benefits since OBR was created. It would: ✂️cut benefits for 3.2m disabled ppl 📈Push 300,000-400,000 into poverty, including 50,000 children 📈 Drive 440,000 into severe hardship New joint briefing: www.ucpipbill.co.uk

As it's in the news again - this is the post I wrote a few months ago on why the disability benefits bill has been going up. Essentially, you can't remove need by removing support - it just pops up as a cost somewhere else. open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...

Govt is pushing through significant cuts to disability benefits to get people into work. But are there appropriate, or even enough, good jobs for disabled people to move into? New JRF analysis finds evidence that there aren't, meaning even more hardship for disabled people.

MPs will vote on rushed disability benefit cuts that will remove vital support from over 1 million disabled people on the 1st of July, the government has confirmed. ⏰There is less than two weeks to convince your MP to vote against the devastating plans. z2k.eaction.org.uk/cuts-legisla...

The new welfare bill could cut billions from health & disability benefits, putting hundreds of thousands of disabled people at risk of poverty. Join @citizensadvice.bsky.social on 26 June to hear from a panel of experts and explore our data ⤵️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/citizens-a... #CADataInsights

The government’s proposals for restricting eligibility for disability and incapacity benefits will cause significant hardship for disabled people Join @citizensadvice.bsky.social on 26 June to hear from a panel of experts and explore our data ⤵️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/citizens-a... #CADataInsights

🚨New blog (& great thread) from Victoria on the new welfare bill & why we're asking MPs to vote against

The government has introduced legislation today to implement cuts to disability & health benefits There have been no substantial concessions on how the proposals were originally presented in the Green Paper Here is what we know about the impact these cuts will have... 🧵

Another reader proposed a good rule, which is 'it's not a reform if you can't apply the logic of the reform to another, completely different policy area'.

🧵 NEW: APPG on Poverty and Inequality's response to the Pathways to Work Green Paper reveals SHOCKING evidence - disabled households face £1,067 extra costs monthly (67% of income) yet government plans devastating cuts that will push 400,000 into poverty. Thread👇#TakingThePIP

This is a mixture of minor concessions & repackaging existing plans - it is not a meaningful response to the concerns MPs have been raising The headline remains the same: 3.2 million ill & disabled people will see their benefits cut by the end of the parliament www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

'Concessions' @pippacrerar.bsky.social reports gov offering to try to rush record disability cuts through Parliament: - Not new. - Do not make any meaningful difference to hardship the cuts will cause. - Over 400,000 people still likely pushed into severe hardship, at risk of needing a food bank.

A blog by @lauralhutch.bsky.social & me, pulling together some of the strands from recent work by our colleagues @craigpberry.bsky.social @julia-rt.bsky.social and @maddyirose.bsky.social. Link here - it’s an 8 minute read apparently wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/short-sighte... (1/6)

V. positive Spending Review has confirmed multi-year funding for crisis support. Good to see move towards crisis support being a permanent part of welfare support, and away from the short-term Household Support Fund approach - But still some questions about how the new fund will work in practice

Spot on from Polly Toynbee. For more on the @citizensadvice.bsky.social analysis cited, check out Maddy's thread bsky.app/profile/madd...

If the government are serious about helping people back into work, they need a complete rethink of Jobcentres & the support they provide. A great paper from Kate setting out a new vision for Jobcentres 👇

Essential reading from colleagues at @citizensadvice.bsky.social about what the reforms could mean for sick and disabled people in England and Wales

The government's proposed cuts to disability benefits are short-sighted and deeply harmful. Instead of getting people into work, these cuts will push hundreds of thousands into poverty. For insights from our data and expert advisers, check out our report below 👇

MPs will be voting in June on legislation to cut disability benefits with very limited information from the UK government on what the impact of those cuts will be. Citizens Advice has published analysis of what these changes means for the people we support www.citizensadvice.org.uk/policy/publi...

The Pathways to Work Green Paper sets out plans to cut billions from health and disability benefits. Instead of getting people into work, these cuts will push hundreds of thousands into poverty. Our new report looks at the impact of cuts to PIP, UC health & scrapping the WCA (🧵)

Work won’t cut it New briefing for @citizensadvice.bsky.social by me and @beccastacey.bsky.social We look at whether people losing PIP and UC income will be better off *if* they move into employment, if reforms were implemented today Here's a quick 🧵 but spoiler alert: probably not

Great analysis showing just how hard it will be for people affected by disability benefit cuts to make back lost income through work. For some people, even moving into work full time wouldn't be enough to offset the money they'll lose when their benefits are cut.

1️⃣ we're in the 7th cycle of the Household Support Fund 2️⃣ its future is still uncertain 3️⃣ and we still see record demand for crisis support ... so what should come next? New Citizens Advice paper on the future of crisis support + how to realise an approach that’s more than a sticking plaster🩹👇

The new government has committed to reducing health inequalities. At Citizens Advice, we have a unique insight into many of the different factors that can shape people’s health. So it’s exciting to be leading a new project, funded by @healthfoundation.bsky.social, to study this important topic.

New post with @julia-rt.bsky.social for @citizensadvice.bsky.social on Universal Credit's lost value Quick thread on main points 🧵

As well as cutting disability benefits, the government are planning to reform a crucial part of the application process: health assessments. We know they need to be improved but these changes don't seem to go far enough. Check out the proposals below: wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/do-plans-to-...

DWP figures in response to FOI request indicate 87% of claimants currently receiving PIP daily living component at standard rate, and 13% of claimants receiving enhanced rate are likely to lose their entitlement if “score 4” changes go ahead. That means virtually everyone on standard rate PIP.

"Pairing steps to support disabled people into the workplace, while cutting the financial support that enables many to access employment, will limit the likelihood of getting more disabled people into work." Great blog from @beccastacey.bsky.social

Disability benefit cuts will cause widespread hardship, no questions asked Quick thread 🧵 on the impact of cuts on why the govt needs to properly consult - or see the full post at: medium.com/@craig.berry...

DWP is using a sleight of hand in its disability benefit cuts impact assessment: Actual increase in poverty is closer to 400,000, not the 250,000 in the impact assessment. Quick thread explaining why. 🧵1/7

29% of the people we help with PIP @citizensadvice.bsky.social have dependent children. Cutting disability benefits won't just affect disabled adults - it harms their children too. Hard to see how this fits into gov ambitions on reducing child poverty

The phrase 'since austerity' is so unhelpful here. This is continued austerity. It never stopped. Budgets remain pitifully low across government and are now set to be cut further. Point me to when austerity ended, please. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

The reality of claiming PIP: a 🧵 1) To claim PIP you have to describe in excruciating detail all the ways you cannot function. This means that you are forced to think in very detailed terms exactly how disabled you are, which often has a devastating effect on the mental health of the applicant 1/?

I keep seeing the press describe benefits cuts as a 'crackdown'. Other crackdowns we hear about usually reference crime or anti-social behaviour. What does that imply about benefit claimants? Claiming the benefits you're entitled to isn't a crime - these are cuts, not a crackdown

Every round of 'welfare reform' I've worked through has been fuelled by an underlying disbelief that so many people can really be so unwell. But the reality is that millions of people are struggling with a complex web of health, social & economic problems that will be exacerbated, not fixed, by cuts

Just over a year ago my PIP review was launched. By the time I got the letter in the post, I realised I had just 3 days left to prove my entitlement. Otherwise, my PIP might be stopped. That just isn’t enough time! New blog below ⬇️ wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/race-against...