Several MPs in the region have spoken out over Labour’s plans to restrict eligibility for Personal Independence Payment
15:39, 13 May 2025Updated 15:45, 13 May 2025
Independent MP for Perry Barr Ayoub Khan is among local MPs opposing Labour’s plans for PIP benefit cuts(Image: Nick Wilkinson/Birmingham Live)
Several West Midlands MPs, including some Labour members, have spoken out against Government plans to cut Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
The new Pathways to Work Green Paper sets out a shake-up of disability and incapacity benefits. Eligibility for PIP is being restricted from November 2026 so that people need at least one score of four in their assessment to get the daily living element, worth either £3,842 (standard rate) or £5,740 (enhanced rate) a year.
In a parliamentary debate secured by Labour’s Diane Abbott (Hackney North and Stoke Newington) on the proposals to restrict eligibility for PIP, the House of Commons heard that at least 800,000 claimants would see their payments cut.
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Ayoub Khan (Independent, Birmingham Perry Barr) called for an equality impact assessment to be carried out now, and went on to say: “Thousands in my constituency will be affected by the proposed cuts to PIP and to wider benefits. That is about not just numbers on a balance sheet, but the daily lives of real people.
“PIP is a vital lifeline for those living with disabilities and long-term health conditions. It helps to cover the extra costs that many of us never have to think about: mobility aids, transport and specialist care. Cutting that support does not just tighten budgets; it strips away independence and, more importantly, dignity.
“We must ask ourselves what kind of society we want to be: one that turns away from its most vulnerable, or one that lifts them up, ensuring that disability does not mean poverty, isolation or fear.
“Behind every efficiency saving is a person: a mother skipping meals so her disabled son can get to an appointment; a veteran left waiting months for a reassessment; or a young woman terrified of losing the support she needs to work part time and stay independent.
“This is about not just fairness but justice, compassion and basic human rights. I ask the Minister to halt these proposed cuts, to review PIP with empathy and not austerity, and to build a system that supports, not punishes, the most needy in our society.”
Warinder Juss (Labour, Wolverhampton West) said: “I have a constituent who has two sons suffering with cystic fibrosis. The condition means they have to be on a high-calorie, high-fat diet, so the cost of their food is much more than the ordinary shop.
“On top of that, my constituent has to bear the additional costs of buying medication and the loss of income as a result of having to be a carer for her two children. My right hon. Friend mentioned the need to look after our children. Does she agree that we need a system in which PIP provides for individuals such as my constituent’s two sons, so that children can also have the support to lead good-quality lives?”
Chris Bloore (Labour, Redditch) also opposed the cuts. He said: “PIP and its predecessors have never been unemployment benefits but a critical aid to supporting people in and out of work to live independent lives.
“We know that being disabled or suffering from a chronic health condition means facing many additional costs. Scope estimates that households with a disabled inhabitant need to spend an additional £1,000 a month just to secure the same standard of living as those without. Prepared food delivery, specialised clothes and technology required to aid normal everyday living, or just simply to get to work, all come at a greater cost.
“Right now, we know that these households are disproportionately impacted by the cost of living crisis, with Trussell estimating that three in every four households accessing a food bank have a disabled inhabitant.
“Data from the Department for Work and Pensions shows that 307,000 households who currently receive the daily living part of PIP needed to use a food bank in the past year. That is three times the rate of food bank usage among households in general, which illustrates the significant hardship that disabled households face.
“Yes, we have problems and too many people need welfare support, but let us attack the reasons for that rather than simply cutting the financial envelope associated with those services. Let us build a system that reflects the founding principles of the welfare state – compassion and fairness – and that recognises the challenges of the 21st century, but removes the remaining obstacles, making sure that all people can live fulfilling and worthwhile lives.”
Cat Eccles (Labour, Stourbridge) is another MP who spoke out on the proposals. She told the House: “I wish to place on record my grave concerns about the Government’s proposals to change the eligibility criteria for PIP.
“When His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs has written off £27 billion of debts over the last five years, saying they are uncollectable, and the UK is still failing to act on UN tax avoidance guidance, losing us millions of pounds every year, it is impossible to accept that targeting disabled people is the answer. No consideration has been given to the knock-on effects to local government.
“In my area, Conservative-run Dudley council has made more than £42 million-worth of cuts, which includes a loss of services for carers, for mental health, for domestic abuse and for dementia, as well as the slashing of funding to the charitable sector. Where are people supposed to turn for help?
“A narrative is being created of scroungers and cheats, when in reality, disabled people are fighting tooth and nail for every little scrap they can get. As one constituent told me, being disabled is a full-time job.
“The Green Paper suggests that disabled people will be supported to retrain or access voluntary opportunities. That is patronising; they have qualifications and careers. One in three of us will become disabled in our lifetime, and I will vote against these proposals.”
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