Islington (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Islington MP Jeremy Corbyn criticizes government £5 billion cuts to disability benefits, calling this as a ‘moral outrage’ that targets vulnerable individuals.
Disability benefits reform and a welfare system revamp were unveiled by Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall on Tuesday.
Unions, charitable organizations, and several Labour MPs denounced the government for making “cruel” and “immoral” cuts and attempting to balance the public finances at the expense of some of the most vulnerable members of society.
More than £5 billion is anticipated to be saved annually in 2029–2030 as a result of the measures, with the biggest savings likely to come from adjustments to eligibility for personal independence payments (Pip).
Speaking in Parliament, Mr. Corbyn, Independent MP for Islington North, said:
“The predication of this whole statement is saving £5 billion at the expense of people with disabilities in our society.”
The former Labour leader added:
“What her statement has done is caused consternation and dismay to many people around the country, who understandably are alarmed that their benefits are going to go down, particularly those with disabilities, and they’re going to live in greater poverty as a result of it.
Can she, with hand on heart, say that no disabled person is going to be worse off after (the) statement? Or is that £5 billion going to be taken at the expense of those who live the most difficult lives already in our society?”
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall replied: “The predication of this statement is to stop people being written off, denied opportunities, denied hope, denied a future, and it’s about making the social security system sustainable for the long-term.”
Asked if Sir Keir Starmer believed it was morally right to reform eligibility for disability benefits, after describing the current system as “morally bankrupt”, a Downing Street spokesman replied: “What’s morally bankrupt is a system that fails people and incentivises, wrongly, people not to work.
The Prime Minister has been very clear that he sees this as a really important reform to turn things around, get more people back into work, and provide the kind of support needed for the most vulnerable in society.
When put to him Pip (personal independence payments) was not a work-related benefit, he replied: “On Pip more broadly, the claims, as I said, are rising at an unsustainable rate.
We’re now in a situation where a thousand people are claiming Pip every day, and claims for disability benefits are rising much faster than the number of disabled people in the country.”
What are the main arguments Jeremy Corbyn used to oppose the disability benefit cuts?
Cutting disability benefits is “cruel” and “immoral,” according to Corbyn, who has emphasized that it affects some of society’s most vulnerable people.
He contends that these cuts represent a “cull” of vital support systems rather than changes.
Corbyn cautions that cutting benefits will worsen the health of disabled people by forcing more of them into poverty.
He thinks that those who depend on these benefits to control their illnesses and preserve a minimal standard of living will suffer greatly as a result of these cuts.
To address fiscal issues without focusing on disability benefits, Corbyn has proposed substitute policies such a wealth tax. Instead of cutting benefits for everyone, he contends that the current system should be changed to help those who actually need it.