As Rachel Reeves prepares for tomorrow’s spring statement on the government’s financial plans, three readers from the most vulnerable groups in society ask her to rethink her controversial stance on welfare claims
Around two million Brits could be affected by the cruel welfare cuts Labour proposed last week. They include 1.2 million disabled people who will be stripped of eligibility for Personal Independence Payments.
Some could lose £10,000 a year if they no longer qualify for the aid and a family member has their care allowance axed as Rachel Reeves tries to save £5billion.
The Chancellor’s welfare reforms are being investigated by the Equality Commission because they may even breach the law. Disabled people fear the cuts will plunge them into poverty and as Ms Reeves prepares to make her Spring Statement today, they here ask her to think again…
Dear Chancellor,
The cost-of-living crisis has turned my life from stable to survival mode. I’m a single parent and an NHS key worker, but soon my contract will end due to a lack of funding, leaving me without an income. I’m worried about my son’s wellbeing and our future stability.
My physical and mental health are worsening, making it harder for me to find work that I can realistically manage. Workplaces rarely accommodate single parents, and without flexibility, I face constant barriers.
My GP has advised me to take a break but without a job, I have no choice but to rely on disability benefits. Stricter assessments and tighter eligibility rules mean that those who need support may be denied it.
I’m deeply worried about what further cuts might be announced today. These cuts feel even more brutal in light of the recent news that MPs’ salaries will rise.
The government is tearing down the very safety nets meant to protect people in crisis, just when we need you the most. Families like mine are already at breaking point. Is that the plan?
Yours, Tayyaba
Dear Chancellor,
I’m a single parent living with my 18-year-old daughter, who is looking for an apprenticeship. I have physical and mental health conditions, including Autism, diabetes and spinal injuries and need help from my daughter to live a reasonable standard of life.
We have been living in poverty since my daughter was eight years old and my ex-partner left the family home. I receive Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and Personal Independence Payments, but it’s never been enough to provide real stability.
Hearing the government’s announcement to cut disability payments left me not just angry but once again like I’m not treated as an equal citizen in a country that should offer so much more help for those in need.
I’m now facing more frequent PIP assessments and the possibility of losing benefits that already don’t provide the support needed. I hoped life might improve under Labour but once again, the poorest and most vulnerable are paying the price to fix the country’s finances.
I hope in the Spring Statement you might set out real alternatives: like closing tax loopholes and ensuring the wealthiest pay their fair share. Everyone deserves the opportunity to live a meaningful life – without the worry about where their next meal is coming from or whether they can heat their home in winter.
Yours, Brian
Dear Chancellor,
For families like mine, with children who need additional support, the recent government proposals are a devastating blow. What do you think will happen to children like my 15-year-old son, who may need extra support to navigate an already challenging world?
Having lived through the Covid pandemic, we know that children and young people’s mental health has been severely adversely affected. Shutting young people out of support until they are 22 feels criminal, it will undoubtedly cause struggling families to fall into deeper poverty.
There must be a financial bridge at a time where young people are navigating one of the biggest changes in their adolescence. Our kids are already held back from a good education and support by a system that has been failing for years. Dismantling financial scaffolding at an age where young people, like my son, lose all other support is cruel.
How can I continue to care for my son when we’ve been living so close to the breadline for years? Waiting for today’s spring statement feels ominous. I am scared for us and for families like us.
I want to believe that the party in power has our interests at its heart, but so far, I just don’t. I had such high hopes last year, I think that tomorrow, what hope is remaining may well be destroyed completely.
Living in uncertainty is exhausting, and I don’t know anyone who would choose this life. We certainly didn’t.
Yours, Jo
