'Reform plan to slash Personal Independence Payments is economically illiterate' - reader's letter
Councillor Will Sapwell, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Stannington, discusses Reform UK’s plan to slash Personal Independence Payments
Reform UK’s plan to slash Personal Independence Payments (PIP) isn’t just cruel - it is completely economically illiterate.
PIP is not an out-of-work handout. It covers the essential baseline costs of living with a long-term condition or disability.
In fact, one in six PIP claimants are currently in employment.
As an NHS doctor, I see the reality on the frontline every day: taking this support away will not magically help disabled people into work, but will push working people out of their jobs and straight into crisis.
As Liberal Democrats, we believe in a safety net built on dignity and common sense.
You do not grow a strong economy by punishing vulnerable people.
That is why Liberal Democrat policy focuses on ending the bureaucratic nightmare of forcing disabled people through multiple, degrading assessments for different benefits.
We would streamline this system, bringing assessments back in-house to ensure they are fair, transparent, and fit for purpose.
Instead of ripping away lifelines, we must fix our broken health and social care system to tackle chronic illness at its root.
Only by supporting people to live, thrive, and work with dignity can we build a healthier society and a stronger economy.