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Post-election benefits updates

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So, the election is over and many readers will be heaving a sigh of relief that the Conservative's have been defeated.  But mixed with that, for many, will the huge new anxiety of not knowing what Labour have planned for claimants.

We'll publish any welfare benefits related updates here as we get them.

But there may be many members of the Labour government giving interviews that touch on benefits. There’s no hope that we can keep track of them all.

So, if you come across anything new, please post a comment here and help us to give readers some desperately needed information about what the future might hold.

Where possible, please include a link.

 

The fate of Tory DWP secretaries of state

We don't yet have a formal announcement of who the Labour secretary of state for work and pensions will be, but we do now know the fate of all the Conservative holders of that post since 2010.  Find out which former Tory DWP secretaries of state survived the electionwhich former Tory DWP secretaries of state survived the election.

 

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    SCO
    SCO · 1 hours ago
    Hi, not sure if this is the correct place to be posting this. Sorry if it isn't. This says that labour opposed the bank spying powers. Dated yestarday.

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    DC
    DC · 1 days ago
    Whatever is changed for the future will still need to be lawful under existing laws. It’s a huge task to sweep away PIP and replace it with something else. Whilst that may eventually happen it won’t do overnight and will be an evolved process. So many things need to happen first to make it successful and legal. All we are hearing is soundbites and it’s best to remember that. If something will change, it will only change if deemed workable and lawful. Ignore the bluster, keep calm and carry on. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Mark
      Mark · 23 hours ago
      @DC I do think they will change PIP in the future and make it harder to get, but I don't think they will ever abolish it, as it's to established now.  Also no decent human being would ever pass legislation to make disabled people poorer, as it would just be morally and ethically wrong in every way!!!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    A
    A · 1 days ago
    Need rid of Jeremy Hunt, become a very dangerous person happy to help people into poverty!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    JH
    JH · 1 days ago
    I emailed Labour HQ last week asking them to leave PIP as cash payments (I provided a lot of reasons supporting this request) and received the following overly repetitive copy-and-paste job from somebody called Alistair.

    'Dear JH,
    Your views, personal experiences and observations have been noted and shared with the relevant policy teams.

    Over the last ten years, disabled people have been disproportionately impacted by the Conservative Government failure, with a broken system of social security and social care that has failed to support disabled people to live fulfilling and independent lives.

    Labour is committed to the social model of disability and the principle of working with disabled people, so their views and voices are at the heart of all we do.

    Labour is committed to championing the rights of disabled people and to the principle of working with them, so that their views and voices will be at the heart of all we do.

    Labour will always treat disabled people with dignity and respect. Labour will protect disabled people by making all existing strands of hate crime an aggravated offence.


    Labour believes the Work Capability Assessment is not working and needs to be reformed or replaced, alongside a proper plan to support disabled people to work. We will tackle the backlog of Access to Work claims and give disabled people the confidence to start working without the fear of an immediate benefit reassessment if it does not work out.

    Labour will improve the reasonable adjustments process so that the system works better for those that need it and will examine how to best achieve this in detail if we form the next government.

    Labour will make flexible working the default from day one for all workers, with employers required to accommodate requests as far as is reasonable. Labour will ensure workers can benefit from flexible working, including opportunities for flexi-time contracts.

    Labour will introduce mandatory disability pay reporting for organisations with more than 250 employees. We will act to close the employment gap and enshrine in law the full right to equal pay for disabled people.



    Labour is the Party of change and will change the country for the better if elected on July 4.

     

     




     
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    CaroA
    CaroA · 2 days ago
    Thanks Helen and JoM for your MPs letters. Its comforting to know that some in the Labour party are behaving like decent human beings.  I hope they have an influence on their party leadership. Appreciated.
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    Jane Cleverly
    Jane Cleverly · 2 days ago
    Jane , I saw the tory and Labour debate last week and rishi said to keir that Labour opposed all of the tory benefit reform proposals, could this be hopeful .
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    johngallz
    johngallz · 2 days ago
    I asked my mp if Labour would abolish the bedroom tax,a tory austerity measure thats never mentioned now.He eventually replied,didnt answer the question about the bedroom tax but sent a nice email saying how Labour wanted to help people on pip return to work,and he would help me in future if needed.Due to being on pip paying the tax is not a massive issue for me but,lots of other people are struggling like hell having to use foodbanks.
    I also asked him why people who cannot work are being stopped from getting a lot of social housing,,many even want money up front,its operating like a private landlord these days the social housing sector,he didnt really answer much about that.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    JoM
    JoM · 2 days ago
    I actually emailed what had been my local MP but as Parliament had been disolved due to forthcoming election, I had to send it a different email address to the Labour representative for the 2024 General election.
    I asked outright what is going to happen with the Green Paper and benefits for Disabled People with those able and unable to work like myself. I also added in about there only being less than 2% of those fraudulently claiming.
    I added in about the cost of living and energy prices, etc.
    His response is below


    Dear Jo,

    Thank you for your email. I have done some research and outlined what has been said on Labour’s plans for disabled people is below.

    In May, Labour’s Alison McGovern said that fixing the welfare system would need big changes –including changes to PIP. Labour has deferred a decision on PIP payments until after the election. We have previously expressed concerns that what the Government is proposing under the Green Paper is counterproductive, so I assume would not be following this.

    Labour has previously said that it wants to see the next Government provide a reliable safety net for all those who cannot work due to ill health or disability. We also have many plans to reduce the cost of living, such as bringing down the cost of energy, reducing food prices by removing barriers to businesses trading and making housing more affordable.

    Under Labour’s manifesto commitments, disabled people would not be subject to an immediate benefit reassessment if their new job does not work out. We believe the work capability assessment is not working and needs to be reformed or replaced, alongside a proper plan to support disabled people to work.

    Labour will undertake a programme of reform to create a National Care Service, underpinned by national standards, delivering consistency of care across the country. Services will be locally delivered, with a principle of ‘home first’ that supports people to live independently for as long as possible. Our new standards will ensure high-quality care and ongoing sustainability, and ensure providers behave responsibly.

    Labour will enhance partnership working across employers, workers, trade unions and government and establish a Fair Pay Agreement in adult social care. This sector collective agreement will set fair pay, terms and conditions, along with training standards. Every care worker in England would be entitled to pay of at least £12 an hour.

    I hope this has been helpful and thank you again for your email.

    Kind regards
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Helen Marsh
    Helen Marsh · 2 days ago
    Dear Helen Marsh,
    From LABOUR MP RE PIP REFORM 
    Thank you for writing to me to raise your concerns about the Government’s green paper on health and disability.

    Our social security system should enable disabled people to live their lives with dignity. It is right for the state to support disabled people with additional costs that might otherwise limit opportunities. The autonomy to spend that money is crucial if disabled people are to receive this support in a dignified way.

    For these reasons, I am dismayed by the Government’s proposals for punitive measures against the recipients of disability benefits. Voucher systems or bank account checks would undermine the very independence and dignity that these payments are supposed to bestow.

    Moreover, the entire debate is being framed wrongly by the Government. While the number of people entitled to PIP is rising, disabled people should not be punished for the rising cost. The increase should be seen in the context of a health and social care system that has been cut to the bone and a population that has become sicker as a result. The solution is long-term investment in the health and wellbeing of disabled people, not tighter restrictions on their right to access help.

    Please be reassured that I would not support the punitive measures in the green paper.

    Yours sincerely,

    Olivia Blake MP
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    WD
    WD · 2 days ago
    Difficult to share links when mainstream media has such entrenched and biased positions, BBC, Sky, C4 lean left, Guardian is extreme left, Telegraph leans right, GB News, Daily Mail and Express are extreme right and none of them is reporting in an unbiased manner at present, indeed we're in a window where every story is essentially a party political broadcast or propaganda heavy.

    I think what's interesting, away from all the scaremongering, is that neither of the two main parties has committed to much at all. The conservatives seem happy to demonise and target vulnerable groups whilst Labour seem to have no policy.  Given Labour have argued for benefits uplifts and lifting people out of poverty since 2010 as opposition does, it'll be a huge U-turn when they take power next week and do nothing despite 14 years of arguing the conservatives aren't doing enough.

    Hypocrisy, U-Turns and reversing positions can be expected regardless of party once in office.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Darren
      Darren · 1 days ago
      @WD Guardian is not extreme left it is left learning g but is always fair to the tories unlike the far right newspapers 
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      wibblum
      wibblum · 1 days ago
      @WD There is no 'left' in this country in terms of mainstream media (what you describe as left is, at best, centrist), but even if there were a 'left', the BBC certainly wouldn't be it.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      george25
      george25 · 2 days ago
      @James Whilst I agree with a lot of your post there is no chance at this moment in time - for anyone to actually  win the election but the conservatives  or labour , so while I hold hardly any hope ( got to keep a little  though ) that labour will be any fairer or compassionate or give dignity to people who receive sickness benefits , you have all read what the conservatives have already said - they are thinking of doing , not to mention what they have  destroyed in the last 14 years , so for me logically it will have to be  labour  THIS time -  and I only pray one day it will be another party other than one of these two, and we get a decent humane productive world one day.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      James
      James · 2 days ago
      @WD First, you have some interesting views on what is left and right...

      Tory BBC and Tory ITV will always support the Right wing because they are stuffed full of them. Yes, I know every media loves to bash the BBC with their lefty but unless we're in a time machine that period is long in the past.

      Guardian is lefty? Maybe at best centrist and I despise that term because it's meaningless let's be honest they are Tory Lite. They may throw left-sounding stuff in there but in their hearts, they all voted for Blair and will vote for Starmer for the same reason. They support the establishment first and foremost as long as that's safe that's why Jeremy Corbyn scared them.

      Telegraph is right not leans right. 

      Now for the one that had me banging my head on the table SKY = LEFT!!! It's Mourdock the prince of darkness slightly to the right of Genghis Khan and how the heck does that make them left? 

      Now back to the real story here, Torys have put out a white paper stating that they want to take benefits away from disabled people and replace them with vouchers that is NOT scaremongering it is there in black and white. Heck, I believe there is even a Green paper about the vile scheme.

      Labour has stated again in black and white and repeatedly they will be tougher on befits than the Torys. If you think that doesn't mean disabled people well you will be wrong.

      Last time we had a new Labour-type government they introduced the hated WCA if you think they won't do something equally nasty? I really can't understand anyone wanting to vote Tory, Labour & LibDem and don't even mention Reform. All of them hate benefits and especially disabled people they view us as worthless and unproductive. They can and will demonise us again at every turn, lie and use every dirty trick we have seen it all before. The only Party that is currently offering anything for disabled people the Greens.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Irene
    Irene · 2 days ago
    Hello everyone. As anxious about this as everyone else. I received a migration notice to migrate to UC by September. Panic as a carer for my daughter. It mentions IS and Housing Benefit. Since then I cannot stop thinking. Can you imagine, probably not, if Labour would immediately stop, pause all migration. Such a difference much needed peace of mind. Worrying on top of dealing with so many health issues. Such anxiety. Thank you and the very best to everyone. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      holly
      holly · 1 days ago
      @Irene under exceptional circumstances  they may give you more time if you contact them but the sooner you get it done it might be better than worrying they are not going to  let anyone  stay on the old system  a lady in housing benefit told me ahead of what media and everyone else said 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Adrian
      Adrian · 1 days ago
      @Gritz Just get help by those that know gd luck!!
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Gritz
      Gritz · 2 days ago
      @Irene Unfortunately, labour will not stop UC (they may tweak it), but I can't see them stopping the migration process of those like yourself still on legacy benefits. I have been through what you're going through 8 years ago. So my best advice for you is to be prepared for anything that may go wrong when you start your UC process by september
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Kalie
    Kalie · 2 days ago
    Hi,
    So I only clocked the end sadly.
    But all parties being interviewed last night on Channel 4 news over disability by someone disabled / differently abled. Apologies ~ Not sure how peeps like to be identified!! 
    Would have been tuning in at 7.30 ish? On the 7pm news - Channel 4.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Aw
    Aw · 2 days ago
    Thank you, may I request that you ensure that any links posted are reputable and checked for speculative bias? For example, I don't want to be worried by whatever say GB News or the Daily Mail say 'may happen'
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Capyboppy
      Capyboppy · 2 days ago
      @Aw Well said. I did 'English Grammer in Context' as part of my degree some years ago. We had to take two opposing view points from newspapers, and it was amazing the difference between the two (I used  the Telegraph vs the Daily Mail). So many 'weasel words' by the Daily Mail, such as 'could; maybe; probably etc. Nothing actually in concrete.

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