REACH Community Projects, in Haverhill, urges people to challenge the Government’s proposed welfare cuts

A Haverhill charity has slammed the ‘cruelty’ of proposed benefit reductions announced by the Government last week and urged people to take a stand against the cuts.

In the days leading up to the Spring Statement announcement, news of planned cuts to disability benefits shocked many – and REACH Community Projects had hoped the Government would reconsider, choosing compassion over cuts.

Instead, the charity said what had been confirmed raised serious alarm.

One key concern is the stricter eligibility test for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), reducing access to the support for disabled people both in and out of work.

PIP enables many to manage the additional costs associated with disabilities and, in some cases, facilitates their ability to work.

Saffron Carter, engagement and advocacy lead at REACH, said: “Nationally, more than three-quarters of people receiving Universal Credit and disability benefits are already struggling to afford essentials and are forced to turn to food banks.

“These cuts are cruel and will not help those working or seeking employment. Instead, they will push more individuals further into poverty and financial hardship.”

The statement included cuts to other health-related benefits, reducing payments from £97 per week to £50, with no planned rise in line with inflation until at least 2030.

These will be frozen for people already receiving them and halved for everyone who applies for them from April 2026. If agreed, people under 22 will not be able to get these payments at all.

By 2029/30, this would reduce spending on these payments by around £4.7 billion and affect around 800,000 disabled people, of which 400,000 will lose PIP entirely.

People are expected to lose around £4,500 a year on average and around 150,000 people are expected to lose carer’s benefits due to changes.

The Government’s own impact assessment confirms the scale of the crisis these cuts would cause, estimating that 250,000 people – including 50,000 children – will be pushed into relative poverty as a result.

With the long-awaited Child Poverty Strategy due in the coming months, such reductions are counterproductive at best and deeply damaging at worst. The ripple effects would be felt not only by individuals but by public services such as the NHS, which would face greater demand as a consequence.

REACH acknowledged the small but positive step of increasing the Universal Credit Standard Allowance from £92 per week in 2025/26 to £106 by 2029/30.

However, it falls short of the £120 per week experts calculate is necessary for individuals to afford essentials, said REACH.

Henry Wilson, REACH chief executive, said: "Claiming PIP is already not an easy option. Having a disability is not a given that you will even receive PIP.

“It is already very hard and many who should be receiving this and are often awarded this on appeal with huge back pay awarded in their favour, like a man we successfully fought for.

“He is desperately wanting to work but can't because of his disabilities. His claim for PIP was rejected three times, only to be overturned by a judge recently and awarded back pay from October 2023."

He added: "We are extremely disappointed and shocked by the Government's decision, but we are very committed to fighting for people in our community who need this."

There is now a short window of opportunity to influence the conversation over the coming weeks.

The UK government is consulting on some of the changes, while the planned cuts must be voted on by MPs before they are implemented.

REACH urges members of the public to join it in taking action, encouraging them to write to their local MP, calling for a reversal of these damaging cuts.

To add your voice, visit: https://action.trussell.org.uk/disability-cuts