How to stand against Disability Benefit Cuts

There is understandably a lot of fear and uncertainty surrounding the government’s proposed changes to the disability benefits system outlined in the Pathways to Work Green Paper. We’ve collated a range of information and resources to help you understand the Green Paper and how to speak out against the proposed cuts that will impact thousands of Disabled people across the UK.

What is a Green Paper?

A green paper – basically a consultation document – was issued by the government on 18 March 2025 called Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper.  The consultation is open until 30 June 2025.

A green paper is typically a government consultation document that outlines policy proposals or potential legislative changes. It is designed to be open to public discussion and feedback before a final decision is made. Green papers are often the first step in a policy process, allowing for wider debate and input from various stakeholders.

You can access the Green Paper and the consultation here.

Why is this important?

This green paper is about changes to the benefits system, including disability benefits as much as about helping people get back to work. The proposed changes will:

• Make 3.8 million Disabled people financially worse off. Some people will lose around £10,000, which is about 60% of their income.
• Force over 350,000 Disabled people into poverty.
• Make it harder, not easier, for Disabled people to get work. Many Disabled people use PIP to help pay for work-related costs including accessible transport, mobility aids, and assistants to help them get ready for work in the morning. When people lost support for these costs in the transition from DLA to PIP in the 2010s, many had to leave their jobs.

What we know

There will be no increase in economic growth

• When constituents lose PIP, they lose carers allowance. Local councils would then be forced to foot the bill for care. Cuts to PIP just move financial pressure elsewhere.
• Rather than saving £5bn, actual delivered savings will be £100M or just 2% by 2030. That’s less than one day of NHS funding.

The proposed reforms will not increase disabled employment

• PIP is not an out-of-work benefit; cutting it will decrease disabled people’s ability to work
• The cost-cutting for the Access to Work scheme that has been announced will reduce employment further

Working disabled people are already struggling to buy food

• These reforms are predicted to cause 350,000 people, including 50,000 children, to fall into poverty.
• Around 66,000 Disabled people (under 22) are set to lose around £45 a week in support, with some hit with a “double whammy”, no longer qualifying for PIP or UC health component, losing at least £9,600 per year.

What can we do?

The first reading of the Welfare Reform Bill will be on 18th June 2025 and the second reading and the vote will be on 1st July 2025.

The biggest changes in the Green Paper have been excluded from the public consultation. The government is trying to pass them using legislation in Parliament. Only MPs can stop this from happening.

We are calling on all MPs and particularly Labour MPs to speak out against these cuts, and to contact their whip to inform them that they will not be able to vote for the government’s cruel and badly thought-out proposals.

There are many ways you can fight back. Click here to access resources to write to your MP, sign petitions and get involved.

You can make a difference by using this template to write to your MP, telling them to vote NO to these proposals. Share your story and raise your voice.

The resources used to create this article can be found on the Disabled People’s Voice blog and Inclusion London’s briefing.