Sadiq Khan has called on the government to “urgently” rethink its welfare reforms, warning they could “destroy the financial safety net” and leave hundreds of thousands of disabled and vulnerable Londoners facing income losses.
The mayor of London pointed to Policy in Practice analysis that indicates Londoners stand to lose a total of £820 million as a result of the proposed changes to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit (UC).
The government’s “Pathways to Work” proposals, if agreed by parliament, would tighten eligibility for PIP and reduce the value of the UC health component.
The analysis cited by City Hall suggests the changes mean more than 360,000 mostly poor, vulnerable and disabled Londoners face a reduction in their incomes.
The findings indicate the reforms will affect up to 46 per cent of current PIP claimants, and mean disabled Londoners face losses of between £3,800 and £5,700 per year.
“I have always said that more must be done to support people to go from relying on benefits to getting back into work. It’s vital for a healthy and prosperous London”, Khan commented. “What we can’t do is take away the vital safety net that so many vulnerable and disabled Londoners rely upon.”
“Having looked at the analysis of the government’s plans, the impact on London will be substantial, and for too many disabled Londoners it will destroy their financial safety net.
“The government must urgently think again. It must look again at the potential hardship these changes will force on thousands of vulnerable and disabled Londoners.
“The additional employment and training support ministers have promised must be brought in as soon as possible, and proper transitional protections must be in place before anyone starts to lose their benefits.”
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The Mayor is now calling on ministers to first complete a promised review into PIP assessments before introducing changes, working with disabled Londoners, and to bring forward a promised £1 billion in employment support funding.
City Hall has also said that the currently proposed 13-week PIP transition period is “not sufficient”.
A coalition of charities has joined the Mayor in opposition to the government’s welfare reforms. Tracey Lazard, CEO of Inclusion London, called the proposals “economically and morally wrong”, warning they will “push hundreds of thousands of Disabled Londoners into deeper poverty.”
James Taylor, Director of Strategy at the disability equality charity Scope, added that the changes “will have a catastrophic effect on disabled people’s health, ability to live independently or work”, and noted that “at no point have disabled people been consulted.”
Fazilet Hadi, Head of Policy at Disability Rights UK, said the cuts are “dangerous, ill-thought-out, and needless”, and will force people into “the most difficult choices: heating or eating.”
Citizens Advice also raised concerns, with London Development Manager James Sandbach highlighting that past changes to assessment processes have “led to increased errors, delays, and unfair decisions.”
The Mayor’s office confirmed it will submit a formal response to the government’s Green Paper, setting out his “concerns and priorities for reform”.
City Hall stated: “Sadiq is quite clear that the proposed cuts and revised eligibility criteria should not go ahead unless these guarantees are made by the government.”
Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here.
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