The welfare bill has passed but it’s barely the same bill. It is government by cut and paste and with such chaotic speed, many ministers will barely know what’s in it. An utter shambles for Labour - and horrific unnecessary stress and suffering for disabled and sick people watching on.
Tonight’s huge climbdown is testament to the countless disabled people who have tirelessly fought these cuts. Yes, UC was a loss and there’s more to do on PIP, but let’s not underplay this: a government with a vast majority has been forced to u-turn. Because of the disabled community.
The Disability Cuts Bill is still a huge attack on disabled people, despite the changes.
I’ve written in The Guardian on why MPs must vote it down.
MPs face a simple choice: will you back a Bill that will hit 100,000s of disabled people from next year?
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
DWP says 150,000 more people pushed into poverty by benefit cuts - not 250,000 as forecast said before U-turn The Department for Work and Pensions has just published an analysis saying that, allowing for the concesssions announced last week, the welfare cuts will still push an extra 150,000 people into relative poverty.
I’m sorry, the DWP announcing “don’t worry, the benefits u-turn means only 150,000 people will be pushed into poverty now!” is just insane. Cruel, incompetent ghouls who shouldn’t be allowed to run a bath let alone a system sick people rely on to live.
Kendall says Pip claimants who get reassessed after November 2026 will be reassessed under new rules, not current ones Vicky Foxcroft, who resigned as a Labour whip over the bill, asked if the Timms review would have the power to review the budget savings being achieved by these cuts. And she asked what would happen if someone requested a reassessment because of worsening health conditions. Would they be reassessed under the old criteria or the new one? Kendall said that the Timms review was not being driven by the need to save money. (That did not fully address the question. Foxcroft wanted to know if it would be able to recommend more spending.) And Kendall said people can request a reassessment. If that happens before November 2026, that will be under the old system. After that, it will be under the new system, she said.
NEW: Liz Kendall has told MPs that if a disabled person currently on PIP requests a reassessment after November 2026 because of worsening health, they will be assessed on the new tougher criteria.
This confirms The Guardian’s report that those with fluctuating conditions will not be protected.
#TakingThePIP
x.com/MandyZenko/s...
@Keir_Starmer
You won't listen
To the pain you will cause
You won't see
The danger in the flaws
You won't allow
Those impacted to speak
You have no awareness
Of the havoc you will wreak
Saving 5 billion
Might seem a good idea
The higher cost is honest people living in fear
“I can’t sleep, I’m so scared.”
My report in tomorrow’s Guardian on the disability benefit cuts “domino effect”: losing PIP will see unpaid carers lose their benefits too - pulling away two main strands of a family’s income at once. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
How does 'fairness and equality' fit with taking money from people with disabilities? Balancing the books is not a valid excuse for discrimination
Don’t let any one tell you that cutting disability benefits is about making “savings.” www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
At the heart of every attack on disability benefits is the myth disabled people “get perks”: a free car, loads of cash, a life off work. It misrepresents the reality of disability, whilst exploiting low wages and high living costs to make the public envy people in daily pain.
“Every time you see a headline on “the cost of the benefits bill”, what you are really reading is “the cost of disabled people”.
My col. on Labour’s reported benefit cuts and the toxic narrative of the “moral” virtue of work. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapes...
Proof that Trump isn't honouring US commitments - should be standing firmly against Putin
Former KGB spy breaks cover to reveal Donald Trump was recruited as a Russian spy 38 years ago.
Byline Times was subjected to a DDOS attack to prevent this story being published.
bylinetimes.com/2025/02/21/d...
BBC News, "The Prime Minister Keir Starmer has expressed his support for Ukraine's President Zelenskyy after Donald Trump's condemnation of Kyiv's handling of the war with Russia"
"Keir Starmer described Zelenskyy as Ukraine's democratically elected leader"
We (the UK and Europe) can no longer assume USA is our friend. Even when Trump is gone, close to half of the USA backed him.
A unified European force - call it a European army if you like - is the only viable future if we want to avoid being picked off by hostile giants to the East or West.
Trump claims Putin wants to stop the war.
Putin has repeatedly said he will not halt fighting until Russia's objectives are met, which includes full (illegal) control of multiple regions of Ukraine.
Trump says Zelenskyy has only 4% approval rating in Ukraine
Zelenskyy has a 57% approval rating in Ukraine (by comparison, Trump has approval ratings of 45% in the USA and )
Trump says Zelenskyy has blocked subsequent elections.
A majority of Ukrainians opposed holding elections during a war, as do a majority of politicians from the opposition and the government parties.
Trump says Zelenskyy is a dictator and his election was rigged.
Zelenskyy was democratically elected with 77% of the vote, and independent international election observers found the election fair, competitive and free.
Trump says Ukraine is responsible for the war: "You should have ended it three years. You should have never started it. You could have made a deal"
Russia started it by illegally invading Ukraine. 5 days before the invasion Zelenskyy offered talks. Putin refused.
Gatekeeping into NHS being highlighted as barrier to people navigating NHS. If 'people pitch up with their results' - is that a problem? Frustration of waiting for tests is leading to this with help of AI? #REALChallenge
Such a great idea highlighted by @hetanshah.bsky.social - using AI to help people write letters to get what they are entitled to. 1 in 5 people are poor. Dealing with bureaucratic support systems can be huge barrier. #REALChallenge
#REALChallenge who decides what the quality is of AI? If it results in me being overtreated (as referred to by @hetanshah.bsky.social ) then that will impact the quality of my life
#REALChallenge 'the voice of the public has been missing in this space'. So great to hear this from Hetan Shah. How can the @healthfoundation.bsky.social take this on board?
Hoping for some input from patients/public/carers
