Poverty deepens as UK welfare cuts face backlash from charities
- Hundreds of charities have urged opposition to the proposed welfare cuts in the UK.
- Public polls reveal that a majority see the changes to disability benefits as cruel and unjust.
- There is a growing call for MPs to reject the bill to protect vulnerable individuals from further harm.
In the UK, hundreds of charities and campaigners continue to oppose proposed welfare cuts as the government prepares for a significant vote on July 1, 2025. The concerns center around the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, which has seen recent amendments that some believe are merely superficial concessions meant to appease dissenting MPs. Over 120 Labour backbenchers had expressed their intent to halt the bill, asserting that it would marginalize vulnerable populations further despite government assurances of protecting existing claimants. Notably, these amendments aim to protect current claimants of Personal Independence Payments while introducing stricter eligibility criteria for newcomers. This approach has raised alarms among disability advocates who fear it will perpetuate a two-tier welfare system, worsening poverty and health outcomes for new claimants. Organizations like Amnesty International and the Disability Benefits Consortium underscore the potential for increased discrimination and poverty as a result of these changes, calling for MPs to resist the detrimental bill. Various polls suggest strong public opposition to the planned cuts, reinforcing the message that a considerable portion of the population views the reforms as cruel and unjust, calling on the government to consider alternative approaches instead of punitive measures that disproportionately affect disabled individuals and those in need of support.