The Government must listen to those affected by welfare cuts
The Chancellor’s Spring Statement has ignited profound concern and has sent shockwaves across the country, particularly among disabled individuals and those reliant on welfare support. The proposed cuts to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit are projected to have devastating effects, pushing hundreds of thousands into poverty and exacerbating existing inequalities. This is not an unfortunate economic necessity – it is a deliberate political choice that echoes the worst austerity measures of the last fourteen years.
Official analysis paints a grim picture: more than three million UK households are projected to lose an average of £1,720 per year. The government itself admits that an additional 250,000 people, including 50,000 children, will be thrust into relative poverty by 2029-30. However, independent organisations, such as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), warn that these figures may underestimate the real damage. According to JRF estimates, at least 350,000 people could be pushed into poverty as a direct result of these cuts.
The rationale given for these measures is the need to address fiscal challenges amidst high borrowing costs and sluggish economic growth. The Chancellor claims fiscal discipline is essential to balancing the books. Yet, this justification rings hollow when alternative solutions – such as fair taxation on the wealthiest – are ignored in favour of targeting society’s most vulnerable. The Resolution Foundation has warned that the poorest households will suffer the most, facing an average annual loss of £500 by the end of the decade. These cuts are a false economy, one that will not lead to true financial recovery but instead deepen poverty, widen inequality, and erode social cohesion.
In my Liverpool Riverside constituency, where economic hardship is already a daily reality for many, these cuts will be particularly brutal. Personal stories from those affected highlight the severity of what is to come. Over the past few days, I have spoken to disabled individuals, local charities, and anchor organisations that work tirelessly to support our community. Their fears are heartbreaking.
People who rely on disability benefits are terrified of losing their independence. Some already see no way to afford both food and heating. Others worry that rent increases and benefit reductions will push them into homelessness. Medication, once barely affordable, is now becoming a luxury. These are not abstract figures or distant concerns – they are real people in our community, facing impossible choices.
This latest round of welfare cuts is part of a broader pattern. The government may claim austerity has ended, but in reality, it has simply been rebranded. The same flawed ideology that has dominated our political system for over a decade is back, with the poorest once again paying the price for economic mismanagement. Rather than investing in communities and strengthening social security, the government has chosen to take from those with the least while protecting the pockets of the richest.
Alternative solutions do exist. A wealth tax of 2% on assets over £10 million would raise £24 billion per year – a fair and progressive tax that would tackle inequality and raise much needed revenue to funnel into public services. We could bring key sections of the economy back in-house, rolling back on the rampant profiteering that systematically removes billions from services and infrastructure. We could bring capital gains tax in line with income tax, which would help to rebalance contributions from capitalists with those from workers. The government should be making it easier for people to participate in and benefit from society, not punishing those who cannot.
I believe that the welfare cuts are not just a political mistake; they are a humanitarian crisis in the making.
These cuts threaten to strip people of their dignity, security, and even their homes. It is a political choice that prioritises arbitrary fiscal targets over human lives. We must challenge this agenda and fight for an economic approach that values compassion and equity.
As we face these changes, we must demand better. I will be urging the government to choose a different path as this is a betrayal of our core Labour values. Bowing to market pressures and imposing a new wave of austerity is not only a betrayal of these principles but also a direct contradiction of what people voted for.
You cannot cut your way to growth – these policies just make the rich richer, and the poor poorer. The government is relentlessly chasing growth, but the real question is: growth for whom?
We need policies that uplift rather than punish, that invest in communities rather than diminish them. The fight against these cuts is a fight for fairness, dignity, and a future where no one is left behind in the pursuit of economic stability.
Kim Johnson is the Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside.
