The Guardian view on benefit cuts: these harmful changes must be fought | Editorial

Reform of a flawed social security system is needed. But reducing payments to disabled claimants will only increase hardshipWith self-imposed fiscal rules leaving it little room for manoeuvre, the government has made its choice: no to more borrowing, tax rises or the wealth tax suggested by some of its own MPs – and yes to cutting disability benefits. Speaking in the House of Commons, Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, did her best to talk up the £1bn funding she has secured to help people back into work. But the bleak reality is that £5bn of cuts to disability and incapacity benefits are expected to leave up to 1 million people worse off. Dress it up as they might – by blaming the Tories for everything that has gone wrong with the system, and warning that the trajectory of rising claims is unsustainable – this is a wrong and cruel decision that ministers should live to regret.A possible freeze in the level of personal independence payments (Pips) paid to disabled people was dropped after protests. A means test has also not materialised, so the entitlement remains universal. But the criteria for claims are being tightened, at the same time as a separate assessment process for the health element of universal credit is scrapped. For those who don’t meet the new Pip criteria, there could be a £3,500 annual loss of income from next year (more details will come from the Office for Budget Responsibility). For many thousands of vulnerable households, this will be a life-changing loss of income.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei TheGuardian Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei TheGuardian