Labour urges 'sick' people on DWP disability benefits to 'get back to work'

Labour has pledged to “get sick Brits back to health and back to work”, but charities warn this must not be used as an “excuse to slash” disability benefits.

Charities have warned the new Labour Party government its plan to get sick people back into work must NOT be an excuse to slash benefits. Labour has pledged to “get sick Brits back to health and back to work”, but charities warn this must not be used as an “excuse to slash” disability benefits.

Ayla Ozmen, director of policy and campaigns at anti-poverty charity Z2K, said: “While improving employment support for seriously ill and disabled people is welcome, this must not be used as an excuse for slashing vital financial support – especially when the evidence shows that such cuts do nothing to help people enter work.

“The government must commit to protecting financial support for seriously ill and disabled people.” James Taylor, director of strategy at disability equality charity Scope said: “We still haven’t heard what the government are planning to do with PIP and the work capability assessment. This is making disabled people feel anxious and that they haven’t been listened to. The government needs to work with disabled people to set out a positive vision for the benefits system.”

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Harriet Edwards, head of policy at the national disability charity Sense, said: “The prime minister’s comments ignore the enormous and deeply unfair barriers that far too many disabled people face when it comes to jobhunting.

“Benefits are a vital lifeline, not a lifestyle choice, for many people with complex disabilities. For some, working is not possible. But many others desperately want to work and the current system blocks them from doing so." Speaking at the Labour Party conference on Wednesday (25 September), health secretary Wes Streeting said: “Our reforms are focused not only on delivering our health mission but also moving the dial on our growth mission too.

“We will take the best of the NHS to the rest of the NHS, get sick Brits back to health and back to work. That’s the difference a Labour government makes.”