Labour's disability benefit cuts will force nearly half a million people to turn to food banks

Hundreds of thousands of people living in disabled households will be at risk of needing to use a food bank if the government goes ahead with its plans for benefit cuts, new research has found.

Experts at Trussell and WPI economics have estimated that 440,000 people who are disabled or living with a disabled person would have to use a food bank by the end of the decade.

As MPs prepare to vote on legislation to introduce the cuts, charities and disability campaigners are urging the government to rethink its plans.

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Labour’s proposals include tightening the eligibility criteria for the personal independence payment (PIP), with the government estimating that around 800,000 people would see their support reduced by 2028/2029.

It also plans to freeze the health element of universal credit for current claimants, slash it in half for new claimants and cut it entirely for people under the age of 22.

Helen Barnard, director of policy at Trussell, said: “This UK government was elected on a promise of change, and with a commitment to end the need for food banks. If the government goes ahead with these ill-considered and cruel cuts to social security, this promise will not be kept – and instead, they will risk leaving behind a legacy of rising poverty and hunger.

“Tackling fiscal challenges should not be done at the expense of people already facing hunger and hardship. These cuts will force 440,000 people in disabled households into severe hardship and leave them at risk of needing a food bank. We urge the government not to continue down this damaging path.”

The government’s own estimates had suggested that 250,000 people would be pushed into poverty by the cuts – including 50,000 children. This research suggests the outlook could be worse.

Iain Porter, senior policy advisor at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “MPs are being asked to accept these unprecedented cuts to disabled people’s incomes, but this analysis shows they are likely to create more deep poverty and hardship than even the bleak forecast from the government’s own limited assessments.

“Ministers still can’t say how many people can be expected to move into work as a result of these cuts but evidence shows the number will pale into insignificance compared to the millions of disabled people facing losses.

“The government needs to go back to the drawing board, and should halt efforts to pass this legislation until MPs have at least been given a full understanding of what it is they are voting for.”

Labour has promised to “unlock opportunities for sick and disabled people” through a £1 billion employment support package. It has increased the living wage, boosted benefits by 1.7% and extended the household support fund for another year to help low-income families with the cost of essentials.

The government has also announced plans to increase the basic rate of universal credit. However, Trussell’s research shows this will lift just 95,000 people out of severe hardship – suggesting it is not enough to offset the impact of the benefit cuts.

As well as axing the proposed cuts, Trussell is calling on the government to bring forward the planned increase to universal credit so it comes into full effect from April 2026, rather than April 2029.

Barnard said: “We support the plan to reform employment support and help more people into work, where their health allows this and accessible jobs are available, but these proposed cuts will utterly undermine this goal. Slashing support will damage people’s health and reduce their ability to engage in training and work.”

Trussell warns that UK government’s proposed £7bn cuts to support for disabled people are likely to undermine its goal of increasing employment, instead worsening mental and physical health and pushing people further away from the workplace.

Zoe Nixon, director at Newquay Foodbank, said: “We see disproportionally high numbers of food bank visitors who either have a health concern or disability, or have caring responsibilities for someone with a disability in their household. Life simply costs more for disabled people.”

Food banks are already overwhelmed by the numbers of people needing help. Trussell recently revealed that almost three million emergency food parcels were distributed across the UK during the past year, equivalent to one parcel every 11 seconds.

Nixon added: “Social security payments do not allow people to afford the essentials, and this is amplified when you live in a rural community. We fear that once these cuts are forced through parliament, we will see more households being forced to access our help.”

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