DWP cuts are ‘economic violence’ against disabled people, as backlash against Labour grows

Not-for-profit Welfare Scotland today issued a scathing denunciation of the UK Government’s proposed Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefit cuts, describing them as a direct attack on the dignity and survival of disabled and chronically ill individuals.

Welfare Scotland is a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting social justice, equity, and human rights for all. Working alongside disabled people, chronically ill individuals, carers, and a wide range of advocacy groups, Welfare Scotland campaigns for fairer policies and robust community support networks. Now, it has slammed the government’s planned attacks on chronically ill and disabled people.

DWP cuts: ‘state-sanctioned cruelty’

Labour’s so-called DWP reforms, which could see some losing more than £800 per month, have been labelled “state-sanctioned cruelty” by Rob McDowall, chair of Welfare Scotland:

The Chancellor’s so-called ‘reforms’ to the benefits system are nothing short of a full-frontal assault on disabled and chronically ill people. These plans are not just cruel – they are an unforgivable act of state-sanctioned harm, designed to strip dignity, security and basic survival from those who already face immense hardship.

This is not reform. It is state-sanctioned cruelty. It is economic violence against some of the most vulnerable in society. We demand that the government immediately abandon these indefensible ‘reforms’ and pursue solutions that prioritise equity, dignity and human rights over ideological austerity. Let those with the broadest shoulders bear the heaviest burden.

McDowall added:

It is incredibly disappointing that despite disabled parliamentarians who, when elected, claimed they’d represent the needs and aspirations of disabled people, we hear absolutely nothing from them in opposition to their own party colleagues in Westminster and Whitehall.

Welfare Scotland has highlighted what it perceives to be key concerns over the changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and changes and cuts to Universal Credit:

• Deepening Poverty: disabled people and those who are chronically ill already endure relentless financial pressures, including the costs of specialised care and support. The proposed reforms threaten to push many well below the poverty line.
• Human Rights Violations: by stripping away essential benefits, the reforms undermine fundamental rights to dignity, adequate living standards, and freedom from discrimination.
• Misplaced Priorities: instead of addressing systemic economic failures or ensuring those with greater resources contribute more, the government’s plans appear to target the most vulnerable for budgetary savings.

A call to action

Welfare Scotland calls on Parliament to reject the proposed benefit cuts and demand a comprehensive review that places the rights and well-being of disabled and chronically ill people at the forefront. The organisation urges:

1. MPs to vote against the reforms and champion legislation that safeguards human rights and the dignity of chronically ill and disabled people.

2. Local Communities to mobilise in solidarity with disabled and chronically ill people by writing to their elected representatives.

3. Allies and Advocacy Groups to continue raising awareness and providing critical support services to those at risk.

“Disabled people and their carers face relentless financial pressures simply to exist,” McDowall emphasised:

These reforms will only intensify that struggle, undermining the principle that those in need deserve our protection, not punishment.

Featured image via the Canary