The cuts will particularly impact Personal Independence Payments (PIPs) which help with the extra living costs for those with long-term physical or mental health conditions or disability.
Natasha, 19 and a second stage Newcastle University student who claims PIP, said: “PIP means being able to achieve a standard quality of living despite my disability.”
“Without PIP I would not have been able to navigate daily living [with a disability] and I definitely would not be able to study at the university.”
PIP is currently paid regardless of income or work, but the changes will bring tighter limits for who can claim it, as well as freezing the payments next year meaning they will no longer rise with inflation.
The thinktank Resolution Foundation have said: “households with at least one disabled member are estimated to lose out by £400 a year by 2029-30.”
The cuts have caused fear, and for Natasha: “The cuts have created an extreme sense of uncertainty and anxiety around the future.”
The measures are aimed to reduce the incentives to stay out of work and are the first significant change to Britain’s welfare system since universal credit was introduced over a decade ago.
Alongside the cuts is the additional funding of £1bn being invested into new work programmes aimed to get people back into work. But people under the age of 22 will no longer qualify for the health top-up of universal credit as money is reallocated to work and training schemes.
For young people with disabilities or long-term health conditions, concerns over the future are central. Natasha said: “it has been deemed by multiple medical professionals that it is unlikely I will be able to maintain a full-time job post-graduation due to the effects of my disability.”
“With the growing inaccessibility to government assistance that would aid my survival post-graduation, I am unsure what the future looks like.”
If you or anyone you know are impacted by this below are some services available for support:
Mencap - https://www.mencap.org.uk/advice-and-support/learning-disability-helpline.
Scope - https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support.
Disability North - https://www.disabilitynorth.org.uk/.