​​Why the Spring Statement is set to drive up poverty and food bank need​

The Chancellor has confirmed the UK government will go ahead with huge cuts to financial lifelines for sick and disabled people next year, particularly through cuts to the health element in Universal Credit and to Personal Independent Payments. 

This cannot be right when millions of disabled people already face hunger and hardship 

Disabled people are already three times more likely to face hunger. This is the reality for a huge number of people. Trussell analysis of new data from the UK government shows there are a shocking 3 million disabled people facing hunger – skipping or cutting back on meals because they can’t afford essentials.  

Food banks see this reality every day. Three in four people turning to a food bank in the Trussell community are disabled or live with someone who is. The government’s new data found over 1 million disabled people used a food bank in the last 12 months. Our research consistently shows that this is driven by extremely low incomes – particularly due to the inadequacy of our social security system. Cutting vital financial lifelines is a choice to make many disabled people’s lives much worse. 

Spring Statement data shows the government is asking disabled people to pay a huge price 

From further information published with the Spring Statement, we now know the full scale of these cuts. By 2029/30, spending on Universal Credit support for disabled people will be cut by over £3 billion, affecting 3 million people, who will lose £1,100 a year on average. Spending on Personal Independence Payments will be cut by £4.7 billion, affecting 800,000 people, will lose £4,500 a year on average. On top of this, 150,000 carers will lose carers’ payments (as an example, Carer’s Allowance alone is worth over £4,000 a year).  

There can be no doubt this is wholly targeted on disabled people. 96% of households who are affected include someone who is disabled. A fifth of all disabled households will be worse off. This is an appalling prospect. The UK government is asking a group who should have our collective support to bear the burden of the fiscal challenges we face as a country. 

We need to see these for the record cuts they are 

Digging underneath the figures, these decisions will cut around £7 billion from social security protection for disabled people, even when you include the planned boost to their basic rate of Universal Credit. Estimates suggest 350,000 to 400,000 people will be pushed into poverty as a result.   

These figures are higher than some of the overall numbers being quoted, because official figures include the ‘positive’ impact of not going ahead with the previous government’s cuts. However those reforms were never implemented – no people will see the benefit of not going ahead with old proposals. All people will feel is the effect of this government’s choices. 

The government has also rightly pointed to the welcome investment in employment support. However, this does not offset the impact of the cuts to disabled people’s incomes. Investment in employment support will be brought in gradually. For disabled people still training, job hunting or waiting for healthcare, this won’t help to put food on the table. And even if the additional support led to 10% of disabled people on Universal Credit moving into work (a very large impact for any employment intervention) that would still leave 2.7 million families simply facing huge cuts to their income.  

The government must be honest about the enormous burden we are asking disabled people to bear. We cannot pretend this is anything other than huge cuts to disabled people’s income protection, which is vital to help cover their higher essential living costs and live a dignified life. And given the last-minute scrabbling for yet further cuts just to make sums add up to the decimal point, we cannot pretend this is motivated by anything other than short-term savings. 

The UK government risks pushing up food bank need yet further, and leaving itself even more out of touch with voters 

As our Policy Manager Ayaz Manji explains in more detail, these cuts create a real risk of driving up food bank need. We know this is not a world that voters want to see, regardless of how people intend to vote. At least 3 in 4 people across voting lines agree that food banks should not exist in a modern society. At least 7 in 10 agree that social security for disabled people should at least cover their essential living costs. One of the top voter concerns in repeated polls is our public services, particularly the NHS. Yet forthcoming Trussell research shows that food bank need creates billions of pounds in costs to our public services and economy. 

Whichever way you look at this, the scale of these cuts and where they fall are a mistake. But there’s still time to change course. If we’re to turn the tide of hunger and hardship, we need our parliamentarians to stand up and use their voice before it’s too late. If not, we will all pay the price.