An Open Letter To Labour MPs – Oppose the Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill

“Beating poverty and delivering social justice and fairness for the poorest in society is what drove so many of us to join the Labour Party.”
Ed Miliband, June 19th 2025

We, the representatives of Labour’s disabled members, stand firm in agreeing with Ed that this mission is what motivates us; it is for this reason that we unequivocally oppose the Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill.

We now ask you to stand with us and stand up for us by voting against this bill.

Labour’s Manifesto, upon which you were all elected, made a clear commitment to “championing the rights of disabled people and ensuring their voices are at the heart of all we do,”. We regret therefore, that we have been excluded from consultations on
this legislation that will profoundly affect our lives. We understand and accept the need to modernise and reform the benefits system, but excluding our voices has resulted in a bill that is projected to cause significant harm, which no disabled person
or ally should support.

Labour are the party of working people, but we must never forget we are the party of working people, AND their families. We work so that no child goes hungry. We work so that no disabled person has to fear the brown envelope through their letterbox. We work so that no pensioner has to choose between heating and eating. We work so that everyone can thrive, not just survive. We need to allow those who need support to live as financially independent as possible in dignity and respect.

We do not recognise a Labour Party that balances the books by excluding the most vulnerable members of our society who may wish to work but are unable to do so. Until the outdated constructs of work in the UK are dismantled, the aspiration to increase workforce participation is meaningless.

We welcomed many of the proposals in the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper. Proposals like the ‘right to try’, disability pay gap reporting and fixing the broken Access To Work system are essential if we are to support disabled people into gainful employment. However cutting welfare support before these proposals are implemented, and importantly, proven effective, will push a significant number of people into poverty and will cost lives.

It is crucial to acknowledge that not all recipients of Universal Credit or PIP are unemployed—many struggle with low wages and rely on these benefits to survive. Personal Independence Payments are not an out of work benefit; they are essential for covering the additional costs of living with disabilities and enable many disabled people to work. According to SCOPE, “On average, disabled households need an extra £1,010 every month just to have the same standard of living as non-disabled
households.” The removal of these benefits does not only harm claimants but also their carers, families, and the very businesses that employ them. We also have to register our alarm and significant concern that those with fluctuating conditions and diagnosis outside the NHS could exclude people from receiving essential support.

We understand standing against the government is difficult, but you must be brave and take this bold stand for your disabled constituents. Vote against this bill— abstaining is not an option. Let there be no doubt:

Voting for this Bill would mark one of the most significant betrayals of Labour principles in relation to the disability community in our party’s history. Our movement was built on the shoulders of those who fought for the rights and protections of people who could not work, and to ensure that they could live with dignity.

Supporting this Bill would undermine that legacy. It would strip dignity and independence from many disabled people. We urge you to remember our values and stand on the right side of history.

Disability Labour
The National Committee of Disabled Members