Danielle Finch responds to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s proposed disability benefit reforms. Writing from personal experience, she calls for a just and compassionate approach rooted in faith and dignity.
UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has been adamant this week that, ‘we have got to get the reforms through’ with regards to disability related benefits in the UK. His aim being to cut the benefits bill by £5bn by 2030 by making it harder for disabled people with less severe conditions to be able to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
On the one hand, I completely agree that ‘the system is not working. It’s not working for those that need support, it’s not working for taxpayers.’ Government spending on working age disability benefits is projected to increase by a further £25 billion by 2030. This figure is not sustainable and will only put pressure on other government services. However, as a nation, we must be careful that we support people with disabilities, not risk stigmatising them further.
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As a disabled woman, this issue is very close to home
As a disabled woman, this issue is very close to home. Over the last seven years I have been in receipt of PIP due to the significant effect that my conditions have on my daily life and my ability to carry out ‘normal’ activities’. I am very aware of how blessed I am to be living in a country with a social safety net in place. This is in stark contrast to the disabled people I visited in Uganda. Many of whom are not even able to access a wheelchair and are simply left on the floor, unable to move, relying on others to carry them where they need to go.
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So how do we strike a balance between being fiscally responsible and offering genuine support to those who need it? As always, the best place to start is in God’s word. At the beginning of the Bible, in Genesis 1:27 it says, ‘So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them.’ This includes those with both physical and learning difficulties. Each of us has inherent value to God because we are his. This is a fantastic starting point when we are considering how we should respond to the situation. It can be so easy, even within Christian circles, to speak derisively about those who claim any sort of state benefits. There are so many assumptions that people are simply lazy or unwilling to work. But let us remember that those we speak about, are made in God’s image.
Of course, there will be those who will try to take advantage of a well-meaning system
Of course, there will be those who will try to take advantage of a well-meaning system, unfortunately this is part of our selfish human nature. Let us pray that a spirit of integrity and honesty will flood our nation far beyond the realms of disability benefits. However, I feel from personal experience, that many people do not understand just how difficult it can be to access benefits. The form that has to be filled in to apply for PIP is 50 pages long. This would present a challenge to even the healthiest among us, but for those of us with energy limiting conditions it can be especially gruelling. This is usually followed by a nerve wracking assessment in which every movement you make and even your appearance can count against you. A lot of the time, people will still have to fight the DWP’s decision and end up in front of a tribunal panel. And my experience is not unique. I know of many disabled and chronically ill people fighting the same battles. Applying for PIP is not for the faint of heart.
Another misconception is that those receiving PIP are given ‘over and above’ by the government. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The aim of PIP is to try and support disabled people in a way that affords them as much independence as possible and help them towards equality within society. For example, for most people, nipping to the shops simply involves strolling down the street or hopping into your car. But for someone with physical disabilities, this can be almost impossible without the correct equipment and support. Before I received my Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle through the Motability scheme, the majority of the time I would avoid going to the shops because of the pain it caused me trying to get my wheelchair in and out of the car. I am now able to independently do this with minimal pain because of the vehicle I have been blessed with.
This issue is complex and I do not pretend to have all of the answers. We should not take for granted just how blessed we are to live in a country that on the whole, provides for and supports those with disabilities. However the shortfall in funding is ultimately tackled, let us follow King David’s beautiful example of compassion to Jonathan’s disabled son, Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9). David not only afforded him equality with his peers by restoring to him the property that was rightfully his, he also honoured him by inviting him to eat at the King’s table. In all our words and deeds, may we too be counted as people after God’s own heart, just as David was.
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