WELFARE CUTS: Balancing the books cannot come at the expense of those who can least afford it

now ITV News can reveal the details of welfare cuts of more than6 billion pounds a year 5 billion will come from making it harder to qualify for those personal Independence payments pip exists because life costs more if you're disabled those costs won't magically disappear just because the government decides to squeeze eligibility disabled people already face a disproportionately high risk of poverty nearly half of those in poverty are either disabled or living in a household with a disabled person just think about that this plan if implemented will push even more disabled people into poverty not into jobs is that really what we want you can talk in big numbers all you like this is going to hit some of the most vulnerable people in the country it was actually too much as you mentioned for the conservative government to go after personal Independence payments Rishi soon that considered means testing them but I saw advice from his officials telling him to step back from the brink that you know that this would take a important AIDS from up to a million disabled people that that would be terrible Optics the personal Independence payment is not an outof workor benefit it's a non means tested benefit for people who have a long-term health condition or disability it's meant to help people with the additional cost of their disability it helps to find World chairs Home adaptions and travel costs the kind of things that make living and working possible for people with disabilities the same benefit known as pit will be frozen next year according to sources freezing pip next year will result in a real terms income loss for around 4 million people 70% of whom are in low to Middle inome households those on Universal Credit who are actively looking for a job will see their payments rise but there will be a significant cut for those judged too ill or disabled to work just listen to that again there will be a significant cut for those judged too ill or disabled to work that's completely insane hunger and hardship are already at record levels almost one in five people receiving Universal Credit and disability benefits used a food bank in the last month almost one in five people are already desperate and at Breaking Point cutting welfare and disability benefits which are already not enough to live on will simply drive more people into poverty Charities have branded the move catastrophic more than 34s of people claiming Universal Credit and disability benefits have gone without Essentials in the last 6 months just over four in 10 have skipped meals to keep up with other essential costs in the last 3 months more than a third say they've not been able to keep their home warm enough this winter and if all that's not bad enough a quarter of people claiming Universal Credit and disability benefits have been unable to afford pain relief or other over-the-counter medication in the last 3 months cuts to Universal Credit means that even those with the most severe disabilities may lose money balancing the books can't come at the expense of people already having to survive on incredibly low incomes and people with physical and mental ill health conditions these Cuts will damage the living standards of some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in our society is that really what we want yes the chancellor has an unenviable task but she does have choices the need to balance the books shouldn't be passed on to those who can least afford it they they're going to be plunged into so much poverty a lot of people barely managing some people are are you know they they're self harming as a result of the consistent news that's coming out saying that they're going to make these CTS the labor government should be taking action to reduce hunger and hardship by investing in Social Security not focusing on short-term cuts that would just push more and more people deeper into poverty and hunger and hardship I have no doubt as there always have been are people who shouldn't be on those benefits who are taking the Mickey the latest shocking data has shown more than 16 million people are now living in poverty in the UK more than 16 million it's a staggering 24% of the UK popul population just think about that and children have accounted for the biggest rise of any social group falling into poverty we now have a record 5.2 million children living in deprivation you heard that right 5.2 million children and a country as wealthy as ours it's absolutely shameful and every day it gets worse a million adults can no longer afford to eat every day 9 million are skipping meals and cutting back on food we've even seen GPS prescribing nutritional drinks to starving patients and thousands being hospitalized with malnutrition and the government's elst plan will make things even more dire there are a number of Labor MPS who came into politics to support those people so there are some real worries that I'm hearing from those MPS Clive efford who chairs the Tribune group of soft left MPS has said if people are worried about the scale of these Cuts they need to be lobbying the leadership now because when we get the budget it will be too late we know in our hearts this plan just isn't right what we need is an Essentials guarantee in Universal Credit so the basic rate at least covers the cost of life's Essentials if you're concerned about these plan Cuts please contact your MP now and ask them not to support this appalling plan now is the time to Lobby the government to step back from this