Proposed Personal Independence Payment (PIP) cuts under the new Green Paper have generated fears for the future of Scotland’s Adult Disability Payment (ADP).
The government recently released its Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper for public consultation, which outlines reforms and budgeting plans for British benefits.
PIP is defined as helping with extra living-based costs if you have either “a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability or difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of your condition” and made regardless of savings, or most other benefits. ADP is the Scottish version of PIP, set to fully replace the older PIP system by Spring this year. Both payment schemes experience either very small, or statistically insignificant levels of fraud, with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently reporting the fraud rate of PIP to be 0%.
Speaking in Parliament, Work and Pensions Minister Liz Kendall explained that the proposed changes aim to reshape the benefits system by encouraging those who are able to work to return to employment, while continuing to support those who are not.
Despite this, the planned £5 billion “savings” represents the largest reduction in disability benefits Britain has ever seen, which will disproportionately impact disabled people who receive PIP in the UK. The eligibility criteria will also change for PIP, making it more difficult for those with disabilities to receive the appropriate amount of support that they require.
Whilst severe cuts against the Scottish system of ADP have not been announced to the same scale as the reduced PIP proposal, many Scottish activists and disability advocates have spoken up about their fears for Scottish financial support. The proposal from the Labour government will also threaten those in Scotland who receive ESA (Employment and Support Allowance).
A letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government stated that:
“Both PIP and Carers Allowance have a BGA which is added to the Scottish Budget, meaning that UKG [UK government] reforms which reduce spending on this benefit will reduce our funding.”
They continued:
“While these forecasts don’t impact on funding for the Scottish Budget 2025-26, they indicate a difficult fiscal position in future years as a result of UKG welfare reforms.”
The worry felt for the Scottish ADP scheme is rooted in the budgeting issue caused by the PIP cuts – the Scottish Government will be required to either allocate £429 million from its existing budget to address the funding shortfall caused by Westminster’s budget cuts or implement benefit reductions in Scotland similar to those introduced by Westminster to PIP.
These fears are felt by members of our student body. //The Gaudie// spoke to a full-time student who attends the University of Aberdeen and receives ADP, to ask about their thoughts on the proposed PIP cuts, and the threat to ESA. They chose to remain anonymous for this interview.
“The idea of disability cuts really scares me. I wouldn’t be able to be a student without my ADP, and I have nothing to fall back on if that gets cut.”
They continued, explaining why ADP and its support are so important:
“It is already so difficult to live as a disabled person, so the idea of another barrier or hoop to jump through is terrifying. It is so important for the government to support its disabled citizens. We have so much to offer, but this is often not possible without other support in place.
I can only afford to be a student due to my ADP. Due to my disability, I couldn’t work whilst also studying.”
Thy explained why the proposed PIP cuts are worrying to those in Scotland who receive ADP:
“These proposed cuts are massive, and I think it sets a dangerous precedent for Scottish disability benefits. If we live in a society that doesn’t see the value of supporting people with disabilities, we are all at risk. Removing benefits will not push those who can into work, instead it will just push more people into poverty, with even less support for their conditions than ever before.”
These fears aren’t just felt by students. Activist groups across Scotland, and the UK, have been urgently appealing to Labour MPs whose constituency majorities are smaller than the number of PIP recipients in the constituency (approximately 190 in total). Ruth, an Aberdeen-based member of groups like Crips Against Cuts and Crips United, sent emails urging MPs to oppose the cuts and to educate themselves on the complex point system upon which PIP and ADP is awarded. A small handful of MPs replied, with only 2 expressing solidarity, and an intention to vote against the cuts. Speaking to //The Gaudie//, Ruth implores people to remember that: “disabilities are not a lifestyle choice.”
