Many of my constituents have been reaching out to me with concerns about upcoming changes to the social security system, and how this will impact them or those close to them.

I’d firstly like to thank every constituent who has contacted me to share their own experiences, worries, and personal stories. Every single case that has been sent has been read and is important to me. I understand that there are many concerns over the proposed changes, and I agree that the most vulnerable must be protected. Any measure taken must not leave people behind, but instead fix the fundamental problems in the system that have been harmful for far too long.

Ahead of the announcement, I attended Downing Street to discuss with the policy team the views and experiences of my constituents and echoed the concerns raised with me. You can read more about that visit here.

It is clear that the social security system has not been working as it should to protect the most vulnerable in society or supporting those who are able and willing to work. Each week, I received casework from individuals and households who need support with appeals, claims, and being stuck in a loop in the system. The Government is therefore committing to fundamentally reforming the system so that it provides the right support for those who need it.

The broken social security system that Labour has inherited from the Tories has been holding our people and our country back. The Conservatives left millions of people written off, trapping them in a life of inactivity and then blaming them for a rising benefits bill instead of providing the support they needed to get into work.

This has resulted in far too many people being denied the necessary support to access good, reliable and rewarding work, while also having the opportunity to work in a job appropriate for their health and wellbeing. The new reforms will build a fairer system – whether it is preventing people from falling in and out of work in the first place, changing assessments for benefit eligibility and engagement with people, or making sure disabled people and people with health conditions get proper support and the same chances and choices as everyone else.

The reforms will come about through investing an additional £1 billion a year for work, health, and skills support through a “Pathways to Work” offer. This is one of the largest ever investments in support to increase opportunities to work for sick and disabled people. It will rebalance payments in Universal Credit to address perverse incentives, start to improve basic adequacy and protect those with the most severe conditions, which will include increasing the standard allowance above inflation for the first time ever.

The Government is proposing an additional premium for new claimants with the most severe, lifelong health conditions, who have no prospect of improvement and will never be able to work. We will also see a scrapping of the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) entirely, a system them is failing people, unhelpfully labelling them as either ‘can’ or ‘can’t’ work, when the reality is that health conditions fluctuate, and many want support to work. This change will save taxpayer money, as well as reduce the stress and anxiety of those living with conditions that will not improve from undergoing annual assessments.

Importantly, the Government will be looking at overhauling the safeguarding procedures to make sure all processes and training are of the highest quality. This will include working with charities, disabled people, and organisations to review the PIP assessment.

I understand the worries held by many about this announcement, and it is vital that disabled people are kept at the heart of any changes made. Protecting the most vulnerable remains an absolute priority for my own work and I know for the Government too.

I will continue to advocate for fair treatment and tailored support for all those who need it, and I will be following upcoming announcements from the Government very closely. I aim to work with the Government to ensure that this reform is not an austerity measure, and that no one gets left behind.

I understand the Department of Work and Pensions is holding consultations in Manchester in the coming weeks and relevant organisations will be invited to attend. I am also intending to meet with the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People in the upcoming weeks.

The consultation on this issue is currently live and open for 12 weeks. You can respond to the consultation here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper

As a constituent, if you require additional support, please do get in touch for a referral for a benefits check. This can assure you are receiving the correct amount of support, as well as accessing any local streams of funding awarded by Manchester City Council.