They have written a joint letter to Scottish Secretary Ian Murray and copied it to all of Scotland’s MPs at Westminster
More than 100 charities and civil society groups have united to tell Scottish MPs that it’s not too late to change course on controversial social security cuts.
They have written a joint letter to Scottish Secretary Ian Murray and copied it to all of Scotland’s MPs at Westminster.
The organisations point to estimates that 400,000 people will be pushed into poverty if the changes to Personal Independence Payments and Universal Credit go ahead.
They warned that will mean destitution and misery for many sick and disabled people, as well as others in their households – including children and unpaid carers
Peter Kelly, chief executive of The Poverty Alliance, said: “People are desperate for the UK Government to deliver a just and compassionate society – but these proposals will deliver the opposite. If enacted, these cuts will mean more disabled people living in poverty, relying on foodbanks, and pushed into destitution. That’s not the change people voted for at the last general election.”
In the letter they say: “This is a question of about the kind of society we want to be. Scotland is a country that believes in justice and compassion and people want our governments to make decisions which align with those values.
“We urge ministers to drop these proposals. We urge Scottish MPs to vote against these cuts, sending a strong, positive message to disabled people and carers in Scotland that this government will build a country free from poverty, not one that forces people into deeper poverty and destitution.”
MPs are expected to get their first chance to vote on the cuts in the House of Commons on 1 July. The government is facing defeat after dozens of Labour MPs signalled their opposition.
Fiona Collie of Carers Scotland said: “We need a government that will reduce the poverty that unpaid carers face. If these cuts go ahead, even more of them will be pushed into crisis – leaving people struggling to afford food, heating, and other essentials.
“We estimate that around 150,000 unpaid carers across the UK stands to lose carers' benefits as a direct result of these changes. That’s completely wrong - and any MP who votes to inflict that kind of deliberate harm on people in their constituency will have to justify themselves to electors.”
Tressa Burke of Glasgow Disability Alliance added: “It is shameful to try to balance the nation’s books on the backs of disabled people. We have around 6,000 members who have already suffered the worst impacts of the cost of living crisis, and more than a decade of austerity and social security cuts.
“These plans will cause untold harm to many disabled people and push them into destitution. It will undermine their human rights and leave them facing even greater inequality and discrimination. If MPs in Scotland support these heartless cuts, it will be a bleak day indeed. They will absolutely not get people into work, and will act as a reason to fall out of work too, where PIP has been topping up low-paid work.”
