Listening to Liz Kendall, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, deliver her speech on welfare reform today, I was struck by the contrast between political rhetoric and the lived realities of disabled people. Yesterday, I wrote about the importance of recognising disability rights beyond economic productivity and challenging the narrative that frames disabled people as either burdens or inspirations, rather than as individuals with autonomy and agency.
The Focus on Numbers Over People
Kendall’s speech placed heavy emphasis on statistics, how many people are claiming benefits, how much it is costing, and how policy changes will supposedly encourage more disabled people into work (Hansard, 2025). However, benefits were framed as something to be reduced, rather than as a lifeline for those who need them. There was little mention of the systemic barriers that prevent disabled people from working, such as inaccessible workplaces, lack of reasonable adjustments, and a welfare system that too often punishes rather than supports disabled individuals.
The “Rebalancing” of Universal Credit
Kendall proposed “rebalancing” Universal Credit, introducing an additional premium for people with severe, lifelong conditions (Hansard, 2025). However, this raises a crucial question: who decides which conditions are “severe” enough? Disability is not static many conditions fluctuate, and support should not be contingent on arbitrary categories that fail to capture the complexity of real-life needs. The proposal risks reinforcing a divide between the “deserving” and “undeserving” disabled, further marginalising those whose impairments do not fit neatly into government definitions.
Marie Tidball’s Challenge to the Government
A particularly powerful moment came from Marie Tidball, the newly elected Labour MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, who has lived experience of disability. Tidball, an academic and disability rights activist, challenged the government to address the 29% employment gap between disabled and non-disabled people (Parliament TV, 2025). While she welcomed the call for reasonable adjustments, she rightly pressed the government on what concrete work is being done to close both the disability pay gap and the employment gap.
Tidball’s intervention was significant because of her expertise and lived experience. She co-founded the Oxford University Disability Law and Policy Project and has worked extensively on research into disabled people’s rights and access to justice (Oxford University, 2024). Her challenge to the government is crucial—reasonable adjustments alone do not guarantee fair wages or long-term career opportunities for disabled workers.
Concerns Raised by Other MPs
Following Kendall’s speech, many MPs voiced concerns about the risks these reforms pose to already vulnerable individuals. Several MPs urged the government to work alongside disabled people and those with lived experience to ensure any changes are genuinely supportive rather than punitive. One MP explicitly called for the co-production of these reforms, highlighting that policies affecting disabled people should not be designed without meaningful input from those directly impacted (Hansard, 2025). This is a critical point—without co-production, there is a real risk that reforms will be shaped by economic and political priorities rather than the actual needs of disabled people.
The Reality of the Benefits System
What was missing entirely from Kendall’s speech was an acknowledgment of the lived experience of navigating the benefits system. As someone who has been through the PIP assessment process, I know how dehumanising and distressing it can be. Applicants are forced to prove their disability in ways that feel invasive and invalidating. Assessments are conducted by individuals with no real understanding of specific conditions, leading to decisions that undermine independence and erode trust in the system (Disability Rights UK, 2024).
If the government genuinely wants to support disabled people into work, it should start by treating us with dignity. The process of applying for benefits should not be an exhausting and demoralising ordeal. The government should ensure that disabled people are trusted as experts in their own needs, make workplaces accessible, enforce reasonable adjustments, and remove structural barriers that prevent disabled people from thriving. Cutting financial support while offering nothing meaningful in return is not a reform, it is a betrayal.
The Green Paper and RCOT’s Response
Kendall also referenced the Green Paper, Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working, which sets out proposals for welfare reform (UK Government, 2025). A Green Paper is a consultative documentpublished by the government to gather feedback from stakeholders before implementing policy changes (UK Parliament, 2025).
Key proposals in the Green Paper include:
- Overhauling Jobcentres to focus on skills development and employment rather than just benefits management.
- Introducing a Youth Guarantee, ensuring all young people aged 18 to 21 are either learning or earning.
- Increasing the National Living Wage and strengthening workers’ rights protections (UK Government, 2025).
The Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) responded to the Green Paper by emphasising that benefits are more than just financial support. They stressed that any changes must support disabled people rather than disadvantage them further. RCOT also highlighted the importance of occupational therapy in enabling people to live independently and participate fully in society (RCOT, 2025).
Final Thoughts
My concerns are not just theoretical, they are deeply personal. As someone who has navigated the system both professionally and personally, I know that the barriers to work are not about a lack of motivation but a lack of equity.
Kendall spoke of “fairness”, but fairness does not mean reducing support to force people into jobs that do not accommodate them. Fairness means ensuring that disabled people have the right support, the right opportunities, and the right to make choices about their own lives.
The government’s approach to benefits reform seems to be more about cutting costs than improving lives. It’s disheartening but not surprising. However, the fight for disability rights has never been about waiting for policymakers to do the right thing, it has always been about pushing back, raising our voices, and demanding better. Today’s speech makes it clear that this fight is far from over.
For those who want to read the full speech, it will be available in Hansard, the official record of parliamentary debates. You can access it via the Hansard website. If you prefer to watch the speech, the recording will be available on Parliament TV.
References
- Disability Rights UK. (2024). Navigating the PIP System: Experiences of Disabled People.
- Hansard. (2025). House of Commons Debate on Welfare Reform, 18 March 2025. Retrieved from: https://hansard.parliament.uk
- Oxford University. (2024). Marie Tidball and the Disability Law and Policy Project.
- Parliament TV. (2025). Live Broadcast of House of Commons Debate, 18 March 2025.
- RCOT. (2025). Statement on the Government’s Welfare Reform Green Paper. Retrieved from: https://www.rcot.co.uk
- UK Government. (2025). Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working.
- UK Parliament. (2025). What is a Green Paper?
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