In Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement, the Government announced £4.8 billion in welfare cuts, introducing tougher eligibility rules for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and reducing the health component of Universal Credit (UC) for millions. The Government claims these reforms are part of a plan to make the system “more sustainable” — but the cost will be felt by some of the most vulnerable in our society.
According to the Government’s own impact assessment, these changes will push 250,000 more people into poverty — including 50,000 children. A staggering 3.2 million families are expected to lose an average of £1,720 per year, and those losing PIP will be hit with annual losses of around £4,500.
At Blind Ambition, we know how critical these benefits are. For blind and partially sighted people — many of whom face inaccessible workplaces, transport, and recruitment systems — these payments are not optional extras. They fund guide dog support, accessible tech, personal assistance, and basic daily independence.
“Once again, disabled people are being treated as an afterthought in economic policy,” says Seema Flower, founder of Blind Ambition.
“These cuts will take us backwards. Instead of empowering disabled people to thrive, they are being punished for economic decisions outside of their control. This is not fiscal responsibility — it is institutional cruelty.”
Rachel Reeves has since acknowledged that the Government’s figures do not account for the wider benefits of planned employment support, which she argues would help offset the OBR’s projections. At Blind Ambition, we absolutely support any initiative that helps disabled people into meaningful, sustainable employment. The current figure of 75% unemployment among blind people is intolerable, and we’ve been working with corporate, legal, financial, and infrastructure partners to help change that.
But we must be clear:
You cannot support disabled people into work by stripping away the very benefits that make work possible.
PIP and the health elements of UC are essential scaffolding — they provide stability while people build confidence, gain training, and navigate inaccessible work environments. Removing this support as people begin their journey back into employment is not only short-sighted, it’s counterproductive.
We also recognise the growing disquiet within the Labour Party. MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy stated:
“No Labour MP should be voting to push children into poverty.”
And Diane Abbott MP warned:
“Whenever they want money, they take it from the most vulnerable – old people, poor children and now the disabled.”
Helen Barnard, Director at the Trussell Trust, put it bluntly:
“These cruel cuts are out of touch with what voters want… This is a change for the worse, and it is disabled people who will pay the price.”
We at Blind Ambition echo those concerns. We urge the Government to rethink these cuts and to engage meaningfully with disabled-led organisations and the people who will be most affected.
If the goal is to help more disabled people into work — we welcome it. But that journey starts by listening, not cutting. Supporting disabled people must mean more than slogans. It must mean real investment, real support, and real respect.
