Stripy Lightbulb CIC is utterly appalled by the passage of the far diminished Universal Credit Bill, a piece of legislation that is not only structurally incoherent but was forced through Parliament in a manner that makes a mockery of democratic process. The votes across two separate days on this shambolic bill represent a profound failure to protect the rights and wellbeing of disabled people in the UK.
The debates surrounding the bill’s second and third readings were a masterclass in misdirection, with mistruths and damaging rhetoric spouted by Members of Parliament who demonstrated a shocking disregard for the facts. The tired and malicious narrative of widespread benefit fraud was deployed to justify these cruel cuts, a narrative entirely divorced from reality. We commend the bravery of MPs like Nadia Whittome who challenged these falsehoods directly on the floor of the House. During the debate on July 9th, she rightly pointed out to one MP, using the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) own statistics, that “the PIP fraud rate is 0.2%. I do not want him to feel like a mug.”
Furthermore, we are deeply concerned that the specific and dangerous wording within the Bill, particularly the emphasis on the word ‘constantly’ when assessing disability, was not more vigorously challenged from all sides of the House. We strongly feel that as a direct result of this wording, individuals with fluctuating conditions such as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.), Multiple Sclerosis (M.S), and Parkinson’s will be significantly and negatively impacted. This terminology fails to grasp the reality of living with a chronic, variable illness and will inevitably lead to unjust denials of support for those who are not ‘constantly’ disabled every single day.
The entire legislative process has been a farce. A non-existent consultation process with disabled people and their organisations meant the bill was fundamentally flawed from its inception. Had the DWP engaged in meaningful co-production, the plethora of amendments and the significant rebellions from MPs would have been entirely avoidable. MPs were not given adequate time to debate these core, life-altering issues, a clear tactic to rush through legislation that could not stand up to proper scrutiny.
We are dismayed and angered by the number of Labour MPs who, when it mattered most, chose to prioritise their own careers and party politics over the safety and wellbeing of their disabled constituents and their families. Their votes in favour of this bill are a betrayal of the trust placed in them and will have devastating consequences.
This experience forces Stripy Lightbulb CIC to seriously reconsider our future engagement with the DWP. It is painfully clear that the Department views collaboration with third-sector organisations like ours as a mere tick-box exercise. Despite last-minute concessions on the PIP review, wrung out under political pressure, we see no genuine shift in attitude. The DWP has a long and sordid history of ignoring the voices of disabled people, and we have no confidence that this will change. We must now carefully consider whether our limited energy and resources are better spent elsewhere, directly supporting our community, rather than participating in a system that refuses to listen.
To all the disabled people, grassroots groups, and third-sector organisations who have campaigned tirelessly against these cuts for so many months, we send our unwavering support and solidarity. This has been an all-consuming, stressful, and exhausting nine months of our working lives – a period we never wish to re-live. Your strength and resilience in the face of such adversity has been a beacon of hope.
Over the past few months, Stripy Lightbulb CIC has submitted our own detailed proposals on how to reform the welfare system constructively and humanely. The passage of this bill leaves us questioning whether reform is, or ever was, the true intention of the DWP. We will now watch to see what, if any, of these genuine efforts at reform are considered. The fight for a fair and compassionate social security system is far from over.
Stripy Lightbulb CIC
