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ONE WOMAN SPEAKS OUT ON LABOUR'S PLANS TO CUT DISABILITY BENEFITS AND GET MORE PEOPLE INTO WORK 15:19, 04 Jun 2025Updated 16:16, 04 Jun 2025 A disabled woman has spoken out on

Labour's plans to cut Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and the sickness top-up on Universal Credit. The Government's Pathways to Work Green Paper will tighten up eligibility for

PIP from November 2026 so that people need at least one score of four to get the daily living element of the benefit. As a result, around 800,000 people will lose their PIP. In addition,

the health element of Universal Credit, which applies to people with limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA), will be frozen at its current level and halved for new

claimants from April 2026. READ MORE: But disability campaigner Grace True says the shake-up will not result in more people moving into employment and believes it is primarily a money-saving

exercise. Article continues below Many others feel the same, she says, pointing to a survey of nearly 4,000 Brits that revealed almost half (47 per cent) feel the reforms are aimed at

filling a gap in the budget rather than supporting people into work (33 per cent). Grace is from Sheffield, where 42,000 people receive Personal Independence Payment - the seventh highest

rate of all the local authority areas in Britain. Birmingham is at the top of the list with 87,000 people on PIP. She told BirminghamLive she believes the disabled community is being

penalised by the government and that the aims of getting more claimants to join the nation's workforce won't happen easily or quickly, because companies don't want the

financial or administrative hassle of making themselves accessible or inclusive. Grace says that while disabled people are portrayed as too unwilling or lazy to work and simply living off

benefits, the Government doesn't understand their struggles. "The disability benefit system is already unfit for purpose and barely enough to cover basic needs, and they're

going to cut it again, wondering all the while why mental health issues are skyrocketing," she said. "Not every person can just go back to work, and I'm so sick of the

government and everybody else actively shaming disabled people for the things they have no control over. "We are human beings, just trying to survive, and yet somehow always being

punished for simply existing. Disabled people literally cannot win." Grace lost her job with a previous employer when she was seven weeks pregnant. After three months of her employer

considering adjustments recommended by occupational health to assist with her disability needs, she was told she was being made redundant just three days later. When trying to find another

job, Grace found herself being constantly overlooked. So she removed any mention of disability from her CV. Within 10 minutes of updating her details on a job site, she received a call and

secured a new role within just one week. Now looking for work once more after her contract ended, Grace has applied for over 100 vacancies with no success. She says she has spotted loopholes

that businesses are using to avoid hiring people with disabilities. Grace explained: "I've come across several roles where they will write at the bottom of the advert that if they

receive a lot of applications, disabled applicants won't be guaranteed and/or offered an interview. Essentially, saying that in any case, they'll always prioritise able-bodied

candidates. "It's not about special treatment, it's about equitable treatment, and the reality is we're either seen as a box-ticking exercise or a hindrance, but never a

human being. "Equality in employment is a f*****g myth. The law says companies can't discriminate against us, but believe me, there are so many loopholes to deny us a look-in and

zero requirements for their buildings to even be accessible in the first place." Article continues below Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp. Join our dedicated community for

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