Labour MP Richard Burgon Slams Disability Benefits Bill as Devastating for Disabled People
LONDON – Labour MP Richard Burgon has strongly condemned the government's latest disability benefits bill, describing it as a devastating blow to disabled people across the UK. Burgon, who represents a growing faction within the Labour Party opposed to the bill, argues that while recent government concessions may have made the legislation "slightly less bad," it still represents a dangerous attack on some of the most vulnerable members of society.
Concessions: A Partial Victory, but Not Enough
While the government has been forced to make some changes to the bill, driven largely by opposition from backbench MPs, Burgon and many of his Labour colleagues believe these revisions fail to address the core issues. The bill still proposes drastic cuts to disability benefits, which will leave hundreds of thousands of disabled people without essential financial support.
According to Burgon, the bill remains a direct assault on the independence and dignity of disabled people. The cuts, if implemented, could result in nearly half a million disabled people losing their personal independence payments (PIP) between 2024 and 2030, with an average reduction of £4,500 annually – approximately £100 a week. For many, this would be a life-altering cut, particularly for those who rely on PIP to meet the additional costs associated with living with a disability.
Cuts to Universal Credit Health Component
Burgon also highlights the devastating impact on those who rely on Universal Credit's health component. According to estimates, three-quarters of a million new claimants will see their benefits reduced to half the current level, leaving them £3,000 worse off per year. Many of these claimants are already living with significant barriers to employment, and such a drastic reduction will only push them further into poverty.
A Two-Tier Disability System?
Another concern raised by Burgon is the potential creation of a two-tier disability benefits system. As it stands, people who qualify for support today will continue to receive assistance, but those who become disabled after November 2025 would be denied the same level of support. Burgon questions whether the government truly intends to discriminate against future generations of disabled people in this way.
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“This could create a divided society, where disabled people in the future will receive less support than those living with disability today,” Burgon said. “How can this be justified when disabled people already make up a disproportionate number of food bank users?”
A Government Choice to Balance the Books on the Backs of the Vulnerable
For Burgon and other critics, the government’s motivation behind these cuts is clear: the desire to make savings at the expense of disabled people. Even with the recent concessions, the bill still contains £3.5bn of cuts, and the government is making a deliberate choice to balance its budget by harming the most vulnerable members of society, rather than considering more progressive alternatives.
Burgon argues that fairer options are available. In particular, he points to his own proposal for a wealth tax, which would raise billions from the richest in society. His petition, backed by over 75,000 people, calls for a 2% tax on assets over £10 million, which could generate up to £24 billion per year—six times more than the savings the government hopes to achieve from the cuts to disability benefits.
Public Support for a Wealth Tax
Recent polling has shown strong public support for taxing the super-rich. According to a survey, two-thirds of the British public support increasing taxes on those with the greatest wealth. Burgon believes that Labour could gain significant public backing by supporting such a tax, a policy that would resonate with many voters who are tired of seeing the wealthiest escape their responsibilities while the most vulnerable suffer.
Labour’s Core Values at Stake
Burgon is adamant that this issue is about more than just a policy debate—it’s about Labour's core values and the type of society the party wants to build. Labour should be focused on lifting people out of poverty, not pushing them deeper into it. In Burgon’s view, the government’s approach betrays those values by cutting vital support from disabled people while failing to address the wider economic inequalities that are driving poverty.
“It’s not enough to just tinker with this bill,” Burgon insists. “We need to halt this legislation completely and work with disabled people to design a welfare system that is fair, compassionate, and reflects the challenges they face. Only then can we help disabled people live the independent lives they deserve.”
What’s Next?
With the vote on the bill scheduled for Tuesday, Burgon has made it clear that he will be voting against the bill, and he is calling on the government to withdraw the legislation entirely. He suggests that ministers should postpone the vote, allowing time to rework the bill and build a system of support that is truly aligned with Labour’s values.
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“We have a choice: we can choose to make life harder for disabled people, or we can choose to work together with them to create a society that cares for all of its citizens,” Burgon concludes. “Labour should not be complicit in the government’s harmful policies.”
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