Lucy Bannister

✊ Change happens when we stand together to demand it. Join our free Get Organised meetings for #ScotlandDemandsBetter!
www.povertyalliance.org/events-page/

White and orange copy on a black background: In a country as wealthy as ours, sickness should never mean hunger or eviction. Last week the government accepted the need for further review and consultation before making severe cuts to PIP. The same care must be taken with Universal Credit. Write to your MP Stop the cuts to Universal Credit

Tomorrow MPs will vote again on plans to cut over £200 a month from people too ill to work.

Like our NHS, our social security system should be there for all of us when we need it.

Now is your last chance to ask your MP to stop the cuts: act.turn2us.org.uk/page/173933/...

Section 2 of the Bill still halves the LCWRA (‘health’) element of universal credit

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So relieved to see Labour MPs standing firm in their solidarity here.

Cuts to UC & PIP are simply to make short term savings and will work against DWP’s wider reform ambitions.

It’s time for the government to admit that weakening our social security system is shortsighted and wrong.

This could be the fatal blow these cuts-posing-as-reforms deserve

Supporting more disabled people into work is a welcome aspiration, but cutting benefits for this group to meet an imposed savings target, with no meaningful consultation, is neither supportive of nor justified by that objective

UPDATE- I’m told there are 99 signatures

DWP confirms new 13-week PIP rule ahead of major benefit shake-up A new 13-week transitional period before payments are stopped has been revealed as part of the new Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill

Our Chief Exec ‪@thomasjlawson.bsky.social‬ speaking about these nonsensical cuts to our social security system.

"There is no moral justification for cutting the support that allows sick and disabled people to meet their basic needs, live independently, and fully take part in society."

Government officials brace for up to 50 Labour MPs rebelling against welfare bill Sources say party should have focused on the moral case for reforming the benefits system

Apparently the government regrets making a financial instead of 'moral case' for its huge cuts our social security system. 🤔

Newsflash: There is no moral case for cutting critical support that enables sick and disabled people to live independently, afford the essentials and access work.

Supporting better conversations about social security Turn2us has published two new guides to encourage more positive and respectful conversations about social security.

(4/4) How we talk about social security matters.

We’re asking MPs and journalists to use our Talking About Social Security guides, to ensure their messages help build up our social-security system and avoid fueling harmful stigma: www.turn2us.org.uk/about-us/new...

(3/4) The government must scrap the cuts and work with disabled people to create a social-security system that we can all trust and be proud of.

Write to your MP and ask them to oppose the cuts: act.turn2us.org.uk/page/172350/...

Orange and white text on a black background: We need a social-security system that we can all trust and be proud of. Ask your MP to scrap cuts to vital support

(1/4) Like our NHS, our social-security system should be there for all of us when we need it. Yet, this week, the government is expected to bring forward legislation that will cut vital support and push more people, especially those who are disabled, into poverty.

Powerful letter from @carers-uk.bsky.social calling on the government to delay planned cuts to support for disabled people & carers, and change course to implement measures that 'alleviate rather than exacerbate' carer poverty. www.carersuk.org/news-and-cam...

Southwark Council 'Securing the Future of Council Housing' campaign team stood on the LGC Awards stage.

The team celebrating, point at the 'Securing the Future of Council Housing' logo on the wall of shortlisted teams at the LGC Awards.

On Wednesday I was back with my Southwark Council team, celebrating the Securing the Future of Council Housing being shortlisted for the LGC's Campaign of the Year!

And what a day for it - the Chancellor's social housing investment was yet another HUGE win for our campaign to #SaveCouncilHousing 🎉🏘️

Orange and white text on a black background: Cutting critical disability support will deepen child poverty, worsen health conditions and create further barriers to employment. Our social security system should be here for all of us when we need it. Ask your MP to scrap the planned cuts.

(1/5) In her spending review the Chancellor promises renewal, renewal that will be felt in people’s everyday lives.

Every day at Turn2us we see the severe impact that financial insecurity has on the millions of people we support...

SR response from Turn2us:

"...It is fantastic to have this investment in the NHS, social housing, local transport and free school meals. However, cutting critical disability support will simultaneously deepen child poverty, worsen health conditions and create further barriers to employment...."

A quick thread on how planned cuts to disability benefits will affect voters in Labour-Reform battlegrounds. (1/4)

‘Stress crisis’ in UK as 5m struggle with financial, health and housing insecurity Exclusive: Levels of ‘multi-stress’ at highest since 2008 crash, study says, with people feeling profoundly powerless

LSE researchers have found that 1 in 10 working-age adults are juggling low income, debt, insecure tenancies, high rents AND problems accessing NHS care 🤯😣

The Spending Review will need to reflect these challenges facing our country if the government wants to increase families' financial security.

Free school meals for more children in England is a positive thing, but there’s a catch | Polly Toynbee The government’s announcement won’t mean much if disability and Pip cuts push more families into poverty, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

The government has committed to end the need for food banks and reduce child poverty.

Free school meals are great, but at the same time the government is cutting critical social security support which will increase child poverty.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

White and orange text on a black background. The tide is turning. Ask your MP to oppose cuts to critical support for sick and Disabled people today.

At least 54 MPs are set to oppose the cuts to disability benefits.

As a society, protecting people who are too sick to work and supporting Disabled people to live independently is the right thing to do.

Write to your MP: act.turn2us.org.uk/page/172350/...

This could set a really worrying precedent - as a charity we need to be able to communicate about the problems facing our communities and our country without fear of bans by agencies like Transport for London.

We must tackle the unfairness of debt caused by DWP mistakes ‘People who work hard and play by the rules, and people who depend on our public services and vital benefits, deserve to have trust and faith in th...

"Sarah deserved to trust the Government to apply its own rules correctly. Instead, a Government mistake landed her in £11,000 of unexpected debt."

Baroness Lister on how we must tackle the unfairness of overpayment debt caused by DWP mistakes ✍️

www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...

Strongly recommend this engaging book for anyone in government, civil society or beyond - whether you’re interested in the local, national or global.

It manages to both challenge and inspire - sowing an urgency for change ✊

(Other outlets are available - I listened to Danny read it on xigxag 😊)

'Our health impact assessment suggests that rather than supporting people into work, these reforms could mean a backward step – potentially worsening the health of millions of already vulnerable adults.' Talia Boshari, Public Health Specialty Registrar at the Health Foundation

The government's proposed welfare reforms will lead to significant income loss for many and increase poverty.

Talia Boshari shares an overview of our new rapid health impact assessment of the Pathways to Work Green Paper.

Read more ⬇️
https://bit.ly/45jDg6D

Supporting better conversations about social security Turn2us has published two new guides to encourage more positive and respectful conversations about social security.

How we talk about our social security system matters. Words shape attitudes and attitudes shape policy. We can too easily inadvertently fuel misconceptions and shame.

We're asking all MPs and journos to use @turn2us.org.uk's new 'talking about social security' guides, for a better conversation.

DWP warned benefit claimants are dying of starvation The Work and Pensions Select Committee is calling for the DWP to be made legally-responsible for safeguarding benefit claimants.

Heartening words from Work & Pensions Committee Chair, @debbieabrahamsmp.bsky.social.

“They have worked all their life and acquired a disability or a long-term condition, and they need that help. I would hope that if it happened to you or I, there would be a system there that is compassionate.”

Supporting better conversations about social security Turn2us has published two new guides to encourage more positive and respectful conversations about social security.

Reforms to social security will inevitably involve challenging debates.

But whatever we're arguing, we can all ensure the language we use avoids fuelling harmful misconceptions and stigma.

This week our team at @turn2us.bsky.social have published practical guides for parliamentarians and journos

Black and orange text on a grey background: We need to change the way we talk about benefits. Two scribbled speech bubbles face each other.

(1/3) If we want to rebuild trust in the system, we need to change the way we talk about benefits.

Most of us will need support from our social security system at some point in our lives.

At its best, social security helps people through these moments, helps them to rebuild.

However...

We need to change the way we talk about benefits Turn2Us is publishing two guides to help politicians and journalists improve how they talk about the benefits system and social security.

Most of us will need support from our social security system at some point in our lives. But the way politicians and the media talk about it makes people feel 'worthless'.

We can all make sure our language doesn’t contribute to harmful stigma. Read my piece in the @bigissue.com today: