Disability equality charity Scope is urging the UK Government to keep a promise to uprate benefits in line with inflation. It comes after Chief Secretary to the Treasury Chris Philp declined to say whether benefits will be uprated in line with inflation next year.
He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “There’s a statutory process, a legal process which the Government goes through every year, it’s led by the DWP [ Department for Work and Pensions ] Secretary [Chloe Smith], it happens as a matter of routine every autumn.
“That will happen this autumn in the normal way and, when the welfare secretary has made - in consultation with other colleagues in Government - a decision, it’ll get announced to Parliament in the normal way. I’m not going to pre-empt that by making any sort of commitment one way or the other - it’s up to that process to carry on as normal.”
Prime Minister, Liz Truss, has also refused to rule out real-term cuts in welfare payments despite saying pensions would rise in line with inflation. The PM declined to commit to the annual uprating of benefits in line with inflation, as millions try to manage soaring energy and food costs.
Ms Truss was clear that State Pension will rise in line with inflation, saying she has “committed to the Triple Lock” protecting them against price increases, but refused to give the same guarantee for benefits in April, despite prices having risen by 9.9% compared to a year ago and the Bank of England expecting inflation to peak at 11%.
Not ruling out rowing back on Boris Johnson’s promise to maintain the increase in benefit payments in line with inflation, she said Work and Pensions Secretary Chloe Smith is “looking at”.
James Taylor, director of strategy at disability equality charity Scope, said: “If the Uk Government u-turns on this promise, it would be devastating and lead to disabled people starving and freezing in their own homes.
“Disabled people and their families are the ones in our society who need financial support the most. But instead, the UK Government has chosen to lower taxes for top earners.”
He continued: “Many disabled people have no choice but to rely on benefits for income. They’ve seen real-term cut after cut, firstly because of a four-year benefits freeze, and then last year’s failure to increase in line with inflation.
“Refusing to increase benefits in line with the true inflation rate would show an utter disdain towards people who need this support.
“The UK Government must stick to its promise to increase benefits in line with inflation, and provide much more direct financial support now to disabled people at the sharp end of this crisis.”
The DWP has paid out around £600 million to nearly six million people across the Uk through the £150 disability cost of living payment, with further payments due to be made by early October.
A date for the second cost of living payment of £324 for those on means-tested benefits has still to be announced. People receiving Tax Credits only will get the second payment ‘from Winter 2022’.
To keep up to date with the outcome of this petition, join our Money Saving Scotland Facebook page here, or subscribe to our newsletter which goes out three times each week - sign up here.
READ NEXT
- DWP rejects call to revise Winter Fuel Payment eligibility date for older people
Full list of DWP financial support available to people of State Pension age
- State Pension increase in April could see half a million more retired people paying tax next year
DWP estimates 738,300 people will get State Pension payments for first time by next April
Vulnerable people approaching retirement age can get extra help with State Pension claim
