One in eight working age people in Ashfield on disability benefits as Government cuts loom

The think tank More in Common surveyed nearly 3,900 people in England, Scotland and Wales over a six-day period in March, and found 58 per cent of people believe the disability benefits cuts ‘are a bad idea’.

Using figures from the Department for Work and Pensions and the Office for National Statistics, further analysis from the think tank and the poverty charity Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) found the upcoming disability benefit cuts will hit the most in Labour's heartlands across England and Wales.

This comes after the Government announced reforms to the welfare system in the spring budget last month, including tightening eligibility for Personal Independence Payment, and replacing the Universal Credit Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) with a new UC health element.

The JRF said the public ‘wants a social security system that is there for them when they need it’ and warned the cuts to disability benefits ‘will drive many more people deeper into poverty than will be helped into jobs’.

The research suggests 13.3 per cent of the working age population in Ashfield was claiming PIP or LCWRA benefits in August 2024 .

Meanwhile, 9.4 per cent of the population in England and Wales was claiming these benefits and may be affected by the planned welfare reforms.

Analysis of the figures by the JRF found constituencies where the Government's proposed cuts will likely hit the most are where the largest share of people are claiming working-age health-related benefits.

Katie Schmuecker, principal policy adviser at the JRF, said: "It's little surprise that people think these deep cuts to disability benefits are a bad idea.

"The public wants a social security system that is there for them when they need it, and that includes being sick or disabled."

She added the disability benefits cuts will impact former industrial and coastal constituencies the most, saying up to one in five working age adults rely on these payments in some areas.

She warned: "MPs must understand many of their constituents are already going without the essentials on a routine basis.

"These cuts will drive many more people deeper into poverty than will be helped into jobs by the Government's increased employment support."