Amnesty International UK has warned that the UK government’s revised welfare proposals remain fundamentally flawed and risk pushing thousands into poverty, particularly disabled people and those on low incomes. Amnesty is urging MPs not to make concessions on people’s human rights. 

Despite proposed changes limiting certain cuts to the new Personal Independence Payment claimants, Amnesty says the Bill remains discriminatory and falls short of basic human rights standards.

Jen Clark, Amnesty International UK’s Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Lead, said:

“The revised changes to the PIP bill are nothing more than a superficial attempt to get MPs to vote through this cruel and harmful piece of legislation.

“The new draft continues to fail on human rights checks – it will deepen poverty, entrench discrimination, and create a two-tier welfare system that cannot be justified under any circumstances.

“Freezing or cutting benefits for new claimants doesn’t prevent poverty, it pushes more people into it, while entrenching income inequality across generations.

“These proposals are not human rights compliant. They are being rushed through without proper scrutiny, transparency or engagement with those who stand to lose the most.

“We urge MPs to stand firm against a Bill that continues to discriminate, harm, and marginalise.”

Amnesty raised alarm over the following unresolved concerns in the Bill:

• Cuts, freezes and eligibility changes will still push people into poverty, even if some are limited to new claimants.
• A two-tier system is being created - an unjustifiable move that will deepen inequality, particularly for younger and future claimants in high areas of deprivation.
• PIP assessments remain discriminatory and unfit for purpose, yet MPs are being asked to vote without any guarantees that the upcoming review will deliver meaningful change.
• No meaningful consultation with disabled people, whose lives will be directly affected.
• No published human rights impact assessment, and the partial assessments that exist are of poor quality.

Poverty is a political choice: Amnesty is calling on all MPs to stand firm and reject the current version of the Bill and to demand a full human rights impact assessment, meaningful consultation with disabled people, and genuine reforms that reduce poverty rather than deepen it.