'We are human beings just trying to survive and yet always being punished simply for existing' - Birmingham Live

'We are human beings just trying to survive and yet always being punished simply for existing'One woman speaks out on Labour's plans to cut disability benefits and get more people into

workNewsDavid Bentley Content Writer (Money and Events)15:19, 04 Jun 2025Updated 16:16, 04 Jun 2025Grace True has faced obstacles with finding work and says Labour's plans to cut PIP are

just a cost-cutting move rather than a meaningful attempt to help more disabled people gain access to employment A disabled woman has spoken out on Labour's plans to cut Personal

Independence Payment (PIP) and the sickness top-up on Universal Credit.

The Government's Pathways to Work Green Paper will tighten up eligibility for PIP from November 2026 so that people need at least one score of four to get the daily living element of the

benefit. As a result, around 800,000 people will lose their PIP.

‌ In addition, the health element of Universal Credit, which applies to people with limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA), will be frozen at its current level and

halved for new claimants from April 2026.

‌ READ MORE:

Winter Fuel Payment changes confirmed by Chancellor to start later this yearPIP claimants call for major change to council tax income rules But disability campaigner Grace True says the

shake-up will not result in more people moving into employment and believes it is primarily a money-saving exercise.

Article continues below Many others feel the same, she says, pointing to a survey of nearly 4,000 Brits that revealed almost half (47 per cent) feel the reforms are aimed at filling a gap in

the budget rather than supporting people into work (33 per cent).

Grace is from Sheffield, where 42,000 people receive Personal Independence Payment - the seventh highest rate of all the local authority areas in Britain. Birmingham is at the top of the

list with 87,000 people on PIP.

She told BirminghamLive she believes the disabled community is being penalised by the government and that the aims of getting more claimants to join the nation's workforce won't happen

easily or quickly, because companies don't want the financial or administrative hassle of making themselves accessible or inclusive.

‌ Grace says that while disabled people are portrayed as too unwilling or lazy to work and simply living off benefits, the Government doesn't understand their struggles.

"The disability benefit system is already unfit for purpose and barely enough to cover basic needs, and they're going to cut it again, wondering all the while why mental health issues are

skyrocketing," she said.

"Not every person can just go back to work, and I'm so sick of the government and everybody else actively shaming disabled people for the things they have no control over.

‌ "We are human beings, just trying to survive, and yet somehow always being punished for simply existing. Disabled people literally cannot win."

Grace True has criticised Labour's benefit reforms and says disabled people face major hurdles with moving into employment(Image: Amelia Peckham) Grace lost her job with a previous employer

when she was seven weeks pregnant. After three months of her employer considering adjustments recommended by occupational health to assist with her disability needs, she was told she was

being made redundant just three days later.

‌ When trying to find another job, Grace found herself being constantly overlooked.

So she removed any mention of disability from her CV. Within 10 minutes of updating her details on a job site, she received a call and secured a new role within just one week.

Now looking for work once more after her contract ended, Grace has applied for over 100 vacancies with no success. She says she has spotted loopholes that businesses are using to avoid

hiring people with disabilities.

‌ Grace explained: "I've come across several roles where they will write at the bottom of the advert that if they receive a lot of applications, disabled applicants won't be guaranteed

and/or offered an interview. Essentially, saying that in any case, they'll always prioritise able-bodied candidates.

"It's not about special treatment, it's about equitable treatment, and the reality is we're either seen as a box-ticking exercise or a hindrance, but never a human being.

"Equality in employment is a f*****g myth. The law says companies can't discriminate against us, but believe me, there are so many loopholes to deny us a look-in and zero requirements for

their buildings to even be accessible in the first place."

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