Will changes on disability benefit cuts affect Scotland?

The National

a day ago

But while there are rebels who have been appeased, others do not feel the Government have done enough to convince them to vote for the bill next week.
But what exactly has changed about their proposals, and will they have any impact on Scotland?
What has changed?
In March, reforms to the welfare system – aimed at encouraging more people off sickness benefits and into work – were announced by Labour.
The Government said the changes, including restricting access to the main disability benefit south of the Border, known as the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and the sickness-related element of Universal Credit, were expected to make welfare savings of £4.8 billion by 2029/30.
An impact assessment published alongside the bill included estimates that changes to PIP entitlement rules would see about 800,000 people lose out.
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But amid huge discontent among their own MPs, Labour have been forced to make concessions.
Now, only new claims from November 2026 will come under the tightened eligibility requirements.
While this might sound like an improvement, Labour are now being accused of creating a 'two-tier' system, where new claimants will not get the same benefits as those before them.
How does this affect Scotland?
PIP does not exist in Scotland as it has been replaced by the devolved Adult Disability Payment (ADP), administered by Social Security Scotland.
So while changes around PIP will not impact on benefit claimants in Scotland directly, the changes made south of the Border will hit Scotland financially due to the Barnett formula.
Shirley-Anne Somerville (below) said back in March the impact on Holyrood's budget would be 'really quite severe' when Labour announced their initial package of reforms.
(Image: Jane Barlow) The main concern in Scotland will be for those who in future will need to claim the sickness element of Universal Credit – a reserved benefit.
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In a briefing to MPs, Trussell estimated that there are around 300,000 Scots in receipt of the health element of Universal Credit and associated benefits facing cuts.
These people will now not be affected by changes to eligibility criteria, but new claimants of the UC health element will be impacted from November next year.
Other questions still remain as to how new claimants in Scotland will prove their eligibility for this too.
The UK Government announced from 2028/29 onwards, the Work Capability Assessment is set to be binned by DWP and instead people will be assessed for the health element of Universal Credit via the Personal Independence Payments (PIP).
With PIP not existing in Scotland, the UK Government is yet to confirm whether the assessment criteria for ADP will be sufficient for proving eligibility.
What are disability campaigners saying?
Mikey Erhardt, from Disability Rights UK, accused the Government of 'playing politics with our lives', insisting the bill must still be pulled.
He said the changes will mean 'a benefits system where future generations of disabled people receive less support than disabled people today' and added that, in making the original announcement of cuts, the Government had 'prioritised balancing its books over improving the lives of disabled citizens'.
The MS Society said the Government was simply 'kicking the can down the road and delaying an inevitable disaster', and urged MPs 'not to be swayed by these last-ditch attempts to force through a harmful Bill with supposed concessions'.
Food bank network Trussell welcomed the 'significant' concessions but said the proposals 'still present a bleak future for future claimants and still risk placing the Government's commitments to end the need for emergency food and tackle poverty in serious jeopardy'.