Government should "not be balancing the books off the most vulnerable", says Oxfordshire MP
It’s after the Chancellor’s Spring Statement this week
Last updated 28th Mar 2025
An Oxfordshire MP is urging the Chancellor to “look again” at some of the announcements from her Spring Statement, saying that it’s “really concerning”.
Rachel Reeves confirmed on Wednesday that universal credit health benefits for new claimants will be halved in 2026 and then frozen until 2030.
Earlier this month, the government also announced a tightening of eligibility for the main disability benefit, personal independence payment (Pip), and changes to the sickness element of universal credit.
The government's own data suggests 50,000 children will be pushed into poverty as a result of these. changes
"Fundamentally I'm really concerned"
Freddie van Mierlo, Liberal Democrat MP for Henley and Thame says the government should "not be balancing the books off the most vulnerable people in society".
Mr Mierlo said: “We're seeing disabled people have higher costs, for example heating their homes, and other sorts of adaptations that are needed. We're hearing that these people are really concerned that the loss in income will impact their ability to live their lives.
“We know we have really good local services that are available to vulnerable people, but they shouldn't be having to reach out to these organisations. We should be affording people with disabilities a high level of dignity and be able to live independently.”
He adds: “Fundamentally I'm really concerned about how these reforms will impact people, vulnerable people, and we will be urging the chancellor to look again at these reforms.”
Sir Keir Starmer believes the Government's welfare reforms will not push people into poverty, Downing Street said, despite an impact assessment estimating hundreds of thousands would be.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "Of course the Prime Minister shares the sentiment the Chancellor expressed this morning.
"The whole point of this Government's agenda is to boost living standards and get people back to work so that people are less likely to be in poverty."