UN criticises Starmer's welfare reforms and warns measures will 'increase poverty rates'

A UN committee connected disablement rights has criticised the UK government's payment reforms, saying they volition "increase poorness rates". 

In an involution apt to beryllium seized connected by MPs seeking to further h2o down the government's measures, the committee asks ministers for answers connected 10 issues surrounding the payment changes - and says the reforms hazard "regression" for disabled people.

The committee, which reports to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, asks astir British politicians suggesting radical are defrauding the benefits system.

One constituent connected which it wants clarification is: "Public statements by politicians and authorities portraying persons with disabilities arsenic making nett of societal benefits, making mendacious statements to get societal and disablement benefits oregon being a load to society."

Other questions are connected the interaction the measures volition person connected "young persons, caller claimants of disablement benefits, women with disabilities, persons with disabilities with precocious level supports" and others.

They inquire ministers astir what measures they person taken to code "the foreseeable hazard of expanding poorness rates amongst persons with disabilities if cuts are approved" and assertion the payment measure has had "limited scrutiny".

The missive claims that the committee has "received credible information" that the Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill "will deepen the signs of regression" that the committee warned astir successful a study past twelvemonth connected the outgo of surviving situation and its interaction connected disabled people.

An involution by the UN volition beryllium an embarrassment to the government, which has promised its payment reforms volition assistance disabled radical into work.

Liz Kendall, the payment secretary, was criticised heavy earlier successful the twelvemonth for saying immoderate radical connected benefits were "taking the mickey".

After a chaotic archetypal ballot successful Parliament connected 1 July, successful which MPs succeeded successful watering down the reforms significantly, the authorities present says its reforms volition assistance 50,000 radical retired of poverty. The measure was backed by 335 MPs, with 260 against - a bulk of 75.

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The archetypal mentation of the reforms would person - the government's appraisal said - pushed 250,000 radical into poverty.

Charities are urging MPs to proceed to propulsion for further changes - including connected cuts to Universal Credit sickness payments.

A antithetic UN committee heavy criticised payment changes made by the Conservatives successful 2016 and called connected the UK to instrumentality "corrective measures" erstwhile Labour came into office.

The UN's committee connected Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) concluded that "welfare reform" measures introduced by Conservative-led governments successful 2012 and 2016 had disproportionately affected disabled people, low-income families, and workers successful "precarious employment".

The committee said this had led to "severe economical hardship, accrued reliance connected nutrient banks, homelessness, antagonistic impacts connected intelligence health, and the stigmatisation of payment claimants".

The Department for Work and Pensions has been contacted for comment.

Mikey Erhardt, argumentation pb astatine Disability Rights UK said: "The information that the UN has yet again felt it needs to constitute to the UK authorities astir our cruel and punitive societal information strategy should beryllium a nationalist shame.

"We anticipation this missive is simply a wake-up telephone for MPs. Despite each the chaos of the last-minute climbdowns and concessions, the Universal Credit measure remains broken.

"There are inactive billions of cuts connected the table, and we impulse MPs to attack tomorrow's proceedings with caution arsenic their ballot volition person superior implications for disabled radical crossed the country.

"If disabled radical consciousness incapable to spot the government's promises connected co-production and the UN needed to rise concerns implicit the bill's impact, however tin MPs ballot this measure through?"