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Spring Statement 2025: Universal Credit and disability benefits shake-up confirmed

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  • HillStreetBlues
    HillStreetBlues Posts: 6,054 Forumite
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    To me the statement today was just a echo of the other day, with noting stated that had already not been.

    So we are left with the same old question & no answers.🤷‍♀️

    Time will tell, & pointless worrying.
    There was extra to do with UC. The OBR didn't believe in the Chancellor's £5 billion of PIP savings, so to balance the books she needed to find other ways to make savings from disabled people.
    Let's Be Careful Out There
  • Spoonie_Turtle
    Spoonie_Turtle Posts: 10,307 Forumite
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    To me the statement today was just a echo of the other day, with noting stated that had already not been.

    So we are left with the same old question & no answers.🤷‍♀️

    Time will tell, & pointless worrying.
    There was extra to do with UC. The OBR didn't believe in the Chancellor's £5 billion of PIP savings, so to balance the books she needed to find other ways to make savings from disabled people.
    What was extra regarding UC? 

    Genuine question as from a superficial look I didn't notice anything that wasn't in the green paper, and I have other more urgent things requiring my limited brainpower right now.
  • Muttleythefrog
    Muttleythefrog Posts: 20,412 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 26 March at 7:59PM
    To me the statement today was just a echo of the other day, with noting stated that had already not been.

    So we are left with the same old question & no answers.🤷‍♀️

    Time will tell, & pointless worrying.
    There was extra to do with UC. The OBR didn't believe in the Chancellor's £5 billion of PIP savings, so to balance the books she needed to find other ways to make savings from disabled people.
    What was extra regarding UC? 

    Genuine question as from a superficial look I didn't notice anything that wasn't in the green paper, and I have other more urgent things requiring my limited brainpower right now.
    2 things added/changed today to deal with part of that miscalculation of savings by chancellor. The basic rate UC increase they described going to £107 per week (single over 25) will be £106 instead in 2029/30,
    ...but more notably the reduced rate of the health element for the new claims they specify which would be £50 a week will not increase annually (like the protected £97 amount for existing claimants won't increase) until 2029/30.
    "Do not attribute to conspiracy what can adequately be explained by incompetence" - rogerblack
  • beanielou
    beanielou Posts: 95,434 Ambassador
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    I don’t think the post by MSE Molly G was intended to be political but informative. 
    I am a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on Mortgage Free Wannabe & Local Money Saving Scotland & Disability Money Matters. If you need any help on those boards, do let me know.Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any post you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button , or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own & not the official line of Money Saving Expert.

    Lou~ Debt free Wanabe No 55 DF 03/14.**Credit card debt free 30/06/10~** MFW. Finally mortgage free O2/ 2021****
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  • kaMelo
    kaMelo Posts: 2,856 Forumite
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    edited 27 March at 1:55AM
    More of an observation than anything else which is that UC has always been a monthly benefit in terms of qualification, assessment periods, earnings and awards. This was deliberate so as to align the benefit with how the majority of people in the UK get paid, monthly. Why on earth are they now suddenly talking about weekly amounts in relation to UC? Cue the confusion because there are more than four weeks in a month.
  • Spoonie_Turtle
    Spoonie_Turtle Posts: 10,307 Forumite
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    ^ Although with the covid uplift they also referred to weekly amounts (£20/week). I suppose it is in line with how all the other current benefits are referred to and discussed.  Holdovers from when wages were paid weekly, presumably.

    It will be interesting to see whether the JSA/ESA replacement benefit is weekly or monthly.  By then it'll presumably be that the only working age income-replacement (other than UC) is Carers Allowance, which is calculated weekly.  [PIP/DLA/AA, pension age HB and State Pension will still probably be weekly too.]
  • TimeLord1
    TimeLord1 Posts: 953 Forumite
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    Newcad said:
    There is a lot of misleading wording in the government statement today.
    You might think it was even intentional to try and confuse things. (and confuse people).
    PS. I still believe there is a possible double standard going on here with 'political comment' but probably not worth making too much of a fuss about. (Being a forum moderator myself I know it will now be being discussed 'backstage').
    Paid promotion most likely.
  • TimeLord1
    TimeLord1 Posts: 953 Forumite
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    Invalidity or invalid benefits was seen as discriminating against anyone claiming it also the pension books.  But one hundred percent agree on the wording in the statement even the media goes on about Incapacity benefit. Probably just laziness because I doubt anyone is going to write " claiming the benefit Limited Capability for Work Related Activity or putting LCWRA or LCW"  most people probably haven't heard of the terminology so pigeon hole everyone as Incapacity benefit regardless of condition or capabilities.
  • Newcad
    Newcad Posts: 1,781 Forumite
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    Oh I agree with the fact that it's laziness.
    But how often have you seen things get into a mess simply because someone used the incorrect name for a benefit - leading everyone to believe they meant a different benefit than they did?
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