Welfare Scotland has denounced the recent benefit ‘reforms’ as a direct attack on disabled and chronically ill individuals.

Welfare Scotland Condemns UK Government’s Proposed Benefit Reforms as “State-Sanctioned Cruelty” to Disabled and Chronically Ill Individuals

Welfare Scotland, a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting social justice, equity, and human rights, has issued a scathing denunciation of the UK Government’s proposed benefit reforms. In a statement released on Saturday, 29 March 2025, the organisation described the reforms as a direct attack on the dignity and survival of disabled and chronically ill individuals.

According to the statement, the reforms could see some individuals losing more than £800 per month and have been labelled as “state-sanctioned cruelty” by Rob McDowall, Chair of Welfare Scotland. “The Chancellor’s so-called ‘reforms’ to the benefits system are nothing short of a full-frontal assault on disabled and chronically ill people,” said McDowall.

“These plans are not just cruel – they are an unforgivable act of state-sanctioned harm, designed to strip dignity, security, and basic survival from those who already face immense hardship,” he added. “This is not reform. It is state-sanctioned cruelty. It is economic violence against some of the most vulnerable in society. We demand that the government immediately abandon these indefensible ‘reforms’ and pursue solutions that prioritise equity, dignity, and human rights over ideological austerity. Let those with the broadest shoulders bear the heaviest burden.”

McDowall also expressed disappointment that disabled parliamentarians, who had promised to represent the needs and aspirations of disabled people, remained silent in opposition to their own party colleagues in Westminster and Whitehall.

Welfare Scotland highlighted several key concerns with the proposed reforms, including deepening poverty, human rights violations, and misplaced priorities. The organisation noted that disabled people and those who are chronically ill already endure relentless financial pressures and that the reforms threaten to push many well below the poverty line. Furthermore, by stripping away essential benefits, the reforms undermine fundamental rights to dignity, adequate living standards, and freedom from discrimination. Welfare Scotland also criticised the government’s priorities, stating that instead of addressing systemic economic failures or ensuring those with greater resources contribute more, the reforms appear to target the most vulnerable for budgetary savings.

In response, Welfare Scotland calls on Parliament to reject the proposed benefit cuts and demand a comprehensive review that places the rights and well-being of disabled and chronically ill people at the forefront. The organisation urges MPs to vote against the reforms and champion legislation that safeguards human rights and the dignity of chronically ill and disabled people. Welfare Scotland also calls on local communities to mobilise in solidarity with disabled and chronically ill people by writing to their elected representatives, and on allies and advocacy groups to continue raising awareness and providing critical support services to those at risk.

“Disabled people and their carers face relentless financial pressures simply to exist,” emphasised McDowall. “These reforms will only intensify that struggle, undermining the principle that those in need deserve our protection, not punishment.”

Welfare Scotland is a non-profit organisation that works alongside disabled people, chronically ill individuals, carers, and a wide range of advocacy groups to campaign for fairer policies and robust community support networks.