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The Sun
7 hours ago
- The Sun
The nine health conditions most at risk of being hit by Universal Credit and PIP cuts
SOME disabled Universal Credit claimants face cuts to their payments when new Government rules come in, campaigners have warned. Labour is planning to bring in major reforms to the benefits system that will see Universal Credit payments slashed for new claimants. 1 A bill intended to cut back on welfare spending was heavily watered down last month following a rebellion by backbench MPs. But some MPs and disability campaigners are still warning benefit claimants with serious, lifelong illnesses could see their out-of-work benefits halved under the reforms. They are worried people with degenerative conditions such as Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis (MS) could be affected, as well as those with serious mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The campaigners say people with these conditions could miss out on the Universal Credit health element, which is worth about £3,000 a year. MPs on the Work and Pensions Committee have called for the cut to be paused until an independent impact assessment on the changes can be carried out. Andy McDonald, Labour MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, told The i newspaper that ministers should look again at the criteria for the higher rate of Universal Credit. "The bill creates a two-tier system which will result in people with identical conditions being treated entirely differently, based on an arbitrary cut-off point. "There is no justice or equity in that. It's simply not the right thing to do," he said. Ian Byrne, Labour MP for Liverpool West Derby, said it was "reckless to go ahead with the planned cuts" without an impact assessment. Meanwhile James Taylor, head of strategy at disability equality charity Scope, said: "We are concerned that the changes to the health component of Universal Credit will create a two-tier system where some disabled people receive more support than others. "We believe this approach is unfair and that it does not reflect the realities of disabled people's lives." What is Universal Credit and what changes are being made? Universal Credit is a monthly payment given out to those who are struggling to make ends meet. Changes to UC & PIP payments in full as Labour reveals bruising welfare bill concessions in bid to quell rebellion More than three million recipients of Universal Credit don't have to find work due to their poor health. A single person who is aged 25 or over can receive the basic level of Universal Credit, which comes in at £400.14 every month. But you can get a further £422.37 by claiming the incapacity top-up if you have a disability or long-term condition. This more than doubles the original payment. People who currently receive Universal Credit will be protected from changes to the Welfare Reform Bill. But new claimants will have their payment halved to £217.26. Only new claimants who meet a "severe conditions criteria" will get the full amount - so those with severe, lifelong conditions will remain protected. However, disability groups have warned that those with degenerative illnesses or fluctuating conditions, which can vary day to day, might still have their payments slashed. This is because the new criteria demands a health condition be constant. Which conditions could be affected? There is no full or official list of conditions that could be affected by the change as the "severe conditions" criteria hasn't yet been fully decided. But anti-poverty charity Z2K has said there are at least six health conditions it believes could be affected by the change. They are: Parkinson's Schizophrenia Multiple sclerosis Bipolar disorder Autism Dementia A select committee report on the matter also mentions ME, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and eating disorders. Its understood claimants will not be assessed on what their condition is but on how it impacts them. No conditions are excluded from the "severe conditions" criteria and it will be considered for all health conditions and disabilities. Ayla Ozmen, director of policy and campaigns at Z2K, told The Sun: "Disabled people with conditions like Parkinsons, schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis are at risk of losing out on over £200 per month as a result of cuts to the Universal Credit health element which have been approved by parliament. "Contrary to government claims, we fear that many of the disabled people affected will never be able to work because of their conditions. "We're calling on the government to clarify how it will ensure that disabled people with severe conditions will be protected under these plans." A Government spokesperson said: "Our welfare reforms will support those who can work into jobs and ensure there is always a safety net for those that need it. The impact assessment shows our reforms will lift 50,000 children out of poverty – and our additional employment support will lift even more families out of poverty. "The reforms will rebalance Universal Credit rates to reduce the perverse incentives that trap people out of work, alongside genuinely helping disabled people and those with long-term health conditions into good, secure work – backed by £3.8billion in employment support over this parliament. "We are also tackling poverty by extending free school meals to all households on Universal Credit, helping to address holiday hunger with our Crisis and Resilience Fund, supporting over a million households by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions, and delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation, as part of our Plan for Change." What other changes are being made? The Government had hoped to bring in even tougher measures to stop the increasing cost of welfare from spiralling out of control. It previously projected the number of working-age claimants of Personal Independence Payments (PIP) will rise from 2.7million in 2023-24 to 4.3million in 2029-30. Meanwhile the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimated the overall cost of the working-age benefit system would rise from £48.5billion last year to £75.7billion by 2030. As part of its Welform Reform Bill, the Government had planned to introduce stricter qualifying measures for those claiming PIP and freezing the extra health payments available to those on Universal Credit who are unable to work. An FOI carried out by advice website Benefits and Work showed a staggering 154,000 people with back pain as their main health issue were likely to lose their PIP under Labour's stricter rules. Some of the other conditions at risk included arthritis, chronic pain, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, anxiety and depression. But following the backlash from MPs, it's unclear so far how PIP could change as a review is now going to be carried out by disability minister Sir Stephen Timms. The paper, which will not be published until the end of next year, will set out recommendations for the Government.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
Breakthrough in breast cancer research could stop the disease from spreading
The discovery offers new hope in the fight against breast cancer, as it could detect and stop the spread of the disease before it becomes incurable Scientists have achieved a significant breakthrough in the battle against breast cancer by dismantling the very components that enable the deadly disease to metastasise. Researchers have discovered that cancer alters the metabolism of certain immune cells, causing them to release a metabolite known as uracil, which aids in constructing a 'scaffold' within distant organs, facilitating the growth of secondary tumours. By inhibiting the enzyme uridine phosphorylase-1 (UPP1), responsible for producing uracil, scientists were able to prevent this 'scaffold' from forming in mice and rejuvenated the immune system's capacity to eliminate secondary cancer cells, thereby thwarting metastasis. This groundbreaking work was carried out in the laboratories of Professor Jim Norman and Professor Karen Blyth at the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute and the University of Glasgow. This discovery paves the way for potentially potent new methods to combat cancer – identifying uracil in the bloodstream could signal early indications of cancer metastasis, while impeding UPP1 with medication could halt its progression before it even begins. The study's lead author, Dr Cassie Clarke, from the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute and University of Glasgow, said: "This study represents a major shift in how we think about preventing the spread of breast cancer. By targeting these metabolic changes as early as possible we could stop the cancer progressing and save lives." Published in Embo Reports, the research indicates that crucial metabolic alterations take place prior to the dissemination of cancer, presenting an essential opportunity for intervention. Identifying these alterations at an early stage could enable treatments to prevent cancer cells from migrating throughout the body and establishing tumours in different locations. Dr Catherine Elliott, Cancer Research UK's director of research, explained: "Discoveries in cancer research have made huge strides in making breast cancer a far more treatable disease than ever before. However, metastasis - when cancer spreads - is a major factor in breast cancer becoming harder to treat especially if the cancer returns months or even many years later. "This discovery gives us new hope for detecting and stopping metastasis early and ensuring people have many more years with their families and loved ones." With approximately 56,800 people receiving a breast cancer diagnosis in the United Kingdom annually and roughly 11,300 people dying from it each year, discovering innovative approaches to combat it remains crucial. Due to research breakthroughs, breast cancer has evolved into a significantly more manageable illness, yet when it metastasises to different parts of the body, effective control becomes increasingly challenging. Comprehending the mechanisms behind breast cancer's spread is essential to preventing the disease from becoming uncontrollable with existing treatments. The research team is now delving deeper into precisely how UPP1 alters immune cell behaviour, examining the function of immune cell metabolism in early breast cancer development, and evaluating the potential of medications that inhibit immune cell metabolism to prevent cancer onset. Simon Vincent, the chief scientific officer at Breast Cancer Now, said: "This is an exciting piece of joint research that expands our understanding of how secondary breast cancer develops. "The researchers discovered that high levels of a protein called UPP1 may make some cancers, including breast cancer, more likely to spread to other parts of the body, where the disease becomes incurable. "In mice, targeting the UPP1 protein before secondary breast cancer developed led to fewer secondary breast tumours and a boosted immune response in the lungs. "Now we need more research to see if this new insight can be turned into new drugs that stop secondary breast cancer, and potentially other secondary cancers, in their tracks. With around 61,000 people living with secondary breast cancer in the UK, research like this is vital."
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
Scots scientists make breast cancer discovery that could stop disease spreading
The discovery could offer patients a vital new window for cancer intervention. A team of Scots scientists have made a groundbreaking new discovery which could help stop the spread of breast cancer - one of the leading causes of death from the disease. Under the research, conducted by experts at the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute and the University of Glasgow, patients could be offered a vital new window for intervention. The study focused on how breast cancer changes the immune system so it can't tackle cancer cells as they begin to spread. The researchers found that cancer changes the metabolism (the way cells make and use energy) of specific immune cells resulting in them releasing a prominent metabolite called uracil. Uracil is a molecule key to essential processes in the body which was found to help distant organs build a 'scaffold' to grow secondary tumours elsewhere in the body. By blocking an enzyme called uridine phosphorylase-1 (UPP1), which produces uracil, the scientists were able to stop this scaffold forming in mice and restore the ability of the immune system to kill secondary cancer cells to prevent metastasis. It opens the door to new potentially powerful new tools to tackle cancer - detecting uracil in the blood could help spot early signs of cancer spread then blocking UPP1 with drugs could stop the spread before it starts. The study was conducted in the labs of Professor Jim Norman and Professor Karen Blyth at the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute and the University of Glasgow. Study lead Dr Cassie Clarke, of the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute and University of Glasgow, said: "This study represents a major shift in how we think about preventing the spread of breast cancer. By targeting these metabolic changes as early as possible we could stop the cancer progressing and save lives.' Every year, around 56,800 people are diagnosed with breast cancer in United Kingdom. Around 11,300 people sadly lose their lives to the disease. Thanks to research, breast cancer has become a far more treatable disease, but once it spreads to other areas within the body it becomes harder to control effectively. Understanding how and why breast cancer spreads is key to preventing the disease becoming unmanageable with current therapies. Cancer Research UK's Director of Research, Dr Catherine Elliott, said: ' Discoveries in cancer research have made huge strides in making breast cancer a far more treatable disease than ever before. 'However, metastasis - when cancer spreads - is a major factor in breast cancer becoming harder to treat especially if the cancer returns months or even many years later. 'This discovery gives us new hope for detecting and stopping metastasis early and ensuring people have many more years with their families and loved ones.' Simon Vincent, chief scientific officer at Breast Cancer Now, said: 'This is an exciting piece of joint research that expands our understanding of how secondary breast cancer develops. 'The researchers discovered that high levels of a protein called UPP1 may make some cancers, including breast cancer, more likely to spread to other parts of the body, where the disease becomes incurable. 'In mice, targeting the UPP1 protein before secondary breast cancer developed led to fewer secondary breast tumours and a boosted immune response in the lungs. 'Now we need more research to see if this new insight can be turned into new drugs that stop secondary breast cancer, and potentially other secondary cancers, in their tracks. With around 61,000 people living with secondary breast cancer in the UK, research like this is vital."
