Elderly with arthritis to be hardest hit by Labour benefits cuts
Elderly people with arthritis and back pain stand to lose the most from Liz Kendall's benefit cuts.
The Work and Pensions Secretary's controversial benefit reforms, which have fuelled outrage among Labour's backbench MPs, will hit older people with physical ailments the hardest, analysis shows.
They stand stand to lose £4,500 on average per year if their cases are reassessed, while young people with mental health problems are more likely to be spared.
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer and Ms Kendall face a growing rebellion over welfare changes announced in March.
According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), which analysed data from Department for Work and Pensions, people suffering from conditions such as anxiety and depression are also less likely to be affected.
The finding is likely to prove controversial, as Government ministers have repeatedly warned that some young working lives are destined for the 'scrapheap' amid a surge in sickness and disability benefit claims related to mental health.
Ms Kendall meanwhile vowed to protect those who 'cannot work' because of ill health while creating a more 'pro-work system'.
However, the analysis suggests that those bearing the brunt of tightening criteria to disability benefits – known as personal independence payments (PIP) – will be those struggling with physical pain.
People dealing with back pain, arthritis and other regional musculoskeletal diseases will be among the biggest losers from the changes.
Similarly, those struggling with chronic pain syndromes, heart conditions and respiratory diseases will lose out most if reassessed.
People with ADHD and autism are meanwhile less likely to experience benefit cuts than cancer patients and people suffering from multiple sclerosis.
The IFS also found that older disability benefit claimants face a greater risk of having their benefits cut if their case is reviewed compared to young people.
More than half of people aged 40 and over on disability benefits are at risk of losing out because of announcements at the Spring Statement.
In contrast, this applies to fewer than one in 10 people aged 16 to 19 and a quarter of 20 to 29-year-olds.
The analysis raises serious questions about how successful the Government's welfare reforms will be in boosting employment rates.
It comes as the number of young people not in work, education or training approaches 1m, sparking alarm from officials.
Research by the Resolution Foundation last year found people in their 20s were more likely to claim they were too sick to work than those in their 30s and 40s.
Separate research has also found 1m more people aged 16 to 34 have a work-limiting health condition compared to a decade ago, driven by ill mental health and conditions like autism and ADHD.
Britain's sickness and disability benefit bill had been on course to hit £100bn a year by the end of the decade before the changes announced in March. It will now instead rise to £97.7bn from £81.2bn currently.
Some 800,000 people stand to lose out on PIPs worth on average £4,500 a year from the welfare changes.
This includes 370,000 people who currently claim PIP and a further 430,000 who would have been entitled to it.
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BBC News
43 minutes ago
- BBC News
Sizewell C nuclear plant gets go-ahead with £14.2bn of government funding
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Content: Miliband continues, saying some people may be wondering why the government doesn't just invest in renewables. We do want renewables, he says, "but we also need nuclear". Electricity demand will double by 2050 as we move away from fossil fuels, he adds, and "most of our nuclear fleet is retiring". "This is absolutely the right thing to do" in terms of value for money and for the taxpayer, he says. Update: Date: 08:23 BST Title: Sizewell is already approved - so what's different this time? Content: After again being pressed on the government's U-turn on winter fuel payments, Miliband is asked by Justin Webb on the Today programme what is different from previous announcements on Sizewell C. (As a reminder, regulators approved Sizewell C during the previous government.) Miliband says the difference is "that we're funding it - we're putting forward the money to make it happen". He says this is the biggest investment in nuclear in half a century. "We are doing this because we want long-term energy security," he adds. Update: Date: 08:12 BST Title: Ed Miliband speaking to Today - watch live Content: The energy secretary is now speaking to our colleagues on BBC Radio 4's Today programme - you can watch live at the top of the page. We'll have all the key lines here. BBC Radio Suffolk's breakfast show with Wayne Bavin is live from the neighbouring Suffolk town of Leiston this morning. Update: Date: 08:09 BST Title: This is state-sponsored ecocide, claims campaign group Content: Alice CunninghamBBC News, Suffolk Campaign group, Together Against Sizewell C, says it is "outraged" by the funding announcement. Chris Wilson from the group says initial works on the power plant have already harmed the local environment. 'Sizewell C's preparatory works have caused the loss of thousands of trees and miles of hedging as well as covering hundreds of acres with concrete and tarmac, much in the Suffolk Coast and Heaths National Landscape," he says. "Together with the hundreds of millions of fish that will be killed annually in its cooling water system during its 60 years of operation, in our eyes, the Sizewell C project is state-sponsored ecocide." Update: Date: 08:02 BST Title: New investment but work has already begun Content: Ben ParkerBBC News, Suffolk Thousands of tonnes of soil are being moved ahead of construction of the power station Despite today's announcement of fresh government investment, work on Sizewell C started some time ago, which includes: Update: Date: 07:57 BST Title: Government determined to 'go big' on nuclear Content: Henry ZeffmanChief political correspondent Sizewell was first formally identified, external as a potential site for a new nuclear power plant in 2009 by the then Labour government and its energy secretary - Ed Miliband. Sixteen years, seven prime ministers, and 10 energy secretaries later, the new energy secretary - Ed Miliband - believes the £14bn extra investment in Sizewell C will end the "years of delay" over the project. Government sources say they are determined to "go big" on nuclear power. While Miliband himself has long believed nuclear power is a key way to combat climate change, the government also views it as a reliable power source in a new age of energy insecurity. Yet even if the government's new commitment is the crucial final piece of the puzzle, it's important to stress that Sizewell C is still likely to take at least a decade to complete. Update: Date: 07:55 BST Title: A huge task that will take at least a decade to complete Content: Simon JackBusiness editor Building a nuclear power station is a colossal engineering and financial undertaking. The government has committed to spending £14bn of public money over the next four years on a project it insists will: But it will take at least a decade to complete and the plant of which it is a copy, Hinkley Point C in Somerset, will switch on in the early 2030s - over a decade late and costing billions more than originally planned. The project has faced opposition at local and national level from those who believe Sizewell C will prove to be a costly mistake. But the government insists that nuclear provides enormous amounts of low carbon, non-intermittent energy that will form a crucial part of the UK's energy future. There is also funding to develop smaller reactors and money for research into fusion. This is not the first government to enthusiastically usher in a new nuclear age and realising it will take ages yet. Update: Date: 07:52 BST Title: The history of Sizewell Content: Nuclear power has been produced from Sizewell since the 1960s Sizewell is no stranger to nuclear energy. In 1955, Sizewell A was first proposed as part of the government's post-war White Paper titled A Programme of Nuclear Power. It wanted to build a number of nuclear power plants across the country and Sizewell A, a Magnox plant, was fully operational by 1966. 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Update: Date: 07:46 BST Title: Is this the final go-ahead? Content: Vikki IrwinBBC Suffolk political reporter I do not think you can say definitely just yet, but I think this is a major step forward in terms of getting the money and attracting investors to this project. The final investment decision will be in July and obviously it is a lot of money. That is what some of the detractors say about this project say - that it is way too expensive. Update: Date: 07:45 BST Title: When will the plant actually deliver electricity? Content: The energy secretary is now asked when the plant will actually begin providing energy. As a reminder, the plant is expected to take at least a decade to build. Miliband declines to give a precise timetable, but says the government is making "long-term decisions for the future of the country" - adding that's what they were elected to do "and that's what Sizewell C is about". 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He also says Sizewell C will provide "thousands of good, skilled, unionised jobs" - a sentiment echoed by Mike Clancy, general secretary of the Prospect union. "New nuclear is essential to achieving net zero, providing a baseload of clean and secure energy, as well as supporting good, unionised jobs," he says. The plant's construction is expected to create 10,000 jobs, according to the Treasury. Thousands more are expected to be created in firms supplying the plant. Once operational, Sizewell C is expected to employ 900 people. Update: Date: 07:19 BST Title: Come clean on the total cost, says pressure group Content: As we reported earlier, the cost of building Sizewell C has been estimated at £20bn - and builders EDF have rejected claims that the true cost could double to £40bn. Alison Downes, of the Stop Sizewell C pressure group, said ministers had not "come clean" about the full cost of the project. 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Sizewell A is the grey building on the far left of the picture, casting a shadow on to the beach French energy company EDF wants to build a new two-reactor nuclear power station that could generate 3.2 gigawatts of electricity. It is estimated it could power the equivalent of six million homes and operate for 60 years. It would sit immediately to the north of Sizewell B, which began generating electricity in 1995. Sizewell A opened in 1967 but it stopped generating power in December 2006 and the lengthy decommissioning process is ongoing. Update: Date: 07:10 BST Title: Investment will deliver 'golden age of clean energy' says Miliband Content: Energy Secretary Ed Miliband says the £14.2bn investment is necessary "to deliver a golden age of clean energy abundance". He says that the plant is "he only way to protect family finances, take back control of our energy, and tackle the climate crisis". In comments to the Guardian newspaper, Miliband adds that it will get the country "off the fossil fuel rollercoaster". As a reminder, Miliband will speak live to the BBC at 07:30 and 08:10 - you'll be able to watch live on this page. Update: Date: 07:07 BST Title: How much has already been invested? Content: Various different funding announcements have been made over the years by different governments. A spokesperson for the Department of Energy Security confirmed that with today's announcement, a total of £17.8bn of taxpayers' money had been put towards the project. This included some funding from a subsidy scheme called Devex. The project is still looking for private investors before building work can get under way. Visitors to the area, and to the RSPB's Minsmere nature reserve will have already seen that some preparatory work has taken place to the north of the existing Sizewell site.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Reeves says nuclear investment shows UK ‘back where it belongs'
Rachel Reeves has committed £16.7 billion to nuclear power projects as the country shifts away from fossil fuels. The Chancellor has signed off on £14.2 billion of investment to build the new Sizewell C nuclear plant in Suffolk, while Rolls-Royce has been named as the preferred bidder to build small modular reactors (SMRs) in a programme backed by £2.5 billion of taxpayers' cash. Ms Reeves will use Wednesday's spending review to allocate tens of billions of funding for major infrastructure projects over the rest of the decade. Officials hope SMRs will be cheaper and quicker to build than traditional power plants, and projects could be connected to the grid by the mid-2030s. Ms Reeves said: 'The UK is back where it belongs, taking the lead in the technologies of tomorrow with Rolls-Royce SMR as the preferred partner for this journey.' The SMR project could support up to 3,000 new skilled jobs and power the equivalent of around three million homes, with a first site expected to be allocated later this year by state-owned Great British Energy – Nuclear. Tuesday's announcement of Rolls-Royce as the preferred bidder came after the Government confirmed financial support for Sizewell C. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said new nuclear power capacity was needed to deliver a 'golden age of clean energy abundance'. Trade unions welcomed the Sizewell move, which the Treasury said would go towards creating 10,000 jobs, including 1,500 apprenticeships. But the head of a campaign group opposing the plant criticised the decision to commit the funding, saying it is still not clear what the total cost will be. Nuclear plants are seen as increasingly important electricity sources as the Government tries to decarbonise Britain's grid by 2030, replacing fossil fuels with green power. The last time Britain completed one was in 1987, which was the Sizewell B plant. Hinkley Point C, in Somerset, is under construction and is expected to produce enough power for about six million homes when it opens, but that may not be until 2031. The Energy Secretary said: 'We need new nuclear to deliver a golden age of clean energy abundance, because that is the only way to protect family finances, take back control of our energy, and tackle the climate crisis. 'This is the Government's clean energy mission in action – investing in lower bills and good jobs for energy security.' It will get the UK off the 'fossil fuel rollercoaster', he separately told The Guardian. 'We know that we're going to have to see electricity demand at least double by 2050. All the expert advice says nuclear has a really important role to play in the energy system. 'In any sensible reckoning, this is essential to get to our clean power and net zero ambitions.' The joint managing directors of Sizewell C, Julia Pyke and Nigel Cann, said: 'Today marks the start of an exciting new chapter for Sizewell C, the UK's first British-owned nuclear power plant in over 30 years.' At the peak of construction, Sizewell C is expected to provide 10,000 jobs and the company behind the project has already signed £330 million worth of contracts with local businesses. The plant, which will power the equivalent of six million homes, is planned to be operational in the 2030s. The GMB union said giving Sizewell C the go-ahead was 'momentous'. Regional Secretary Warren Kenny said: 'Nuclear power is essential for clean, affordable, and reliable energy – without new nuclear, there can be no net zero. 'Sizewell C will provide thousands of good, skilled, unionised jobs and we look forward to working closely with the Government and Sizewell C to help secure a greener future for this country's energy sector.' Alison Downes, of Stop Sizewell C, said ministers had not 'come clean' about the full cost of the project, which the group have previously estimated could be some £40 billion. She said: 'Where is the benefit for voters in ploughing more money into Sizewell C that could be spent on other priorities, and when the project will add to consumer bills and is guaranteed to be late and overspent just like Hinkley C?' The Government has also promised £2.5 billion over five years for fusion energy research and £6 billion of investment for the industrial base supporting the Royal Navy's nuclear submarine fleet.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Jamie Oliver show a 'boost for dyslexia education'
Jamie Oliver's campaign to improve education for dyslexic children has already made a "massive difference", according to a Nottinghamshire Juliet Campbell, who represents Broxtowe, is a long-time campaigner and features prominently in the Channel 4 documentary, Jamie's Dyslexia MP has spent the past decade calling for better teacher training and since her election in 2024 has chaired the All Party Parliamentary Group on son was not diagnosed as dyslexic until he was 14. She described him as an "incredibly intelligent young man" but he "just did not enjoy school at all".She added: "I just couldn't understand why."I think if teachers were skilled in recognising dyslexia, or had more training in how to teach dyslexic children we would have probably got an earlier identification."In the documentary, Oliver asks AI software to find existing campaigners and Campbell's name came a video call with the TV chef, she said: "The research shows that if you teach the whole class in the way a dyslexic child learns, everybody benefits."She then arranged an event in the Houses of Parliament, where an emotional Oliver told a room of politicians how he felt "thick", "worthless" and "dumb" at school."Whether it's the mind or the tummy, let's feed our kids," he added. Research suggests 10 to 15% of children have dyslexia and campaigners argue it's essential the education system doesn't write them told the BBC that society was "already paying" for a lack of action, pointing to figures that suggest around half of the adult prison population is has urged the government to make two key changes - to improve training on dyslexia for new and existing teachers, and to screen all primary school children for the condition as early as said teachers are "begging" for more training."In a two or three year teacher training course, they are doing half a day's training," he said."Four hours is just not enough, it's not appropriate." 'Screening is everything' The documentary ends with Oliver meeting education secretary Bridget what commitments he'd secured, Oliver said Phillipson had agreed to "completely reimagine" teacher training for dyslexia and neurodiversity from September onwards."What she seems to be dragging her feet on is the screening, and for me the screening is everything," he at a preview screening of the documentary, Phillipson insisted she was "determined" to improve the added the government had commissioned research to ensure "the very best evidence" around screening is applied in all said she was confident the government was "listening".She added the involvement of Oliver had made a "massive difference" and given the issue a "real boost"."He's got a history also of making a difference," she said. "We saw what he did with school dinners. My hope is that we can move the dyslexia discussion on."
