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Government accepts SIA led amendments to universal credit and PIP bill
Major victory for disabled people as Government accepts key SIA led amendments to Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments Bill
Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) welcomes today’s announcement from the dispatch box that the Government has accepted every element of our proposed amendment to strengthen the Timms Review within the Universal Credit and PIP Bill, a resounding victory for our community and for disabled people across the UK.
This follows last week’s confirmation that Clause 5, which would have paved the way for major changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) without full scrutiny, has been formally removed from the Bill. Together, these changes represent a major shift and a direct response to the united voice of disabled people, organisations, and allies.
Our amendment co-led with Disability Rights UK and other sector partners, called for four key safeguards to be placed on the Timms Review:
- That any review of PIP be co-produced with disabled people and their representative organisations;
- That implementation of any recommendations must be subject to primary legislation and cannot be enacted through secondary powers;
- That Parliament must have full oversight, with scrutiny from both Houses;
- That the Review must uphold the rights and protections enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People, to which the UK is a signatory.
We are especially grateful to Dr Marie Tidball MP for championing this amendment with such clarity, determination and tenacity, a true advocate for disabled people’s rights in Parliament.
We are delighted that all four points have been accepted in full.
We also thank the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for responding to the evidence and testimony submitted by SIA and others. Their letter to the UK Government brought vital scrutiny to these reforms and reinforced the urgency of our case.
To top it off, Spinal Injuries Association was named in the House of Commons today as one of the key organisations leading the amendment process, a powerful recognition of our role in standing up for the rights of people with spinal cord injury and disabled people more broadly.
This is what change looks like: rights protected, voices heard, and policy shaped by those with lived experience. We thank everyone who has supported us, and we’re not done yet.
Nik Hartley OBE, Spinal Injuries Association Chief Executive said:
“We’re delighted the Government has listened to disabled people and responded to the strong case we made, not only by removing Clause 5 from the Bill, but also by agreeing to our key asks on the Timms Review, including a commitment to co-production, proper scrutiny through Parliament, and ensuring no reforms are implemented without the backing of primary legislation.
We also thank the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for responding to the evidence we submitted. As a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People, the UK is rightly held to account and this intervention has helped ensure disabled voices could not be ignored.
This is meaningful progress, and we remain committed to working with Government to make sure the Timms Review and future reforms are shaped by compassion, fairness, lived experience and respect for rights.”
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