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Open letter on the Impact of the Pathways to Work green paper and welfare reforms on people with spinal cord injury
To: The Rt Hon Liz Kendall MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Department for Work and Pensions, Caxton House, Tothill Street, London SW1H 9NA
Cc: The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP, Prime Minister. The Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, Chair, Work and Pensions Select Committee
Open letter on the Impact of the Pathways to Work green paper and welfare reforms on people with spinal cord injury
Dear Secretary of State,
I am writing on behalf of Spinal Injuries Association regarding the government’s Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support green paper and the welfare reforms announced in March 2025. While we recognise the ambition to improve employment opportunities and streamline the welfare system, we are deeply concerned that these reforms, without urgent attention to the wider system failures will push people living with spinal cord injury (SCI) and paralysis, into even greater poverty and hardship.
The scale of the problem
Recent SIA research among our members shows the severe challenges already faced:
- 70% have experienced some or significant difficulty accessing benefits.
- 61% report serious challenges funding their care needs.
- 60% face difficulties accessing adequate social care.
These figures highlight what we hear every day from our community: that the current system is fragmented, slow, and often leaves people feeling abandoned.
Cuts to vital welfare support will not only reduce the financial independence of people with spinal cord injuries but will have serious and far-reaching consequences for their mental and physical health. Living with an SCI already places significant daily demands on individuals, from managing complex care needs and navigating inaccessible environments to coping with chronic pain, isolation, and psychological trauma. Reductions in support will increase stress, anxiety and depression, heighten the risk of secondary complications such as pressure ulcers and infections, and make it harder to afford essential care, equipment and accessible transport. These impacts are not just deeply personal; they will inevitably drive up avoidable admissions, delays in rehabilitation, and long-term reliance on already-stretched NHS services, with a substantial cost to the health and care system.
Moreover, the Department for Work and Pensions’ own forecasts indicate that the planned disability benefit cuts will adversely affect 3.2 million families across Great Britain by 2029/2030, including 700,000 families already in poverty. This widespread impact highlights the broader societal and economic consequences of the proposed reforms.
Critical systems already failing
- Access to Work: According to Disability Rights UK (March 2024), there are over 37,000 unresolved applications, with some disabled people waiting up to 254 working days for support.
- Social care: The Health and Social Care Committee (October 2023) reported a £7 billion annual funding gap, leaving around 3.5 million people with inadequate or no care.
- Continuing Healthcare (CHC): Age UK (2024) found 60% of families face delays or refusals, creating unacceptable regional inequalities.
- Wheelchair provision: An ITV News investigation (November 2024) reported waiting times of over two years for NHS-provided wheelchairs in some areas.
- Accessible transport: The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC, 2024) found that 41% of disabled passengers avoid public transport due to accessibility concerns.
We agree that the system is broken, but cuts are not the solution.
We do not dispute the government’s view that the benefits and support system needs reform. But cutting welfare support without first fixing the Access to Work programme, social care, continuing healthcare, wheelchair services, and transport access will leave disabled people even further from the workforce and deeper in poverty.
The current plans also run counter to the ambitions of the Disability Employment Charter, which calls for a coordinated, well-resourced employment support system, proper employer support, and strong accountability.
Our call to government
We urge the government to:
- Rethink the current welfare reform cuts, to avoid worsening hardship among disabled people, including those with SCI.
- Invest in and improve the essential systems that are currently failing, so that disabled people have the foundation they need to live independently and, where possible, enter or remain in work.
Our commitment
The Spinal Injuries Association’s vision has always been a fulfilled life for anyone affected by SCI. In that spirit, we are committed to working constructively with the government to help deliver meaningful change. We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you, alongside individuals with lived experience of SCI and healthcare professionals, to discuss practical solutions and ensure that future policy is fair, effective, and inclusive.
Copies of this letter are being sent to the Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP, Prime Minister, and the Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, Minister for Disability.
Yours sincerely,
Nik Hartley, Chief Executive Officer, Spinal Injuries Association