Disability, Poverty & Labour Values

Although I have several co-morbid health conditions I don't think of myself as disabled. Currently I'm having an unusually long flare up which is painful & makes walking & doing normal things diffficult. But I'm not defined by my conditions - Just frustrated by inactivity & fatigued by pain. It know it will improve in time.

It does make me empathise with genuinely disabled people though. Although I am too old to do paid work, I know that I would struggle, even with my level of incapacity. So I am at a complete loss to understand why the Labour government has been targeting the much less fortunate among the UK population to raise much needed money - The elderly, the disabled & children.

As a pensioner I do not need or want the winter fuel allowance. So I am delighted that it will be targeted at those who do. But Labour was forced to reconsider. Bridget Philipson has suggested cutting back universal free school meals for children. Maybe this should also be better targeted, I'm not sure. Disabled people need protection & essential support to live with dignity and independence.The Universal Credit & Personal Independence Bill was going to remove that from a substantial number of people & put thousands into poverty. Again the government has been forced to reconsider.

The high success rate at tribunals indicates a significant number of initial PIP decisions are already incorrect or not fully supported by the available evidence. Approximately 7 in 10 PIP appeals are successful at tribunal hearings, meaning the original decision to deny or reduce PIP is overturned in favor of the claimant. This translates to around 70% of appeals being won by claimants. Many disabled individuals don't appeal due to stress, ill health, or lack of faith in the process. This cohort are least able to be able to go through the process.  

My questions are why has the government made such difficult to justify choices, which were bound to be controversial at the very least? Was it hubris to think that with a big majority they could railroad anything through? Who on earth is advising them? 

There are always choices, but these choices targeted the wrong strata of society.

Taxation as a percentage of GDP was 33.5% in the UK in 2021. The Nordics are well known for high income taxes, with the highest rate of tax topping 50% in Denmark. In 2023, taxes in Sweden amounted to 40.7 per cent of GDP. 

See the 2025 chart - https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/eu/top-personal-income-tax-rates-europe/

The only reason I can see for not increasing income tax on everyone, simply & fairly distributed, is that politicians are afraid of losing their jobs. The decision is not about getting us out of the black, ever increasing, borrowing hole we are in. It is not about funding health, education & all the other necessary state run departments properly & efficiently. 

It's purely about political expediency. So the government, of whatever hue, always go for the low growing fruit. In this case it's the poor & disabled instead of the well off & wealthy.