Universal Credit campaign

100,000 families with disabled children will be worse off by more than £2,290 per year as a result of the 50% cut to the lower child disability addition under Universal Credit. That’s £229 million less going towards helping disabled children with their extra care costs. 

Why we’re campaigning

Universal Credit is a benefit the government is rolling out to replace a number of existing means-tested “legacy benefits”. But there are features of Universal Credit that will have a negative impact on families with disabled children.

Among these is a “lower child disability addition”, for families with a disabled child on a qualifying benefit, that’s 50% less than it was under legacy benefits. This cut will mean 100,000 families with disabled children will be worse off by more than £2,290 a year. These families are already struggling to afford basics like food and heating. This cut will increase debt, stress and ill health.

There are other features of Universal Credit having similar harmful results, such as the difficulties for disabled young people in education. 

What we want

Our Universal Credit campaign is calling on the government to:

• Stop the £229 million cut to the lower disabled child addition under Universal Credit. This would benefit more than 100,000 disabled children and their families. 
• Stop the Universal Credit takeaway for children in hospital and looked-after children in residential care.
• Change the rules that restrict many disabled young people who are “receiving education” from being able to claim Universal Credit. This would benefit around 1,500-2,000 disabled children and their families. 
• Increase access to specialist telephone advice, like our helpline, so families don’t miss out on Universal Credit when the Department for Work and Pensions asks them to claim it.

What we are doing

• In 2018, families handed our petition about cuts to child disability payments to the Prime Minister at Downing Street in June.
• An Early Day Motion (EDM) was tabled by Caroline Lucas MP for Brighton, supported by more than 90 MPs (one of the top-supported EDM that year).
• More than 1,000 of our supporters have written to their MPs about cuts to child disability payments under Universal Credit. As a result, 35 MPs wrote to the DWP about cuts to child disability payments under Universal Credit.
• Following a legal challenge, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions announced disabled adults facing cuts in payments when moving onto Universal Credit will be protected. We are disappointed that disabled children are not protected in the same way and are supporting a judicial review to challenge this

What you can do

• Tell your local candidates if elected they must fix Universal credit for disabled children
• If you have experience of claiming Universal Credit and would like to help our campaign, please get in touch with [email protected]  

Need help understanding Universal Credit?

Many parents are astounded at the complexities surrounding claiming universal credit. Our research shows seven in 10 families are worried about the introduction of Universal Credit.  

Parents tell us that it is very difficult to source specialist advice locally.

‘I may have given up on the claim had it not been for your advice and continued support.  My local advice organisation told me that my son would not qualify and the Jobcentre gave the same incorrect advice.’  

Check how your family might be affected by Universal Credit by reading our Universal Credit page or contacting our free helpline