Carri Swann
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carriswann.bsky.social
Carri Swann
@carriswann.bsky.social
2.1K followers 1.1K following 220 posts
Welfare rights/social security at @cpaguk.bsky.social. Posting in a personal capacity. Repost ≠ endorsement
📍Nottingham
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carriswann.bsky.social
Carri Swann @carriswann.bsky.social · Nov 14
Try feeds if you want to broaden your horizons.

This one’s far from perfect but if you’re interested in UK benefits/welfare rights/social security, give it a try.

If you want your post to appear on the feed, using #welfarerights will always work.
Reposted by Carri Swann
samfr.bsky.social
That's not to say there's nothing the government could do to improve the welfare system. But the idea that costs are "out of control" compared to the past is wrong and leads to misdiagnosis.
September 30, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Reposted by Carri Swann
tomroyston.bsky.social
Really important High Court decision today, quashing a local authority’s council tax reduction scheme. The judgment contains many lessons about these schemes. Trafford's scheme was ultra vires, irrational, and unlawfully discriminatory, and breached the PSED @rightsnet.org.uk @nawra.bsky.social
Judgment header of R (LL and AU) v Trafford Council [2025] EWHC 2380 (Admin) (19 September 2025)
September 19, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Reposted by Carri Swann
benbgeiger.bsky.social
Are out-of-work benefit claims at a record high? My new post open.substack.com/pub/inequali... , and also my take on More or Less this morning at www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Are out-of-work benefit claims at a record high?
The official statistics are wildly misleading - I've now made some new estimates that show just how wrong they are
open.substack.com
September 17, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Reposted by Carri Swann
cpaguk.bsky.social
Our Welfare Rights Conference is almost here!

📍 Manchester – 8th October
📍 London – 23rd October

Spaces are limited, book now to secure your spot:
bit.ly/4dH9gU8
Conferences and seminars
Our conferences and seminars give a unique opportunity to learn all about the latest developments in social security, giving you the tools to maximise the incomes of the people you work with.
bit.ly
September 11, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Reposted by Carri Swann
rightsnet.org.uk
Law Commission’s latest law reform programme will include project to outline legal framework for public sector automated-decision making:

www.rightsnet.org.uk/now/post/68085
Now: Law Commission’s latest law reform programme will include project to outline legal framework for public sector automated-decision making - Rightsnet
www.rightsnet.org.uk
September 5, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Reposted by Carri Swann
theguardian.com
Cross-party commission urges UK government to scrap two-child benefit limit
Cross-party commission urges UK government to scrap two-child benefit limit
Exclusive: Poverty Strategy Commission says abolishing cap will tackle hardship and lift families out of ‘deep poverty’ A cross-party commission including former welfare ministers is urging the government to scrap the two-child benefit limit as part of an ambitious “once in a generation” plan to lift millions of people out of poverty. The Poverty Strategy Commission said billions of pounds of investment – including a boost to the rate of universal credit – was needed to reverse record levels of poverty in the UK, and tackle longstanding failures over rising hardship and destitution. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
September 4, 2025 at 5:17 AM
Reposted by Carri Swann
eicathomefinn.bsky.social
'Artificial intelligence tools used by more than half of England’s councils are downplaying women’s physical and mental health issues and risk creating gender bias in care decisions, research [led by Sam Rickman, LSE] has found.' 1/2
AI tools used by English councils downplay women’s health issues, study finds
Exclusive: LSE research finds risk of gender bias in care decisions made based on AI summaries of case notes
www.theguardian.com
August 11, 2025 at 6:10 AM
Reposted by Carri Swann
pollardtom.bsky.social
New government data on the impact of the two child limit: 469,780 households now affected, with 1,665,540 children in those households

Almost 40,000 more children affected since last year

It's a child poverty machine & it will cost us all more in the long term - get rid of it
July 10, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Reposted by Carri Swann
gmcdp.bsky.social
🚨🚨🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨🚨🚨

The United Nations is calling for the UK Government to stop the Universal Credit (PIP) Bill because it will 'deepen the signs of regression' in disabled people's human rights.

tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/...
tbinternet.ohchr.org
July 8, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Reposted by Carri Swann
econ-observatory.bsky.social
Updated #ChartOfTheDay: the UK sits just below the middle of the pack on social spending.
 
The UK spends ~23% of GDP on social protection according to the OECD. The DWP's lower figure of 10.8% only covers DWP benefits - not the NHS. Today’s chart uses the broader, more comparable OECD measure.
July 8, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Reposted by Carri Swann
commonslibrary.bsky.social
Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill 2024-25 - Progress of the bill https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10302/
July 8, 2025 at 12:30 PM
carriswann.bsky.social
Section 2 of the Bill still halves the LCWRA (‘health’) element of universal credit
July 1, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Reposted by Carri Swann
nadiawhittomemp.bsky.social
I’m voting against disability benefit cuts because I oppose them, but the process by which this Bill is being rushed through without necessary information or adequate scrutiny, is reason enough for MPs to vote against it on Tuesday.

This is not how we should make laws.
June 28, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Reposted by Carri Swann
iainkporter.bsky.social
Today Govt confirmed changes it will make to planned cuts to disability benefits. But Govt will still ask MPs to vote for large, arbitrary cuts to disabled people’s incomes that will increase poverty. The Bill should be opposed. Here’s why. 1/7
June 30, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Reposted by Carri Swann
rightsnet.org.uk
More than 100 MPs sign Reasoned Amendment* declining to give a Second Reading to the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill

www.rightsnet.org.uk/now/post/63537

* sponsored by the chairs of the Treasury, Work and Pensions, Education, Women and Equalities, and Housing Committees
June 24, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Reposted by Carri Swann
vickyfoxcroftmp.bsky.social
(1/2) With a heavy heart, I have written to the Prime Minister to tender my resignation as a whip.

Whilst I will continue to support the government in delivering the change the country so desperately needs, I cannot vote in favour of the proposed reforms to disability benefits.
Screenshot of Vicky's letter to the Prime Minister (page 1) Screenshot of Vicky's letter to the Prime Minister (page 2)
June 19, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Reposted by Carri Swann
nadiawhittomemp.bsky.social
It was sobering to catch up with Debbie from St Ann's Advice Centre last week.

We discussed the devasting impact that disability benefit cuts would have on our community.

Hearing the harrowing stories of disabled service users underlined why these cuts must be opposed.
June 2, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Reposted by Carri Swann
lucybannister.bsky.social
How we talk about our social security system matters. Words shape attitudes and attitudes shape policy. We can too easily inadvertently fuel misconceptions and shame.

We're asking all MPs and journos to use @turn2us.org.uk's new 'talking about social security' guides, for a better conversation.
Supporting better conversations about social security
Turn2us has published two new guides to encourage more positive and respectful conversations about social security.
www.turn2us.org.uk
May 28, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Reposted by Carri Swann
maddyirose.bsky.social
The Pathways to Work Green Paper sets out plans to cut billions from health and disability benefits.

Instead of getting people into work, these cuts will push hundreds of thousands into poverty.

Our new report looks at the impact of cuts to PIP, UC health & scrapping the WCA (🧵)
Pathways to Poverty: How planned cuts to disability benefits will impact the people we support
Pathways to Poverty: How planned cuts to disability benefits will impact the people we support
www.citizensadvice.org.uk
May 28, 2025 at 8:50 AM
carriswann.bsky.social
“The illusion… - that there is no money, that inequality is inevitable, that even the worst suffering cannot be eased - disappeared in a puff of smoke.”
francesryan.bsky.social Frances Ryan @francesryan.bsky.social · May 27
“If there is cash to keep pensioners warm in winter, why aren’t there ways to raise funds to do the same for children?”

In today’s @theguardian.com, my col. on the two child limit and the big truth the winter fuel u-turn shows: poverty is a political choice. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
A photo of today’s paper: the front page of the journal section. The text is not visible expect the opening paragraph which is in large text.
May 27, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Reposted by Carri Swann
debbieabrahamsmp.bsky.social
The Work and Pensions Committee has written to the Work and Pensions Secretary urging a pause to the proposed restrictions to PIP & UC health eligibility to allow independent assessments to be conducted on their impacts.
Dear Liz Pathways to Work Green Paper As you might be aware, my Committee is conducting an inquiry into the Pathways to Work Green Paper, for which it has taken oral evidence from a range of stakeholders, including disabled people’s organisations, disability charities and academics, and received written evidence from other organisations. We plan to publish our report in due course, but since two of the most significant reforms (the change to eligibility for the daily living component of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and the rebalancing of Universal Credit (UC) rates) are to be legislated for very soon, as agreed when we designed the inquiry, we are writing now to set out some key findings and recommendations in respect of these measures, in advance of this. In summary, we strongly support the Government’s ambition to reform the social security system, including incapacity and disability benefits. We also recognise the financial challenges the Government faces, and in this context the desire to reduce spending on health-related benefits, particularly by supporting more disabled people into work. But we also have some concerns about the potential unintended consequences of the legislative changes, as well as the sequencing of reforms and the lack of a full impact assessment. In the light of these concerns, we ask the Government to delay any changes to PIP eligibility until it has completed its review of the PIP assessment. We also ask the Government to delay its changes to UC rates, as the evidence indicates it might not improve employment outcomes for most claimants, but instead push many into poverty and further away from the labour market. Changes to PIP eligibility and UC rates The Government will shortly be legislating to require a PIP claimant to score at least four points in at least one activity of the daily living component to qualify for that component, and to rebalance UC rates by freezing UC health for existing claimants and almost… guarantee of never being reassessed. It is not clear when it plans to legislate for the additional premium, however, and the Green Paper contains no information on how eligibility will be determined. The changes to PIP eligibility and UC rates are the first measures to be implemented from a package of proposals. The case for reform The Government has justified the change to PIP eligibility and UC rates on the grounds that spending on health-related benefits is financially unsustainable. As it says in the Green Paper, spending has increased by £20 billion since the pandemic and before the reforms were announced, it was forecast to rise by a further £18 billion by the end of the Parliament.1 It also notes that the number of people receiving working-age health-related benefits has increased by twice as much as the rate of disability prevalence.2 The Government is right to be concerned about the dramatic increases in the numbers of people claiming incapacity and disability benefits. We received evidence, however, that the best way to view the cost of working-age welfare is as a whole (both health and non-health related) and as a proportion of GDP, and that, measured in this way, the level of spending is roughly the same as it was in 2007.3 Whilst spending on working-age health-related benefits as a proportion of GDP has increased by 0.9 percentage points since 2007-08, the proportion devoted to non-disability and incapacity-related and non-housing support for children and working-age adults has fallen by 0.8 percentage points.4 The Government acknowledges this broad point in the Green Paper.5 We also heard that the increase in working-age health-related welfare spending had been offset, and could partly be explained by, reductions elsewhere, such as those resulting from the post-2015 benefits freeze, the benefit cap and the two-child limit, the last of which captures more and more people every year.6 This point needs to be borne in mind when considerin… system that the Government says have incentivised people to claim, including, in particular, the real-terms reduction in the value of the UC standard allowance since 2015 and the removal in 2017 of the additional payment for those found to have limited capability for work (LCW). As a result of these two changes, if a claimant is found to have limited capability for work and workrelated activity (LCWRA), the value of their benefit entitlement increases significantly. The claim that this has incentivised people to be found to have LCWRA has been made by others, including the OBR itself and the Lords Economic Affairs Committee.8 At this stage, we are inclined to agree with the Government and others: the design of incapacity benefits, particularly the disparity between the standard allowance and UC health, has probably incentivised some people to claim the higher rate. We were told, however, that other factors might also be driving people to claim both incapacity and disability benefits, including, in particular: rising ill-health, including mental ill-health; rising financial insecurity, particularly among disabled people; and the exclusion of disabled people from the workplace, exacerbated by the rise in the state pension age. It seems very possible that these other factors, which we will address in our final report, have indeed contributed to rising caseloads. If this is the case, the legislative changes might not incentivise work, as the Government hopes, but rather push people deeper into poverty, worsen health, especially in more deprived areas, and move people further from the labour market, as evidence suggests has happened in the past with similar reforms. Timing of the changes We believe the Government understands the complex relationship between work and health and the underlying causes of rising health-related welfare spending. This is evident from its Get Britain Working White Paper and much of the Green Paper, about which we will have m… We ask the Government to delay any changes to PIP eligibility or UC rates, extend and expand the current consultation, and work to co-produce measures with disabled people and their organisations, reflecting the Government’s commitment on ‘nothing about me, without me’. We strongly recommend that the Government take a ‘precautionary principle’ approach and immediately undertake an independent, comprehensive analysis of the impact of the proposed cuts in UC health support on employment, poverty and health outcomes. We also urge the Government to delay its plans to amend the eligibility criteria for the daily living component of PIP and engage disabled people and their organisations in order to coproduce proposals for a new PIP, as part of the PIP review. Most importantly, we need to guarantee that those who need PIP will not lose out. At that point, it should publish and properly consult on its proposals more widely. I would be grateful for your response to these conclusions and recommendations by Monday 2 June 2025. As is usual practice with the Committee’s correspondence, I will be publishing this letter and your response on the Committee’s website. Yours sincerely, Debbie Abrahams MP Chair, Work and Pensions Committee
May 22, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Reposted by Carri Swann
luketryl.bsky.social
Third area is maintaining two child benefits cap. We know that overall voters are oppose removing the cap 36-49, but work we have done with @jrf-uk.bsky.social shows that voters views on the two child cap are not immutable - message testing shows attitudes can shift depending on case made.
May 16, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Reposted by Carri Swann
commonslibrary.bsky.social
Personal Independence Payment and disabled people https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2025-0091/
May 6, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Reposted by Carri Swann
resolutionfoundation.org
The announced changes to disability benefits will lead to very substantial falls in income for some families.

While some families will gain a small amount from the changes, others will lose thousands of pounds a year.
Chart showing Annual impact of changes to PIP and Universal Credit, by family characteristics: UK, 2029-30 Losses will fall on those who no longer qualify for PIP daily living, who will be £3,700 worse off in 2029-30 (in 2024-25 prices) if they are receiving the standard rate or £5,700 worse off if they receive the enhanced rate; those who lose Carer’s Allowance because someone they care for no longer qualifies for PIP, who will be £4,300 worse off; and those who claim UC after April 2026 and receive the new lower UC-H rate, who will lose £2,400. Current recipients of UC-H will have that element frozen from 2026, meaning they will lose £210 by 2029-30. The biggest losses could hit couples with a disabled member and somebody who cares for them full-time.
May 6, 2025 at 2:05 PM