Huge number of children would fall into poverty under Reform’s benefits plans, say campaigners

Campaigners have issued stark warnings that Reform UK's proposed benefit reforms could plunge hundreds of thousands of children into poverty and destitution. The plans, aimed at slashing £50 billion annually from the UK's benefits bill, include drastic cuts to disability payments, a ban on non-UK citizens claiming benefits, and mandatory unpaid workfare for the long-term unemployed.

Further details from the proposals reveal an overhaul of the sick pay system, requiring employers to cover benefit payments for the first two years of an employee's illness. The two-child benefit limit, previously scrapped by Labour, would also be reinstated. A leaked government analysis obtained by The Guardian indicates that cuts to disability benefits would be so severe that individuals with terminal illnesses, blindness, or profound learning disabilities could face annual losses of up to £10,000.

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This will cause horrific levels of destitution and hardship.

Poverty charities have described the proposals as "cruel and dangerous," predicting "horrific levels of destitution and hardship." Past attempts to reform the benefits system have proven politically contentious. Last year, Keir Starmer's government abandoned plans to cut £5 billion from disability benefits after facing a backbench rebellion and opposition to maintaining the two-child limit.

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A system intended as a safety net has become a way of life, including for foreigners who haven’t paid a penny.

The potential real-world consequences of Reform's welfare plans are significant, even in areas considered Reform's electoral heartlands. Official figures show that in Reform leader Nigel Farage's constituency of Clacton, 15.3% of working-age adults claim personal independence payment (Pip), nearly double the average across England and Wales. Farage and Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick described the plans as based on "commonsense principles," arguing that the welfare system has become "a way of life, including for foreigners who haven’t paid a penny."

Among the proposed changes is the replacement of Pip and parts of universal credit with a single, flat-rate "health security allowance" of £429.80 per month. Internal government analysis suggests this would amount to at least £10,000 less per year for those with severe needs compared to their current payments. While Jenrick stated that the most vulnerable would be protected and disabled people could claim for genuine extra costs, he could not specify the amount or assessment process for these payments. A Labour source criticized the proposals, stating they would "destroy the safety net that millions of British people rely on."

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This analysis exposes the true impact of Reform’s welfare proposals. Far from securing the welfare system for the future, Reform would destroy the safety net that millions of British people rely on.