PIP Cuts Will Hurt Disabled Students – How You Can Take Action

PIP Cuts Will Hurt Disabled Students – How You Can Take Action

DSUK contributor and founder of ‘Universities Against Disability Cuts’ Jenna Mae writes about their experiences of PIP, starting a new movement and how you can support in opposing the new disability cuts:

Supporting Disabled Students At University

In my time at University, I have been very fortunate to have access to support systems, such as specialist mentors and study skills, extenuating circumstances, a disability proforma, and my PIP payments. Without any one on these things, I firmly believe I would not be where I am today – in my third year, about to graduate.

However, not all disabled students have this support. Many are left stressed and struggling – both academically and financially, with the extra cost of accessible living such as with access to ensuite or ground floor bedrooms, assistive technology, mobility aids, and often more complex needs around transport. Many disabled students claim PIP for these reasons, and many would not be able to live independently or attend university without these payments.

A New Movement

This is why I am starting the ‘Universities Against Disability Cuts’ movement, beginning at my very own university. My intention with this is to encourage students to stand up against major proposed changes to disability benefits, therefore encouraging universities, as educational institutions, to publicly oppose the proposed disability cuts which will primarily effect PIP payments.

What Is PIP?

In short, Personal Independence Payments are a lifeline which allow people to claim money to assist with every day living costs which are often higher for disabled people. It is split into 2 sections; mobility and daily living; which are then split into subsections, such as cooking and eating, showering and self-care, public transport, physical mobility, etc. This ensures each applicant receives an appropriate level of financial assistance to overcome daily obstacles

Changes Planned

At present, the Government plans to cut £5 billion in funding for disabled people which will primarily effect PIP benefits – it goes without saying that this will be devastating. This will target people with chronic conditions and neurodivergences, while also affecting a majority of other claimants by making the criteria for PIP narrower and likely lowering current PIP payments despite the steadily rising cost of living. They do this under the misleading guise of encouraging more people to work and contribute to society, however this will inevitability drive disabled people out of work as accessible means for transport and ability to work accessible hours in accessible positions steadily becomes more of a modern fantasy instead of a lived reality.

The Consequences for Disabled Students

These changes will drive disabled people out of work and education and into poverty, homelessness, and tragically is also likely to result in a loss of life. This is a harsh reality for both current and prospective PIP payments – and it is terrifying. The government’s impact assessment of current proposed changes currently projects that by 2029/30 an estimated 250,000 more people, which includes 50,000 children, will be in relative poverty by 2030. It will also see 370,000 current PIP claimants lose their benefits, and 430,000 future claimants will no longer be eligible.

Inevitably, this has severe long-term implications, with particular risk to disabled students such as myself. These changes are likely to drive existing undergraduate and postgraduate students out of education, while reducing the amount of prospective students are able to attend university due to additional support needs and elevated living costs resulting in financial barriers. Even after graduation, disabled students are less likely to be able to maintain their independence and therefore a stable work/life balance, resulting in unemployment, poverty, and homelessness for people who have spent years of their lives in education.

How You Can Get Involved

It is with this that I urge you to forward the below letter to your university; this may be to a student’s union, chancellor, vice principle, press office, or welfare service. The letter is a template which applies to most higher education institutions, with opportunities for you to personalize it to include your name and student number, your universities name, additional supporters, and any further statistics you may feel are necessary.

I would also like to encourage parents, alumni, college students, and even school students to send this letter to your relevant school board/s. With the help of institutions, particularly educational institutions, we are more likely to make a greater impact to overturn these plans and ensure that disabled communities and students can thrive as
they deserve.

Remember that ripples become waves.

Jenna Mae – 26/03/2025

Template letter

To whoever it may concern,

As you have likely heard, the UK government is acting to reduce funding for disabled people, including access to PIP benefits and support systems.

[University] is a place which I regard to have a great pride for inclusivity and equality, one which understands that support for disabled students is absolutely necessary in helping them thrive, and I am sure that you recognise the threat that these imposed cuts will present not only to disabled people within our local communities, but upon our
campuses and within our university.

There are many students who would not be attending university without assistance from government schemes such as PIP, and there are many others who may not be able to continue their education if changes are enforced to make seeking and receiving assistance even more complex, and therefore inaccessible.

At the heart of [this University’s] community are its student support systems, however I am sure you are aware that these cannot function alone without additional schemes such as PIP, which provides primarily financial support for students. Our government is currently planning to greatly reduce this support, which not only puts dozens, if not hundreds, of students in our very community at greater risk of hardship, but around 1 million people at risk of losing crucial support which enables them to keep their jobs, education, and housing. This not only poses a short and long-term threat to disabled people, but a long-term threat to all members of the community, including those who can currently claim PIP for severe illness, injury, and age-related diagnoses.

At current, the government’s proposed £5 billion cut to disability benefits will strip financial support from around one million disabled people. These cuts will have a devastating impact on those who already face immense challenges, pushing many further into poverty, homelessness, and severe hardship. Within our university community, this is likely to push people out of education, with their futures and efforts being cruelly sabotaged despite years of hard work. Furthermore, these cuts would inevitably put greater pressure on the university, such as with hardship finds, student support, diagnosis support grants, mental health and wellbeing services, accommodation services, and much more, adding greater stress to an education system which is already under a great deal of pressure through a severe lack of funding. Our government is also set to announce a further £500 million of welfare cuts now also being set to affect Universal Credit alongside PIP. This will similarly damage the lives of those with the greatest struggles in our communities and is shamefully unacceptable.

For many disabled people, benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) are not a luxury—they are a lifeline. They help cover the costs of essential care, mobility aids, transport, education, and even necessities such as food and heating. Without this support, many will suffer, and tragically, some will not survive. We have seen before how cuts to welfare have worsened mental and physical health, increased reliance on food banks, and, in the most extreme cases, led to unnecessary deaths from preventable illness, decline in condition, and suicide. We cannot allow this to continue.

It is with this that we write to you as a group representing your student body. We would like to request that you, as an organisation, publicly oppose these changes by making a public statement against the reduction of disability and wellbeing related funding. We urge you, as the student body of this university, to stand against these cuts and protect the most vulnerable in our society – both on campus and in our city. Please use your voice to support policies that support disabled people rather than punish them for needing assistance, and please support us by publicly voicing your opposition to these major cuts.

We would appreciate a response outlining your position on this issue and how you intend to advocate for those who will be affected, both within your student community and the city of [City].

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.

Regards,
NAME, in representation of your student body