UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Faces Backlash Over Welfare Cuts Impacting Disabled Families, 250,000 May Fall Into Poverty

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has faced significant backlash following her Spring Statement, which proposes cuts to disability benefits and welfare payments that could push 250,000 individuals, including 50,000 children, into poverty. Despite the Department for Work and Pensions' assessment indicating that her reforms would negatively impact low-income families, Reeves maintains that her policies will make people better off. Critics, including charities and affected individuals, argue that the cuts will result in homelessness and severe financial distress for vulnerable populations, with claims of being 'demonized' by the government. Interviews with those impacted highlighted the fear and anxiety surrounding potential loss of support, particularly for individuals with disabilities. Unions and Labour MPs have condemned the measures, calling them austerity policies that disproportionately affect the most vulnerable in society. The controversy raises questions about the direction of Labour's welfare policies and its commitment to supporting disadvantaged communities.