Council united in opposition to British Government’s welfare cuts

Derry City and Strabane District councillor Shaun Harkin (People Before Profit) has branded British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves’ £4.8 billion cut in welfare spending as “an attack on an already punitive welfare system”.

Cllr Harkin made his comments as he brought forward a motion, seconded by Cllr Rory Farrell (SDLP), to Derry City and Strabane District Council’s March plenary on Wednesday afternoon; the motion was passed unanimously.

“After more than a decade of Tory austerity, the Labour Party said it was going to create a more equal society and give people back some hope,” said Cllr Harkin.

He added: “This Government has not fulfilled that promise. It has, I believe, waged a class war and that class war is just getting worse. It began by attacking older people, pensioners, by taking away the winter fuel payment. Then it refused to do anything about the cruel two-child limit. Now it is demonising people on benefits and attempting to dismiss the mental health crisis we have in our society.

“Starmer talks about saving £5 billion by reducing the amount of money people are able to access. This is disgraceful. It is disgraceful that it is a Labour Government that has allowed these attacks on vulnerable members of our society. 

“At the same time as Starmer announces these cuts to disability payments and the welfare system, he has announced massive increases in military spending, so they are literally taking money that people need to , that keeps people out of hardship , that allows people to have a life, and they are ploughing that money into arms that will allow more corporate profiteering by warmongers. This is very sick,” said Cllr Harkin.

Cllr Harkin’s motion read: Council will write to the British government expressing our concern and opposition to proposed cuts to disability payments.

Council views this as an attack on the vulnerable and a continuation of austerity policies by a Labour government elected to end years of Tory austerity. 

Council agrees this is not an attempt to help people back into work but is a cost saving measure following Starmer’s announcement of a gross £13.4 billion increase in military spending. 

Council agrees the government should increase taxes on billionaires, corporate profiteers and the super-rich instead of once again launching punitive measures that will push many vulnerable people, including many in our District, into deeper poverty, hardship and isolation. 

Council will write to all locally based MPs, the Stormont Executive and the Secretary of State calling on them to resist cuts to disability payments and attacks on an already punitive welfare system.

Speaking to The Derry News before the Council meeting, Cllr Harkin said: “Socialists often make the point when governments claim funding is not available for vital services that there always seems to be money for war. Starmer has just proved this. He has massively increased war spending but says Labour must slash benefits for the sick and disabled. 

“We need to push back against the demonisation of people receiving disability payments and the cynical attempt to dismiss the mental health crisis.

“Stormont is failing to deliver on housing need, reducing health service waiting lists, or addressing poverty. Under no circumstances should it assist Westminster to deliver cruel disability payments cuts. 

“It is time to build resistance against cuts and the demonisation of vulnerable members of our communities,” said Cllr Harkin.

Supporting the motion, Cllr Rory Farrell (SDLP) added an amendment which said: “Council notes there are over 25,000 Personal Independence Payment claimants living in the Council area;

“Council will write to the Minister for Communities requesting details on potential impact of eligibility changes to PIP, more specifically to detail the number of people currently in receipt of the benefit who did not score at least four points in at least one of the daily living descriptors; 

“Council will write to the entire Executive to understand the actions it will take to protect the most vulnerable in society from these drastic benefit changes.”

Cllr Farrell described the cuts as “absolutely shameless by a Labour Government”.

He added: These cuts should be resisted and they should be overturned.”

Rachel Reeves announced the cuts in yesterday’s spring statement delivered in the British House of Commons. 

#WelfareNotWarfare@DPACNIreland had a brilliant protest in Derry Northern Ireland pictures are here ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/fSdvjjsnix

— DPAC (@Dis_PPL_Protest) March 26, 2025

Under her new measures, universal credit incapacity benefits for new claimants will be cut by half to £50 a week in 2026 and then frozen until 2030. The basic rate of universal credit will also increase from £92 to £106 a week by 2029. 

Ms Reeves’ welfare cuts follow the £5 billion of benefits cuts announced last week by British Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall, who said a stricter eligibility test for PIP (personal independence payment) would be introduced in November 2026. 

Ms Kendall also announced she was freezing the health element of universal credit for existing claimants until 2029. Ms Reeves’ spring statement announcement extended this to new claimants. 

Rachel Reeves confirmed, in addition, British defence spending would increase to 2.5% which would be partly met by the recently announced reduction in overseas aid.