On Wednesday 26 March the UK government released its Spring Statement which outlined the current state of government spending and the economy. The Chancellor Rachel Reeves revealed plans to make significant cuts to the welfare system.
With over one in five people in the UK now living with diabetes or prediabetes, it’s vital that the government focuses on improving our health and preventing more people from developing diabetes.
Financial security is one of the most important determinants of someone’s health. But we are worried that cuts to the welfare budget will push hundreds of thousands more people into poverty.
Benefits cuts follows the rising cost of living
Those in our poorest communities are already disproportionately impacted by diabetes.
The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is over twice as high for people living in the lowest income households compared to those with the highest incomes.
For children, the differences are even more stark, with children in the most deprived areas more than five times more likely to develop type 2 than those in the least deprived.
For those with long-term conditions like diabetes, living in poverty exacerbates the challenges of maintaining good health. Our 2023 report, Hidden Cost: Cost of Living and Diabetes, showed that the rising cost of living had already led people to cut back on essentials like food, energy and even cancelling health appointments due to travel costs.
We are therefore very concerned at the government’s proposed changes to the benefits system which may put even more pressure on people who are already struggling to cope and further negatively impact their ability to manage their condition.
The government’s own impact assessment suggests that 250,000 people, including 50,000 children could be pushed into poverty because of this change.
While we do not yet know how many people living with diabetes will no longer be eligible for Personal Independence Payments (PIP), we know that recipients of health-related benefits are disproportionately at risk of food insecurity without reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious, healthy food.
The government has committed as one of its three major shifts to shift the focus of the NHS from treatment to prevention of ill health, however these proposed changes could threaten that ambition.
Changes to the benefit system that further pushes those living with and at risk of diabetes into poverty and financial insecurity will only widen health inequalities, pushing more into ill health and placing further pressure on the NHS.
How we will respond
This is a critical issue for many people living with and at risk of diabetes, so to ensure that their voices are heard, and alongside our partners like the Disability Benefits Consortium, we will be responding to the consultation on the government’s draft proposals before the end of June.
