PRAN NEWSLETTER ISSUE 17: June 2025
Dear PRAN MEMBERS
As the cost of living crisis deepens and proposed welfare reforms threaten to strip away vital support, our collective voice has never been more important. This month, we share urgent updates from the Liverpool Access to Advice Network (LATAN) and invite you to contribute to a new PRAN visual storytelling project designed to highlight the realities of poverty and inequality across the UK.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM LIVERPOOL ACCESS TO ADVICE NETWORK (LATAN): CUTS COST LIVES CAMPAIGN
The Government published their Pathways to Work Green Paper in March. In it, they propose drastic cuts and radical changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit (UC). The major changes proposed by the Government in March proposal included:
Changing the eligibility for the daily living component of PIP
People applying to claim PIP currently are assessed and score points against a list of criteria. The DWP calls these criteria 'activities'. Someone must score at least 8 points to qualify for PIP. These points can add up to 8 across different activities. Under the new rules, claimants will still need to score at least 8 points in the assessment. But they must score 4 points in a single activity. Data released by the Government under a Freedom of Information request shows that 87% of people receiving the standard rate of the daily living component of PIP did not score 4 points in any single activity.
Scrapping the Work Capability Assessment in 2028
Disabled people who claim Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance go through a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) to find out if they are eligible for extra money. The Government wants to get rid of this assessment and replace it with a tougher PIP assessment.
Freezing the health element of UC
The UC health element is additional money you can get if you claim UC and have a health condition or disability. The Government's plan to freeze the rate the health element of UC is set at for current recipients from 2026 - that's £97 per week. For new claimants, they will decrease the rate to £50 per week - this rate will then be frozen.
Creating a new Unemployment Insurance
The Government proposes to create a new benefit called Unemployment Insurance. They will do this by merging Job Seekers Allowance and contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance. It will only be paid for a certain amount of time and will be paid at a set rate. Sick and disabled people will not get any additional premiums or money on top of this.
LATAN are campaigning against these proposals as we know they will push countless families in Liverpool into poverty, drive inequality and increase deprivation. As advice providers and support organisations, we know that these proposals will be extremely harmful to the most vulnerable people in society. That's why we're launching our Cuts Cost Lives campaign. We've written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall MP to oppose the Government's plans. You can read, download, and share this letter on our website. We'll share a response with you when we receive one. We've also shared our letter with Liverpool's Members of Parliament, Council and Combined Authority leaders, and members of our network. We'd encourage you to share this letter too - the more people are aware of the risk these proposals present, the more likely we are to be able to make positive change.
Important: Last Thursday, the Government made some welcome changes to the original proposal, however, some major concerns remain. We will provide further updates in our next newsletter.
LATAN is the community of practice for Liverpool's free legal advice sector. PRAN firmly backs the Cuts Cost Lives campaign and calls on everyone to raise their voices against the unjust and harmful cuts that are set to deepen poverty and inflict severe consequences and human suffering. Together, we must challenge these damaging decisions and stand up for a fairer, more compassionate society.
Call for Ideas: Help Us “Picture This” - A Visual Perspective on Poverty and Inequality
We’re excited to announce our upcoming project, Picture This: A Visual Perspective on Poverty and Inequality in the UK - an initiative that will transform key insights from PRAN’s knowledge exchange activities into a series of visually engaging and accessible illustrations. These outputs will be used as powerful educational and advocacy tools, designed to resonate with students, educators, policymakers, and the wider public. By embracing visual storytelling - through thought provoking illustrations - we aim to communicate complex research and lived experiences in ways that are more accessible, memorable, and shareable.
We need your input!
Do you have a compelling insight, theme, quote, or visual concept that could help tell the story of poverty and inequality in the UK? Whether it’s something from your own research, community experience, or a simple idea sparked by your day-to-day work- we want to hear from you. Your contribution could help shape powerful visuals that inform, inspire, and spark change.
Please email your ideas to info@pran.org.uk
In Solidarity,
PRAN TEAM
