Closed petition Allow Disabled People to Keep All Their Benefits if They Move in With a Partner
Under the current rules, disabled people on ESA or UC risk losing some or all of their benefits if they find love and move in with a partner. This means we have to choose between happiness and financial security. Personally, these unfair rules have discouraged me from even trying to find love.
More details
Disabled people on income-related benefits risk being left totally dependent on their partner if they move in together. This is because, when joint income is taken into account, their partner's earnings or savings often exceed the limits for eligibility for income-related benefits.
This rule applies even if the disabled person in the relationship cannot and won't ever me able to work, meaning that they have no choice other than to hope the income their partner gets is enough for them both to live on.
This petition is closed All petitions run for 6 months
Government responded
This response was given on 3 June 2021
Disabled people are entitled to Income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit if they meet conditions of entitlement depending on their income and capital of their household.
Read the response in full
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA (IR)) and Universal Credit are means-tested welfare support. It is longstanding policy that income-related benefits treat all couples as a single household unit when assessing benefit entitlement. Where claimants have income available to meet their household's everyday living costs, such as through a partner's earnings or savings, their entitlement to benefit is adjusted accordingly.
Eligibility for (ESA (IR)) and Universal Credit is dependent on satisfying the basic conditions of entitlement and those relating to their financial position. Both benefits take into account the income and capital of the claimant and their partner, or a new partner if the claimant does not need to make a new claim. Universal Credit is replacing ESA (IR) but the principle of assessing members of a couple in this way will remain.
People with substantial savings or other capital should draw on these resources before looking to the taxpayer for support, particularly as many taxpayers themselves have savings below these limits. Universal Credit operates in a similar way to the benefits it is replacing, this is a longstanding principle within income-related benefits, such as Income Support and income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.
Universal Credit is not paid to claimants who have sufficient income available from other sources to support themselves. The general principle is that income, other than earnings, which is provided to meet everyday living costs, is fully taken into account in the calculation of Universal Credit. The Government understands disabled people may face additional cost, which is why income provided to meet additional costs through benefits such as Personal Independence Payments and Disability Living Allowance are not taken into account when determining entitlement to benefits.
In the coming months, the Department is bringing forward a Green Paper on health and disability support, focusing on the welfare system. The Green Paper will explore how the welfare system can better meet the needs of disabled people and people with health conditions now and in the future, to build a system that enables people to live independently and move into work where possible.
The Green Paper will be strongly influenced by the views of disabled people and representatives from disability organisations. We have hosted a series of workshops across the country where local disability organisations and disabled people have shared their experiences of DWP services and priorities for future changes. We have continued this engagement since Covid-19 with a series of virtual events with charities and disabled people. This is in addition to engagement through our existing forums with national organisations. The Green Paper will reflect themes coming out of those conversations and ask for views on how best to address them. We will continue this engagement with further events with disabled people and their representatives during the formal consultation period and beyond.
Department for Work and Pensions
Related activity
Share your views on the National Disability Strategy with MPs
MPs on the Women and Equalities Select Committee have launched a new inquiry into how the Government’s National Disability Strategy is working, and how the Strategy might develop in the future.
They would like to hear the views and experiences of the public and interested groups as part of their inquiry, and they especially want to hear from as many disabled people as possible.
More information about the inquiry and how to submit your views is available in multiple formats (including audio, British Sign Language and EasyRead) here: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/328/women-and-equalities-committee/news/171030/call-for-evidence-for-national-disability-strategy-inquiry-in-multiple-formats/
Among other topics, the Committee is seeking views on:
- What progress has been made on the Strategy so far
- How effectively the Government is communicating with disabled people
- Inequalities faced by people with learning disabilities and autism
- How the needs of disabled people can be reflected in the post-pandemic recovery
The deadline for sending your views to the Committee is Sunday 24 July.
What is the Women and Equalities Committee?
The Women and Equalities Committee holds Government to account on equality law and policy, and examines cross-Government activity on equalities. It's a cross-party committee of MPs and is independent of the Government.
Find out more about the Women and Equalities Committee: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/328/women-and-equalities-committee/
Get updates on its work by following the Committee on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonsWomEqu
The Women and Equalities Committee is a ‘select committee’. Find out how Select Committees work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2RDuDs44c
Get involved in the work of the UK Parliament
You can also sign up to the UK Parliament newsletter for the latest information on how to get involved and make a difference: https://parliament.us16.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=3ad7e4c57a864f07e4db008c4&id=26d0645ea9
Share your views on the cost of living and financial support for disabled people
The MPs on the Petitions Committee have scheduled a debate on two petitions about the cost of living and financial support for disabled people:
- Make people on disability benefits eligible for the £650 one off payment
- Provide an energy grant to people with a disability or serious medical condition
Marsha De Cordova MP, a member of the Petitions Committee, has been asked to open the debate, which will take place on Monday 22 May.
Share your views
To inform the debate, we would like to hear from you about your experiences of and views on the cost of living and financial support for disabled people and people with a long-term health condition.
You can share your views with us by completing this survey
The survey is also available in the following formats:
The survey will close on 31 March.
A summary of responses will be published on the Parliament website. It will also be shared with MPs and may be referred to in the debate or within other parliamentary documents. Please don't share anything that may identify you.
Watch the debate
The debate will take place on Monday 22 May at 4.30pm.
- Watch the debate (from 4.30pm on Monday 22 May)
- Read a transcript of the debate (available a few hours after the debate happens)
A British Sign Language translation of the debate will also be made available on Parliament Live TV.
What are petition debates?
Petition debates are ‘general’ debates which allow MPs from all parties to discuss the important issues raised by one or more petitions, and put their concerns to Government Ministers.
Petition debates don’t end with a vote to implement the request of a petition. This means that MPs will not vote on financial support for disabled people at the end of the debate.
Get involved in the work of the UK Parliament
Sign up to the Your UK Parliament newsletter for the latest information on how to get involved and make a difference.
MPs hear from disabled people on National Disability Strategy
A cross-party group of MPs called the Women and Equalities Committee, has heard from disabled people and representative organisations on the Government’s National Disability Strategy.
- Watch the first session with BSL translation
- Watch the first session without BSL translation
- Read the transcript of the first session in html
The Government’s Strategy was declared unlawful by the High Court last year due to failures in the consultation process. As a result of the ruling, 14 policies have been paused. The Government is appealing the ruling, with the hearing likely to take place this Spring-Summer.
The Committee examined the Government’s engagement with disabled people and heard views on the Health and Disability White Paper, published alongside the Spring Budget, priorities for the Disability Action Plan and compliance with international obligations.
The Committee also explored policy for non-visible disabilities and health conditions, including chronic illness, mental health problems and deafness
Further information
- Read a letter from the Government to the Committee about the High Court ruling that declared the Government's strategy unlawful
- Read what the Committee is investigating in its terms of reference
- Read what people and organisations have told the Committee in 'written evidence'
- Read House of Commons Library information about the National Disability Strategy
What is the Women and Equalities Committee
The Women and Equalities Committee is a cross-party group of MPs who look into the work of the Government Equalities Office (GEO).
The Women and Equalities Committee is a select committee. Find out how select committees work.
Get involved in the work of the UK Parliament
Sign up to the Your UK Parliament newsletter for the latest information on how to get involved and make a difference.
MPs debate Personal Independence Payment and other disability benefits
MPs held a debate on Personal Independence Payment and other disability benefits on Tuesday 26 March in Westminster Hall. The debate was led by Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi MP.
What is a Westminster Hall debate?
Westminster Hall is the second chamber of the House of Commons. Westminster Hall debates give MPs an opportunity to raise local and national issues and receive a response from a government minister. Westminster Hall debates are general debates that do not end in a vote.
Visual explainer: Westminster Hall debates
Get involved in the work of the UK Parliament
Sign up to the Your UK Parliament newsletter for the latest information on how to get involved and make a difference.