Yesterday’s welfare bill debate was, frankly, chaotic and farcical, and we at ME Foggy Dog want to express our profound disappointment and concern regarding its “reform” outcomes in this statement.
For years, the welfare system has been continuously tweaked and had various bits added on. The result is a system that is now unstructured, fragmented, and, quite frankly, broken. This is precisely why we strongly believe the system as a whole needs to be genuinely improved and restructured internally within the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Our goal is to ensure the assessment process and the entire welfare system are truly fit for purpose and sustainable for future generations. Punitive measures and policies have consistently been proven to cost more money and simply do not work in achieving long-term solutions.
For months, we’ve been actively involved in this welfare reform process. We’ve championed the voice of the M.E. community, encouraging engagement and providing resources like our “Your Voice Matters” guide (https://www.mefoggydog.org/2025/05/15/your-voice-matters-why-contacting-your-mp-matters/). We’ve seen firsthand the passion and dedication of individuals who have reached out to their MPs, sharing their lived experiences and legitimate concerns.
It’s been incredibly disheartening to witness how representative organisations, including our own, have been largely ignored since the Government initiated this “reform” process. The frustration among constituents, met with generic, party-line replies from their MPs, is palpable and entirely understandable. This entire issue has been handled incredibly poorly, and the “reform” itself has been very badly managed.
We believe that a significant part of the problem stems from the prioritisation of cuts, seemingly driven by demands from the Chancellor, over the wellbeing of millions of disabled people. While we absolutely agree that the welfare system needs reform, it’s clearly not fit for purpose for either taxpayers or claimants in its current state, starting with cuts was, in our firm view, not the way to go. There were, and still are, so many workable alternatives.
To reiterate: “Welfare needs to be reformed”… Yes, we know, and we agree. But there’s a better way to achieve it, one that genuinely restructures the system and puts the needs and dignity of vulnerable people first.
We will continue to advocate tirelessly for the M.E. community and all those impacted by these reforms.