McNulty: Disability benefits cuts will inflict a terrible cost on lives

UK Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall announced on Tuesday £5 billion worth of proposed welfare changes.

Mr. McNulty said: “The latest welfare cuts could prove devastating for so many disabled people here. It's something we would have expected from the Tories, but never in our worst nightmares did we believe this callousness would be inflicted by a Labour government.

“In 2015, when the SDLP voted against welfare reform, we warned other parties that it would allow the goalposts to be moved again in future. The British government’s new PIP proposals are showing just how true that is. These changes risk creating even more barriers for those already struggling.

“It's impact will be more profound in the North which has a higher rate of disabled individuals and diagnoses of serious mental health issues, given the legacy of the Troubles.

“We need the Executive to show leadership on this issue. Welfare policy is devolved, and they should be doing the groundwork now to ensure that mitigations are in place.

“With the huge strain on our health services and waiting lists growing longer, many are already suffering in silence. People are waiting for vital treatments that may come too late, worsening their health and quality of life. This Stormont government’s failure to address the root causes of these issues is only going to make things worse and push more and more people into long-term sickness or worse."