Global human rights watchdogs call for scrutiny of UK welfare reform

Amnesty International is calling for the establishment of an independent welfare commission in the wake of controversy surrounding the Universal Credit Bill.
The bill, which previously included PIP reforms that would have plunged hundreds of thousands of disabled people into poverty, passed after a major climbdown by the Labour government. Four MPs were suspended for rebelling.
The new bill – which could still see 700,000 people on Universal Credit lose up to £3,000 a year – is still causing concern among human rights organisations and disability groups.
Amnesty wants a social security commission with statutory powers to take the lead on reforms and said: "The Commission should carry out an independent inquiry into the UK social security system, driving comprehensive reform to ensure that all individuals have an adequate standard of living grounded in dignity and human rights.”
Amnesty International UK economics lead Jen Clark said: "It’s a huge disappointment that this bill has been voted through. The remaining cuts to Universal Credit will create a two-tier system, where new claimants or those with illnesses that vary day-to-day, such as mental health conditions and multiple sclerosis, are left at serious risk of being pushed into poverty.”
A separate Amnesty investigation into the Department for Work and Pensions has revealed disabled people are being trapped in poverty by an “unchecked rollout” of experimental AI practices.
Amnesty’s call for scrutiny of the British welfare system has been strengthened by United Nations intervention. The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities wrote to the UK government in July asking for clarity on:
- Any impact assessment on the consequences of budget cuts
- The impact on young people, those with high levels of needs, and those with psychosocial or mental health disabilities
- The nature of the proposed changes to PIP thresholds
- The proposed changes to Universal Credit
- How the government will address increasing poverty rates among disabled people
- The Pathways to Work green paper
- The wider consultation process
- The limited scrutiny of the bill in the House of Lords
- Statements by politicians portraying disabled people as a burden or fraudulently claiming benefits
- The future potential for the DWP to monitor the bank accounts of UC recipients.
Previous UN inquiries in 2017 and 2024 found "grave and systematic violations of the human rights of persons with disabilities”.
Future welfare reforms should be "rights-based" and should not affect the "rights of persons with disabilities to independent living, an adequate standard of living and to employment," the UN warns.
The renamed Universal Credit Bill went through the House of Lords in late July uncontested as a Money Bill – this means peers were not allowed to suggest further changes.
Even a “regret” amendment that would have served as a rebuke to MPs was voted down, according to disability advocacy group Benefits and Work.
The bill will become law in the autumn, when the Timms Review is also due to report.
Amnesty believes the review is an "opportunity" for genuine coproduction. Clark added: "We are waiting for key details about the Timms review, which must not serve as a smokescreen to evade accountability or scrutiny through statutory consultation.
“This review presents a vital opportunity to realign social security with its fundamental purpose: ensuring that no one has to live in poverty."
BASW joined 52 other organisations in July urging the government to scrap the bill and undertake “genuine dialogue with disabled people where reform is centred on the rights and dignity that all disabled people deserve.”
The association has also written to Stephen Timms calling for protection of the Access to Work scheme, which supports disabled people in employment and covers some of their additional workplace costs.
Cuts have already seen support workers reclassified as ‘Job Aid Enablers’ and restricted to 20 per cent of working hours. Disabled social workers are reporting within BASW that their support needs are being denied.
Scott Richardson, co-chair of the BASW Neurodivergent Social Workers Special Interest Group, urged the government to "commit to transparent consultation with disabled professionals and representative bodies before implementing further changes” and “ensure that Access to Work remains a robust, accessible and equitable scheme that supports, not hinders, disabled people's right to work".
The government said reforms set out in the Universal Credit Bill will look to rebalance the core payment and health top up in Universal Credit (UC).
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: “Our reforms are built on the principle of fairness, fixing a system that for too long has left people trapped in a cycle of dependence.
“We are giving extra support to millions of households across the country, while offering disabled people the chance to work without fear of the repercussions if things don’t work out.
“These reforms will change the lives of people across the country, so they have a real chance for a better future.”