'If I lose my benefit payments I'll struggle to get to work'

People currently claiming long-term sickness and disability benefits have shared their concerns about an overhaul of the welfare system.

The government has announced plans for major changes to benefits, which you can read about in detail here.

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall says the measures will encourage claimants to work, or work more and save £5bn a year by 2030.

Many people got in touch via Your Voice, Your BBC News to say how changes to the benefits system could affect them.

Emily, 41, from Croydon, is autistic and struggles with time management and organising basic tasks for her daily routine.

She works full-time as a flight attendant after developing strategies to help organise her day, and also receives a Personal Independence Payment (Pip) of more than £400 a month. But the money mostly goes on her regular bills, rather than on the occupational therapy she thinks would really help her to establish a proper routine.

Emily watched Liz Kendall's announcement and says it was "frustrating how unclear it all was".

From November 2026, Pip claimants will have to score at least four points in one activity to receive the daily living component of Pip.

Emily's benefit is not due for review until 2031 but the government wants more frequent reassessments for many Pip claimants, and she fears that for people like her with autism, the stricter assessments could mean the loss of the benefit.

"We don't necessarily need help with physical things like going to the bathroom but need help with reminders," she says.

"It's scary. Even if I'm not called up for reassessment [before 2031], the criteria have changed – so it could mean changes for me in the future."

Receiving Pip means Emily is eligible for a disabled discount railcard, which makes travel to work more affordable, and if she were to lose that she says she would struggle with the cost of getting to work.

Lorraine, 62, from Northwich in Cheshire broadly agrees with the plans for stricter assessments of Pip.

She used to be a director of adult services at various councils and has been a "gatekeeper of public money", so was surprised when her husband received Pip for his dementia with little scrutiny.

"I was shocked by the ease with which it was granted. I was expecting to be interviewed, rightly so, but it was awarded without interview and he received backdated pay for the maximum amount."

She was also surprised that her husband got mobility allowance for not having a car, even though she had a car and could drive him around.

Lorraine says there should be more rigorous checks to see if family support is given, and that "the state shouldn't compensate for everything".

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Daisy, 22, from west London, has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, anxiety and fibromyalgia.

Pip has been her main source of support since she was 19, after previously struggling with a short-term job due to her conditions.

She says all the recent talk about changes to Pip increased her anxiety and she had to see her doctor about it. "If I don't have Pip I'll be a burden to my family," she says.

After the government's announcement, Daisy checked her records and found she scored four out of eight on "mixing with others" so she shouldn't be affected by the eligibility change and is not due for reassessment until 2027, but says there are "no guarantees".

She thinks the decision to make cuts "lacks empathy and goes against why people voted for this party in the first place".

John, 60, in Salford, used to work in dementia care but has been unable to return to employment after a spinal injury seven years ago.

He says reassessments cause "unnecessary stress", adding that he has argued with officials in the past when he's been waiting for an operation and "they're still making me go through an assessment".

Under the government's plans, those with the most severe, long-term conditions will no longer face any reassessments, something that John welcomes.

"Not having to be assessed would mean I could concentrate on going to my hospital appointments. Yesterday, I had to spend the whole day sorting out an issue with my universal credit. It would mean I could focus."

Tracy, 44, watched Liz Kendall's speech at a community café in Salford. She is unable to work after a brain injury.

"I would love to be back in work, but I would need the right support," she says.

She is open to the idea of "right to try", which would allow people to attempt to get back into work without losing access to benefits, but says there need to be procedures in place.

"If I was left with no support, it would cause more harm than good. Sometimes I use the wrong words. I don't want to be causing harm if I don't have the support that I needed."

Alba, 53, is an IT contractor in Dorking who is currently working for one of the airports near London. She suffers with chronic back pain following two "quite severe" motorbike accidents, and during a period of unemployment last year she applied for disability support but was told she was not eligible.

She says they were fair in assessing her and in their conclusion that she can do some work, but she wanted recognition for the pain she is in.

She says the latest measures seem "fair on paper" but worries it will affect "people like myself who are 'body abled' but still suffering from chronic pain daily".

"The fact is that benefits are not sufficient for a comfortable daily living as they are, as people with pain and disability require items which are on average more expensive than standard, for example, orthopaedic mattresses to enable them to be able to sleep."

Alba's current employer has been "extremely helpful" in letting her work from home, a subject she has spoken to the BBC about before.

"I don't want to claim benefits – it's horrible. It's not my style," she adds. "I don't want to stay at home doing nothing."