The proposals set out in Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working, primarily concern Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Should the proposals go through, eligibility for the ‘daily living’ component of PIP will be reduced, meaning that fewer people with speech, language and communication needs, including those with speech apraxia, will receive it in the future.
People with speech disorders have a fundamental right to receive the help, support, and understanding they need to live fulfilling and independent lives. But these latest proposals threaten to strip away this right, with an estimated £5bn in cuts that will inevitably push some of the most vulnerable members of society into even greater hardship.
We welcome the ending of the Work Capability Assessment, which has systematically failed survivors; however, concerns remain about the use of the PIP assessment process (subject to review) for the health element of Universal Credit.
What Speak My Way has advocated for
In our response, we strongly advocated for fairer PIP assessments for adults with speech, language, and communication needs. We argue these assessments must be undertaken by benefits assessors who have been trained in understanding the hidden, complex, and fluctuating nature of these disorders, ideally with speech and language therapy expertise. This would help assessors understand how these impacts can make it difficult or impossible both to find and maintain work.
We also outlined the benefits of commissioning brain injury advocates to explain survivors’ needs to prospective employers and to champion appropriate support and reasonable adjustments in the workplace. This would help ensure survivors are not faced with the burden of advocating for themselves in systems that often ignore or minimise their challenges.
"When your voice doesn’t come easily, everything else takes more effort: communicating, working proving your need for support. It’s not just speech; it’s about being heard." Speak My Way founder
These proposed changes come at a time when society is beginning to move toward a more neuro-affirming and inclusive model. We must not allow policy to regress. Cutting vital support undermines the progress being made in workplaces, universities, and communities to value speech and communication differences rather than treat them as deficits. Everyone deserves the chance to participate fully, being seen, heard, and supported is a basic human right, not a privilege
