Minister received’t rule out help cuts for youngsters with EHCPs amid Ship overhaul
Good morning. Lower than per week after the federal government needed to abandon the primary pillar of its welfare reform plans 90 minutes earlier than a vote it was in any other case prone to lose, the federal government is now dealing with one other revolt over plans to cut back help accessible to disabled individuals. However this row impacts youngsters, not adults – particularly pupils with particular instructional wants who’ve schooling, well being and care plans (EHCPs) that assure them further assist in colleges.
As Richard Adams and Kiran Stacey report, though the plans haven’t been introduced but, campaigners are alarmed by experiences that entry to EHCPs is about to be restricted.
Guardian splash {Photograph}: Guardian
The Instances has splashed on the identical challenge.
Instances splash {Photograph}: The Instances
The Instances quotes an unnamed senior Labour MP saying: “In the event that they thought taking cash away from disabled adults was unhealthy, watch what occurs once they strive the identical with disabled children.”
Stephen Morgan, the early schooling minister, was giving interviews this morning. He was purported to be speaking concerning the authorities’s Giving Each Baby the Greatest Begin in Life technique being introduced at present, however as a substitute he largely took questions on EHCPs.
On Instances Radio, requested if he may assure that each little one who presently has an EHCP would proceed to maintain the identical provisions, Morgan wouldn’t affirm that. As a substitute he replied:
We completely wish to guarantee that we ship higher help for susceptible youngsters and their mother and father and we’re dedicated to completely getting that proper. So it’s an actual precedence for us.
When it was put to him that he was not saying sure, he replied:
Nicely after all we wish to guarantee that each little one will get the help that they want. That’s why we’re doing the broader reform and we’re publishing the white paper later this yr.
Right here is the agenda for the day.
Morning: Nigel Farage attends a gathering of Kent county council the place his occasion, Reform UK, is in energy.
11.30am: Downing Road holds a foyer briefing.
11.30am: Keir Starmer and different leaders attend a memorial service at St Paul’s Cathedral in London to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the 7/7 assaults.
2.30pm: Yvette Cooper, the house secretary, takes questions within the Commons.
If you wish to contact me, please submit a message under the road when feedback are open (usually between 10am and 3pm in the meanwhile), or message me on social media. I can’t learn all of the messages BTL, however should you put “Andrew” in a message geared toward me, I’m extra prone to see it as a result of I seek for posts containing that phrase.
If you wish to flag one thing up urgently, it’s best to make use of social media. You may attain me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social. The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X, however particular person Guardian journalists are there, I nonetheless have my account, and should you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I’ll see it and reply if vital.
I discover it very useful when readers level out errors, even minor typos. No error is simply too small to right. And I discover your questions very fascinating too. I can’t promise to answer to all of them, however I’ll attempt to reply to as many as I can, both BTL or generally within the weblog.
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Up to date at 04.40 EDT
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No 10 says it is ‘completely inaccurate’ to say households or colleges may lose funding from deliberate adjustments to Ship provision
Downing Road has stated it will be “completely inaccurate” to say households or colleges may lose funding because of its proposals to overtake help for pupils with particular instructional wants and disabilities (Ship).
On the foyer briefing, requested concerning the marketing campaign that has been launched to cease the goverment proscribing schooling, well being and care plans (EHCPs), which give Ship pupils a authorized proper to further help (see 9.34am), the PM’s spokesperson stated that, whereas the federal government was dedicated to reform, it has not drawn up agency plans but. He stated:
We inherited a Ship system that’s failed mother and father and kids, with individuals proper throughout the nation crying out for reform. Certainly, the earlier authorities, I feel described the scenario as “lose, lose, lose”. And we’re actively participating with mother and father on the options to this.
Our precedence is ensuring that every one youngsters of all talents get the chance to attain and thrive at college, and we are able to solely do this by reforms that restore the belief and confidence of oldsters. And we wish to ensure we get it proper.
As we stated within the manifesto, we’re bettering inclusivity and experience in mainstream colleges, while guaranteeing particular colleges proceed to cater for these with probably the most advanced wants.
And we’re not ready to take motion. We’ve already introduced £1bn kilos for Ship, in addition to rising the early years pubic premium. In each Greatest Begin household hub we’re guaranteeing there’s an expert with specialism round Ship to help mother and father.
However we’re not but at a stage the place we’re placing ahead proposals. We’re persevering with to hear to folks, take a look at how we are able to make the system work higher for youngsters and households.
Requested if he may assure that youngsters who presently have an EHCP would proceed to get specialist, personalised help when the brand new system is available in, the spokesperson stated the prevailing system was “on its knees” and adjustments was wanted. He went on:
We’re persevering with to actively work with mother and father and specialists on options, together with extra early intervention to forestall wants from escalating, and £740m kilos to encourage councils to create extra specialist locations in mainstream colleges.
It might be completely inaccurate to counsel that youngsters, households and colleges may expertise any lack of funding or help due to this.
As a part of our Plan for Change, we’ll restore the arrogance of households up and down the nation by working with them to ship the development they’re crying out for.
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Up to date at 08.53 EDT
No 10 retains wealthy guessing, saying Reeves has dominated out ‘wealth tax’ whereas additionally supporting taxing rich extra
On the Downing Road foyer briefing the PM’s spokesperson was requested about requires a wealth tax. (See 10.47am and 12.44pm.) His response was a masterclass in ambiguity, however the gist of it appeared to be what, whereas the federal government helps ‘taxes on the rich’, it’s much less eager on ‘wealth taxes’.
In response to the opening query, about whether or not the PM backed a wealth tax, the spokesperson replied:
We’ve got repeatedly stated that these with the broadest shoulders ought to carry the best burden, and the alternatives we’ve made mirror that, together with closing loopholes within the non-dom tax regime, rising air passenger obligation on personal jets and stopping tax rises for working individuals on the autumn funds.
Our progressive tax system means the highest 1% of taxpayers contribute practically a 3rd of revenue tax, with income from wealth and asset taxes, resembling capital features tax, inheritance tax, going in direction of funding tens of billions of kilos for public companies.
And also you noticed the choices taken on the autumn funds, demonstrating our dedication to our fiscal guidelines whereas sustaining excessive ranges of funding, to rebuild our public companies.
However as you recognize, I’m not going to put in writing the following funds for you proper now.
Requested if that reply amounted to a sure or a no, the spokesperson repeated the purpose concerning the authorities “repeatedly” saying these with the broadest shoulders ought to carry the best burden. However he went on:
You’ve additionally bought – the chancellor [Rachel Reeves] has stated previously that we’re not going to be bringing in a wealth tax.
We all know that finance leaders see the UK as the very best place on the earth to take a position. We’ve bought a survey from Deloitte of UK chief monetary officers displaying that finance leaders see the UK as probably the most enticing vacation spot on the subject of investments. We all know that almost all of UK households are additionally feeling financially safe. [See 9.40am.]
After a number of extra minutes of questions, with reporters looking for out what these statements implied for future coverage, and the spokesperson simply largely repeating the factors made in his opening solutions, one journalist stated that, on the idea of the briefing, half the reporters within the room had been going to go away and write tales about No 10 implying it was contemplating a wealth tax, and the opposite half had been going to go away and write tales about No 10 ruling it out (on the idea of the Reeves remark). He requested which half can be proper.
In response, the spokesperson identified that he couldn’t touch upon future funds choices.
Because the spokesperson identified, there are lots of taxes that disproportionately have an effect on people who find themselves rich.
However leftwingers are calling for these to be supplemented with a particular “wealth tax” that might be levied on the idea of wealth, not earnings. For instance, on the final election the Greens proposed a wealth tax that might be price 1% on belongings price greater than £10m, and a couple of% on belongings price greater than £1bn.
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Up to date at 08.59 EDT
There are two pressing questions within the Commons at present after 3.30pm, on “the federal government’s efficiency in opposition to the fiscal guidelines” and on coverage in direction of Iran, each tabled by the Conservative occasion. After that, at round 5pm, Bridget Phillipson, the schooling secretary, will ship a press release on the Giving Each Baby the Greatest Begin in Life technique.
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Inexperienced occasion says time has come for Labour to embrace wealth tax as ‘apparent resolution’ to its fiscal issues
The Inexperienced occasion has backed the renewed requires a wealth tax. (See 10.47am.) That is from Carla Denyer, the occasion’s co-leader.
Requires a wealth tax have gotten deafening and it’s time for the federal government to hear. Putting in a small tax on the wealth of multi-millionaires and billionaires, and equalising capital features tax with revenue tax, may assist elevate the billions so desperately wanted to correctly fund our public companies.
With Labour’s fiscal plans in shambles after their misguided makes an attempt to steadiness the books on the backs of the poorest backfired, it’s time for [Keir] Starmer and [Rachel] Reeves to take their heads out of the sand and begin trying on the apparent resolution: making our tax system fairer.
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Common employee may acquire as much as £29,000 by time they retire from reforms in pension schemes invoice, minister says
Working individuals saving right into a pension pot “may gain advantage by as much as £29,000 by the point they retire” beneath proposals within the pensions schemes invoice which is getting its second studying within the Commons at present, the Division for Work and Pensions has stated.
In a information launch, the DWP stated:
Reforms within the invoice, which have acquired wide-spread help from the pensions business and shopper teams, will help 20 million pension savers to get extra from their pension pots and be higher ready for retirement.
The invoice will deliver collectively small pension pots price £1,000 or much less into one pension scheme that’s licensed as delivering good worth to savers, making pension saving much less problem and extra rewarding. At current many individuals wrestle to maintain monitor of a number of small pensions as they transfer jobs and pays excessive charges consequently.
Torsten Bell, the pensions minister, stated:
The measures in our pension schemes invoice will drive prices down and returns up on employees’ retirement financial savings – placing extra money in individuals’s pockets to the tune of as much as £29,000 for a median earner and delivering on our Plan for Change.
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Conservatives name for welfare invoice to be amended to tighten eligibility for Pip and common credit score
The Conservatives will attempt to change the federal government’s welfare Invoice to tighten up entry to non-public independence funds (Pip) and common credit score, PA Media experiences. PA says:
Kemi Badenoch will pledge that the Tories are “now the one occasion dedicated to severe welfare reform” after Keir Starmer shelved plans to limit eligibility for Pip within the face of a backbench revolt this week.
The Tories will look to put amendments to the laws – set to be renamed the common credit score invoice – and occasion chief Badenoch is because of ship a speech on welfare on Thursday.
Among the many amendments the Conservatives will suggest is a requirement for eligibility for Pip to be decided by a face-to-face assembly, somewhat than nearly.
As a part of the federal government’s reforms, the Division for Work and Pensions has proposed a brand new “extreme circumstances standards” for common credit score. Claimants on this class will likely be entitled to a better charge of the profit, and won’t be routinely reassessed to obtain cash.
One other of the Conservatives’ amendments would stop anyone from being classed as having a extreme situation for the aim of common credit score solely by having anxiousness, delicate melancholy, or ADHD.
The third modification would block the rise in common credit score and limit Pip for some people who find themselves not British residents.
In her welfare speech, Badenoch is anticipated to say that the Conservatives are “the one occasion that’s ready to take the robust choices to get spending beneath management”.
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Labour should maintain EHCPs in Ship system, says schooling committee chair
Helen Hayes, the Labour chair of the Commons schooling committee, has stated that the federal government ought to decide to retaining schooling, well being and care plans (EHCPs) to maintain the belief of households who’ve youngsters with particular instructional wants, Peter Walker experiences.
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Charity prepares authorized problem after NHS belief pauses ADHD referrals for over-25s
A charity supporting individuals with consideration deficit hyperactivity dysfunction (ADHD) is making ready a authorized problem in opposition to an NHS belief that has briefly stopped accepting referrals for adults over 25, Rachel Corridor experiences.
ShareKeir Starmer arriving at St Paul’s Cathedral this morning for the service to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the 7/7 assaults. {Photograph}: Chris J Ratcliffe/ReutersShare
Unison and Usdaw be part of different unions in urging Labour to contemplate introducing wealth tax
As Peter Walker experiences, Neil Kinnock, the previous Labour chief, stated the federal government ought to contemplate a wealth tax, in an interview with Sky Information.
In the present day the Every day Telegraph has splashed on the proposal.
Telegraph splash {Photograph}: Telegraph/Every day Telegraph
Of their story, Ben Riley-Smith, Dominic Penna and Hannah Boland quote 5 commerce unions additionally supporting a wealth tax.
A few of them them are leftwing unions lengthy related to requires wealth taxes. Unite advised the paper it had “led the marketing campaign for a wealth tax inside and outdoors the Labour occasion”. Steve Wright, basic secretary of the FBU, advised the paper that “introducing a wealth tax to fund public companies, a beneficiant welfare state, and employees’ pay should be a precedence within the second yr of a Labour authorities. And Matt Wrack, the previous FBU basic secretary who’s now appearing basic secretary of Nasuwt, referred to as for an “rapid introduction of a wealth tax”, which he stated had “very important public help”.
However two unions seen as much less militant and extra aligned with the Labour management (which is cautious of ‘tax the wealthy’ rhetoric) have backed the concept. Christina McAnea, basic secretary of Unison, advised the Telegraph: “A wealth tax can be a a lot fairer means of elevating income to spend money on public companies and develop the financial system.”
And Paddy Lillis, the overall secretary of Usdaw, stated: “We all know wealth on this nation is with a small variety of individuals. [A wealth tax] is a technique of elevating cash shortly.”
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Authorities plans to overtake Ship provision will likely be about ‘strengthening’ the system, minister says
Stephen Morgan, the early schooling minister, advised LBC that the federal government proposals to overtake particular instructional wants and disabilities (Ship) provision can be about “strengthening” the system.
Requested if he may say mother and father of youngsters with Ship had nothing to worry from the plans, that are because of be introduced within the autumn, Morgan replied:
Completely. What we wish to do is ensure we’ve bought a greater system in place because of the reform that we’re doing that improves outcomes for youngsters with further wants.
However, requested if the plans would contain scrapping ECHPs, Morgan replied:
We’re taking a look at all issues within the spherical. I’m not going to get into the mechanics at present, however that is about strengthening help for the system.
ShareKeir Starmer and Sadiq Khan laying wreaths on the 7 July Memorial in London at present. {Photograph}: Leon Neal/Getty PicturesThe observe on the wreath left by Keir Starmer. {Photograph}: Leon Neal/Getty ImagesShare
Right here is the letter to the Guardian, signed by dozens of particular wants and incapacity charities and campaigners, that’s lined in our splash story about opposition to proposals to limit entry to schooling, well being and care plans (EHCPs). (See 9.34am.)
Right here is John Harris’s column on the subject.
And right here is an extract.
Since Labour received the election, rising noise has been coming from Whitehall and past about drastically proscribing the authorized rights to devoted provision that underpin the schooling of tons of of hundreds of youngsters and younger individuals. These rights are enforced by the official Ship tribunal, and embodied in schooling, well being and care plans (EHCPs), which set out youngsters’s wants and the supply they entail in a legally binding doc. Opposite to what you learn in sure information retailers, they aren’t any form of “golden ticket”: mother and father and carers used to unreturned cellphone calls and lengthy waits nonetheless often need to battle their native councils for the assistance their plans set out. However – and as a particular wants father or mother, I communicate from expertise – they often enable stressed-out households to only about sleep at evening.
For about 40 years, such rights have been a cornerstone of the Ship system. However their future is now unsure: councils, specifically, are frantically lobbying ministers to get mother and father and their pesky rights out of the best way. Late final yr, a authorities supply quoted within the Monetary Instances held out the prospect of “hundreds fewer pupils” getting access to rights-based provision. Even if EHCPs are most sorely wanted in mainstream colleges, a senior adviser to the Division for Schooling lately stated {that a} consideration of whether or not EHCPs ought to not apply to youngsters in precisely these settings is “the dialog we’re in the course of”. There are whispers about households who presently have EHCPs being allowed to maintain them, whereas sooner or later, children with comparable wants can be waved away, one thing that threatens a stereotypical two-tier mannequin, one other ingredient with worrying echoes of the advantages catastrophe.
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Client confidence rising, survey suggests
Nearly all of UK households are feeling financially safe, with 70% of individuals assured sufficient to plan a summer season vacation, in accordance with a survey. PA Media experiences:
The variety of individuals feeling financially safe has risen this quarter by three share factors to 58%, whereas confidence that the UK financial system is bettering has risen to 17% from one in 10 three months in the past, the KPMG Client Pulse ballot discovered.
The survey of three,000 UK adults, taken in early June, discovered 50% really feel in a position to spend freely, though 14% say they’re nonetheless having to actively reduce their discretionary spending to pay for necessities, and three% of are incurring debt to take action …
Regardless of the quarterly enchancment in financial confidence, half of individuals (51%) really feel that the financial system remains to be worsening – though that is down from 58% within the earlier quarter.
These saying that the financial system is getting worse cite the price of their groceries (79%), utilities (74%), and the overall state of public companies the place they reside (42%).
Linda Ellett, head of shopper, retail and leisure at KPMG UK, stated: “Client confidence has rallied over the past quarter and solely a fifth of shoppers now really feel insecure about their monetary circumstance. Companies will likely be hoping that this enchancment brings about elevated spending confidence in the course of the summer season months.
“However macroeconomic confidence nonetheless looms massive, with half of shoppers nonetheless to be satisfied that the financial system isn’t worsening.”
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Minister received’t rule out help cuts for youngsters with EHCPs amid Ship overhaul
Good morning. Lower than per week after the federal government needed to abandon the primary pillar of its welfare reform plans 90 minutes earlier than a vote it was in any other case prone to lose, the federal government is now dealing with one other revolt over plans to cut back help accessible to disabled individuals. However this row impacts youngsters, not adults – particularly pupils with particular instructional wants who’ve schooling, well being and care plans (EHCPs) that assure them further assist in colleges.
As Richard Adams and Kiran Stacey report, though the plans haven’t been introduced but, campaigners are alarmed by experiences that entry to EHCPs is about to be restricted.
Guardian splash {Photograph}: Guardian
The Instances has splashed on the identical challenge.
Instances splash {Photograph}: The Instances
The Instances quotes an unnamed senior Labour MP saying: “In the event that they thought taking cash away from disabled adults was unhealthy, watch what occurs once they strive the identical with disabled children.”
Stephen Morgan, the early schooling minister, was giving interviews this morning. He was purported to be speaking concerning the authorities’s Giving Each Baby the Greatest Begin in Life technique being introduced at present, however as a substitute he largely took questions on EHCPs.
On Instances Radio, requested if he may assure that each little one who presently has an EHCP would proceed to maintain the identical provisions, Morgan wouldn’t affirm that. As a substitute he replied:
We completely wish to guarantee that we ship higher help for susceptible youngsters and their mother and father and we’re dedicated to completely getting that proper. So it’s an actual precedence for us.
When it was put to him that he was not saying sure, he replied:
Nicely after all we wish to guarantee that each little one will get the help that they want. That’s why we’re doing the broader reform and we’re publishing the white paper later this yr.
Right here is the agenda for the day.
Morning: Nigel Farage attends a gathering of Kent county council the place his occasion, Reform UK, is in energy.
11.30am: Downing Road holds a foyer briefing.
11.30am: Keir Starmer and different leaders attend a memorial service at St Paul’s Cathedral in London to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the 7/7 assaults.
2.30pm: Yvette Cooper, the house secretary, takes questions within the Commons.
If you wish to contact me, please submit a message under the road when feedback are open (usually between 10am and 3pm in the meanwhile), or message me on social media. I can’t learn all of the messages BTL, however should you put “Andrew” in a message geared toward me, I’m extra prone to see it as a result of I seek for posts containing that phrase.
If you wish to flag one thing up urgently, it’s best to make use of social media. You may attain me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social. The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X, however particular person Guardian journalists are there, I nonetheless have my account, and should you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I’ll see it and reply if vital.
I discover it very useful when readers level out errors, even minor typos. No error is simply too small to right. And I discover your questions very fascinating too. I can’t promise to answer to all of them, however I’ll attempt to reply to as many as I can, both BTL or generally within the weblog.
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Up to date at 04.40 EDT
