Article By: KJ – Chief Executive

Concerns are growing across East Kilbride following Joani Reid MP’s decision to support the UK Government’s latest welfare reform bill — a bill which, until hours before the vote, included plans to dramatically reduce Personal Independence Payment (PIP) support for new claimants. Despite the removal of those changes before the bill passed, the silence from local officials in the days since has left many vulnerable residents feeling abandoned and unsure.

Since the vote on 1 July, our organisation has received a wave of messages from members across East Kilbride — disabled individuals, carers, and families — who are worried their financial support could be at risk. Many were unaware that the situation in Scotland is different from England. Others were simply confused, left anxious by headlines and let down by a lack of direct communication from their representatives.

While UK newspapers focused on the threat of disability benefit cuts, Scotland has quietly moved in a different direction. The Scottish Government now runs its own benefit system for disabled people. PIP, as it exists in the rest of the UK, is being phased out here and replaced by Adult Disability Payment (ADP). New claimants in East Kilbride and across South Lanarkshire are already applying under this new system, and existing PIP recipients will be transferred over by the end of 2025.

This means that the most alarming proposals in the Westminster bill — including stricter eligibility, the removal of mental health-related claims, and reduced support for those in lower-needs categories — will not apply in Scotland. Holyrood sets the rules for ADP. It is managed by Social Security Scotland, not the DWP.

Unlike PIP, ADP avoids private assessment firms like Atos and Capita. It minimises unnecessary face-to-face assessments, does away with the degrading points-based test, and is rooted in principles of dignity, fairness, and trust. While no system is perfect, ADP represents a shift toward a more compassionate, Scottish-led approach.

However, not all parts of the UK Government’s bill are confined to England and Wales. Universal Credit — including its health-related components — remains a UK-wide benefit. As such, changes passed at Westminster, including the removal of the work allowance top-up for young disabled people, still apply to claimants in Scotland unless Holyrood steps in with mitigation measures.

This is why votes in Westminster still matter.

The fact that Joani Reid MP supported a bill that initially included cuts to disability support — even if those provisions were removed before the final vote — is something her constituents have every right to question. We have written to Ms Reid asking for a clear explanation of her vote and for a response to the community backlash that followed.

We have also contacted Collette Stevenson MSP to request clarity on her recent public statements and to ask whether there are any proposals before the Scottish Parliament in response to the Universal Credit changes. While ADP is already devolved and protected from this bill, UC changes could still affect residents here in East Kilbride.

We also want to strongly challenge the media’s growing obsession with pitting women in leadership against one another. This narrative — which seeks to frame every disagreement between two female politicians as a personal feud — is tired, reductive, and damaging. It’s especially prevalent in the legacy media across the United Kingdom, where powerful or assertive women in public life are too often portrayed as threats or rivals, rather than as leaders in their own right.

Here in East Kilbride, we are served by two women — one at Holyrood, one at Westminster — and both were elected by the people. Criticism of policy and accountability is fair and necessary, but we must resist every attempt to reduce it to gendered headlines or shallow political theatre.

We all know powerful women in our lives — our partners, mothers, grandmothers, aunties, colleagues we work alongside, and importantly, our friends. It’s important that we speak on equality, but also that we stay focused on policy, accountability, and future plans. East Kilbride deserves that. The community deserves that.

Outside of my community and volunteer roles, I have personally completed thousands of benefit forms within NHS settings — including PIP — and provided medical evidence on behalf of patients seeking support. I have also offered advice to patients and families navigating claims for Adult Disability Payment (ADP) and other health-related benefits. I am also a carer and active power of attorney for loved ones with complex health needs. I know first-hand how vital these benefits are for daily life, stability, and dignity.

Previously, as a director of a mental health charity, I witnessed how cuts to services and financial support can worsen illness, increase crisis admissions, and isolate some of the most vulnerable in society. That experience makes it impossible for me to stay silent when policies are being decided that put support at risk — whether practically or psychologically.

In a statement today, I said:

“We’ve had messages from carers, from disabled residents, from people battling hidden illnesses — all unsure if their support is about to be taken away. That fear is real. What’s unacceptable is the silence from those who voted on this bill. Even if the reforms won’t impact PIP in Scotland, our local MP owed her constituents an explanation — and reassurance. She gave them neither. It’s our job now to make sure people know the truth: Adult Disability Payment is here, PIP is going, and Scotland is charting a different path. But Westminster votes still matter — and they still deserve scrutiny.”

To everyone who has contacted us with concerns — please be reassured: your support through ADP is not affected by this bill. But we will continue to push for clarity, accountability, and compassion from those who represent us.

If and when we get a response from Joani Reid MP or Collette Stevenson MSP on our questions we will re publish this article. Right now its radio silence.

If you need advice about ADP or Universal Credit, or would like to share your experience with the disability benefits system, please contact our team at ek@thecommunityimpact.co.uk. We are here to support you.