Did PIP News Breach Purdah Rules?

In late April 2024 the UK government announced another set of plans to 'reform' disability benefits. These proposed reforms come only 12 years after the supposedly transformational Welfare Reform Act of 2012, which also made similar claims about the Government's ability to both improve people's lives and to save money.

Whatever you think about the reforms themselves the timing of the announcement, a week before important local elections across England, is very concerning. It certainly looks like these announcements breached important rules, often known as purdah, and which exist to protect the integrity of the electoral process.

Please read the letter below and if you share its concerns please feel free to copy the text and to write to the Cabinet Secretary.

Text of letter you can copy and send if you are concerned:

To: cabinet.secretary@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

cc: Darren.tierney1@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Dear Cabinet Secretary

I am writing regarding the Government Green Paper, public proposed policies and consultation on sickness benefits and disability benefits focusing on the announcements from week commencing Monday 22nd April and continuing until Mon 29th April 2024.

As you will be aware, the Prime Minister and DWP Minister announced a package of measures on Fit Notes, ESA, Universal Credit Health Element and Personal Independence Payments, including a Green Paper and a consultation and a commitment to reform these systems, benefits and payments during this time.

I am highly concerned that these announcements are breaching the pre-election period, previously known as ‘purdah’, rules including Section K:

"Consultation exercises should not generally be launched during local or national election periods. If exceptional circumstances make a consultation absolutely essential (for example, for safeguarding public health), departments should seek advice from the Propriety and Ethics team in the Cabinet Office."

As you will be aware, these announcements fell in that pre-election ‘purdah’ period, for which the latest date that the pre-election period can start for the local elections is Tuesday 26 March 2024. For the Mayor of London and London Assembly elections the latest date that the pre-election period can start is Tuesday 19 March 2024.

The Government’s own guidance on purdah makes clear that “it needs to be borne in mind that the activities of the UK Government could have a bearing on the election [campaign]”, stressing that “care also needs to be taken in relation to the announcement of UK Government decisions which could have a bearing on the elections”.

Further, the guidance is clear that, “particular care should be taken over official support, and the use of public resources, including publicity, for government announcements that could have a bearing on matters relevant to the elections.”

These announcements on Fit Notes (ESA, UC) and PIP have been fully supported by Government resources, including the publication of a Green paper, press releases, interviews and statements on both mainstream media and social media.

Welfare support and provision are also clearly an area of relevant importance to local authorities and, accordingly, a local election campaign, including but not limited to, the local and regional Mayoral campaigns. I am therefore very concerned that the ‘purdah’ rules have been breached by the Government in regards to these announcements.

I therefore urge you to open an investigation as to whether these announcements breached ‘purdah’ rules. If advice from the Propriety and Ethics team was taken, and if concerns were expressed by officials, were they ignored by Conservative ministers?

I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely