Good morning. Welcome back to Survival Guide. Isabella here.

This week’s Labour conference saw the government reveal more details about their plans for the future of the country – including for the welfare system.

A lot of focus has been placed on the controversial decision to slash the winter fuel payments, but Labour is also coming under fire for its rhetoric around disability benefits. 

The government has pledged to “get sick Brits back to health and back to work” as the country faces a record number of people off work due to long-term sickness and a soaring welfare bill.

However, charities are warning the government that this must not be used as an “excuse to slash” financial support. It comes as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) deliberates over proposed cuts to the disability benefits system.

Although there are indications that Labour will show more compassion than the previous government, disabled people are being left in “limbo” about the changes which could have a “devastating” impact on their lives.

That includes Yolanda Barker, a 52-year-old woman with multiple sclerosis who is anxious she may lose her personal independence payment (PIP). Read on for more… 

If you have a story to share, we want to listen. Get in touch at isabella.mcrae@bigissue.com or share your story here.

Yolanda's story: 'We're left in limbo again'

Yolanda Barker has pain all over her body. She uses an electric wheelchair and crutches to get around, and she is prone to falling “which is nasty and causes lots of problems”. Fatigue can be overwhelming and she usually needs to sleep at least once during the daytime.

She can become paralysed during her sleep, unable to open her eyes or speak, and she needs someone to help move her. She takes more than 30 pills to soothe her symptoms each day.

But PIP is a lifeline. It means she can afford the extra costs of having a disability, such as her powering her electric wheelchair and physiotherapy sessions. She is also eligible for a motability car, which is accessible for her and means she can get lifts from her husband when she wants to leave the house. Public transport can be too difficult.

Barker is fearful that if the Labour government makes the changes to PIP which the Conservatives proposed, she could lose the car and the financial support she needs to live.

“It’s the unknown,” Yolanda says. “We’re left in limbo again. What’s going to happen to me in the future? Is my condition bad enough according to them? They’re not living it day to day. These changes will impact lives, and it’s deeply unsettling. There will be a ripple effect.”

Read Yolanda’s story and more about the proposals for PIP here. 

In case you missed it

'It's time to listen': Labour conference votes for government to reverse winter fuel payment cuts. Delegates have backed a union motion calling on the government to reverse its decision to cut the winter fuel payment for millions of pensioners. Read more.

Labour's plan to 'get Brits back to work' must not be an excuse for slashing benefits, charities say. Charities are urging the government to support disabled people, rather than threatening sanctions and cuts as the previous government had done. Get the story.

DWP's crackdown on welfare fraud risks 'criminalising' innocent benefit claimants, Starmer warned. Keir Starmer said he plans to introduce legislation to tackle benefit fraud, but charities and campaigners say there are bigger problems in the DWP. Find out more.

Rachel Reeves promises 'no return to austerity' amid fears of cuts to benefits in the autumn budget. The chancellor pledged to 'rebuild Britain' following controversies over the winter fuel payment and two-child limit on benefit. Read about it.

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How to check if you could be eligible for benefits

Just under £23bn in benefits and financial help goes unclaimed each year, according to research by Policy in Practice. This is believed to be because of stigma around benefits and difficulties navigating the system.

Meanwhile, charity Turn2Us found that two-thirds of UK adults find it “confusing” to determine whether they might be eligible for benefits.

But it’s so important to get the financial support you could be entitled to. Find out more about how to see if you’re eligible for benefits here.