Hardest Hit Protests
On Saturday 22nd October, over 5000 disabled people, their families and friends took to the streets in towns and cities across the UK to protest against Government cuts to vital disability benefits and services. Together, we've sent one clear message to the Coalition: stop these cuts.
Following the success of the Hardest Hit demonstration in May, which saw over 8,000 disabled people descend on London for a march and rally, the Disability Benefits Consortium (DPC) and UK Disabled People's Council (UKDPC) decided to organise a series of regional events to raise awareness of the swingeing cuts to local services and welfare benefits that many disabled people and their families are facing.
Hardest Hit: coming to a city near you | Multiple Sclerosis Society UKDuring the first few days of the coalition government, David Cameron made a promise live on Andrew Marr "that we will protect the poorest and most vulnerable in our society". Seventeen months on, and this pledge has begun to look increasingly shaky.The aims of the Hardest Hit campaign include ensuring that Employment Support Allowance (ESA) genuinely supports those with disabilities and long-term illnesses, rather than penalising those unable to work.
Fitness for work test not fit for purposeThe government's new fitness for work test for incapacity benefits (IB) claimants will be rolled out to to 1.5 million people across the country today as the pilot of the test - the Work Capability Assessment - comes to an end.Secondly, the campaign wants the government to ensure that changes to Disability Living Allowance (DLA) do not make disabled people worse off. Nigel, shown below, echoed these concerns during a moving personal story at a rally in Manchester.
This group from Wigan and Leigh People First - a self-advocacy charity for those with learning disabilities - express the sentiment of the day best...
Importantly, the Hardest Hit campaign group want the government to guarantee that the welfare system supports people with the additional costs of living with a disability. This piece of research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (@jrf_uk) highlights how these extra costs can push disabled people further into poverty:
Study exposes the extra costs of living that drive disabled people deeper into poverty | Joseph Rowntree Foundation
The study calculates the costs of essential items, including personal assistance, which people with different levels of disability would need to lead their lives on level terms with non-disabled people. These examples of ‘budget standards' were drawn up by disabled people in Birmingham, Derby and Nottingham with researchers from the Centre for Research in Social Policy, supported by Disability Alliance.There was a huge turn out across the country that attracted national media attention as well as support from other campaign groups.
Protests highlight severity of benefit cuts for disabled peopleHardest Hit marches have taken place across the UK in response to the government's welfare reform bill Demonstrations are being held across the UK in protest against benefit cuts for disabled people. The Hardest Hit marches, organised by the Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC) and the UK Disabled People's Council (UKDPC), aim to highlight cuts to local services for disabled people in the government's welfare reform bill.- Down in London, MS campaigners made sure their message was heard!
Steve Winyard, Co-Chair of the DBC, commented that the Government's regressive agenda had:
