Behind the cuts and the benefit changes are real people

The past four years have been tough for disabled people in Britain. Cuts have devastated the NHS, social care and mental health services. Welfare reforms have shattered incomes and lifelines and shameless propaganda about scroungers and spongers has fuelled prejudice, discrimination and hate.

Sadly, this torrent of right-wing vitriol has begun to strike a chord with the British public. As polling shows, attitudes towards the welfare state have really hardened.

New figures out last week showed tens of thousands of jobless disabled people in the north-east are being refused benefits as the coalition government continues its vicious attacks on the country’s most vulnerable unemployed workers.

Research from Unite the union highlighted that last year 28,702 unemployed disabled people in the region were refused Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) — which replaced incapacity benefit — after being subjected to assessments by discredited private assessor Atos. It speaks volumes that Atos’s contract is being ended early after it was found guilty of “significant quality failures” - even by government standards.

I recently read that last year 28,702 disabled people were “sanctioned” — denied benefit or had it removed. Of those, 22,814 allegedly failed “to participate in work-related activity”. Of 13,994 cases reviewed, 8,508 decisions were overturned, and 90 per cent of appeals against decisions were successful.

Campaigners in the north-east will be demonstrating in Durham later in the summer in defense of the welfare state for those who need it most and to protest against numerous sanctions taken against claimants failing to meet stringent criteria during what many feel are also highly degrading ‘tests’. The Friday, July 11 demonstration will take place from 11.30am to 1.30pm at Elvet House in Hallgarth Street, Durham.

Our challenge between now and the election is to make sure that what disabled people need becomes part of the battle of ideas when voters make their choice.

We need disabled people to be actively involved in union campaigns for decent jobs in a new economy, for fair pay, good services and decent welfare, and for respect and a voice at work.

Beth Farhat – Regional secretary Northern TUC