An attack on Britain’s most vulnerable: The Disabled Cuts

An attack on Britain’s most vulnerable: The Disabled Cuts

Our reporter Sobia Khan talks to a number of disabled rights campaigns and activists to fathom the current condition of the nations disabled that are suffering from welfare cuts. The Tories regime has been scrutinised over the harshness of the cuts, what disabled charities brand an ‘attack’ on over 9 million sick and disabled people.

Tories welfare cuts – Are they unbiased?

We often hear David Cameron say, “We’re all in this together.” His actions, however, tell a different story.

According to a report by Habinteg Housing Association, Britain’s disabled people who are affected the most by the welfare cuts, sanctioned by Mr Cameron, which implores a simple question: what is the cumulative impact of these reforms?

According to a disabled rights activist, who has been severely affected by the disabled cuts, Raj Gill said: “It is about the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.”

He added: ‘Whilst Cameron is proposing tax-cuts for millionaires and hosting dinners for donors in Downing Street, the people who need support from the government in this country are suffering tremendously.’

Raj Gill speaking at a disabled cuts protest in April.

Interestingly, disabled people are twice as likely to live in poverty as non-disabled people.

For more facts and statistics, click here. 

Goodbye Atos healthcare

French IT firm Atos have been carrying out the Work Capability Assessments, otherwise known as ‘fitness to work’ tests on behalf of the Department of Work and Pensions since 2010.

Their £500 million contract was due to extend until August 2015, however, Atos has reached an agreement with the DWP to exit early by February 2015 which has instigated many inquiries across the nation.

Regarding the fitness to work test, Co-chair of Bromley’s Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) organisation, Paula Peters said: “I lived in fear of that brown envelope, the fear of that brown envelope put me in a psychiatric unit.” 

Photograph of Paula Peters taken by our reporter Sobia Khan.

This is what Paula Peters had to say about her personal experiences with the welfare cuts including the death of 18 of her friends.

To the triumph of campaigners, the announcement of Atos’ early departure from their contract arose just days after demonstrations were held outside Atos assessment centres across the UK.

Are the disabled cuts driving people to commit suicide?

Stories have surged in the media linking disabled people who have been driven to suicide because of the effects of the welfare cuts. 

Unite raised this issue to MP’s earlier this year.

Unite’s, Community Coordinator, Pilgrim Tucker told The Realist: “It is directly the result of government policy. People are saying that they have become so depressed and so stressed that they want to commit suicide.” 

Photograph of Pilgrim Tucker taken by our reporter Sobia Khan.

Here is the full interview of Pilgrim Tucker and what she had to say about the government's welfare cuts and the effects they are having on disabled people across the nation.

A survey, highlighted by Exaro, showed that one in five GPs had at least one disabled patient who had thought about suicide because of the ‘fitness to work’ test.

The DWP and silence on death rates

The DWP are withholding statistics on the number of people who have died while claiming Incapacity Benefit or Employment and Support Allowance.

Answers are being demanded by disabled rights organisations about why the figures are being hidden.

Have the mortality rates significantly increased?

Pilgrim Tucker and Paula Peters at a disabled cuts protest in London.

Photo of Paula Peters and campaigners at a protest - Photo used from The Guardian.

If that were to be the case, and then there would be an increase, it would signify the failure of Iain Duncan Smith’s policy after he continuously preached the fairness of the assessment regime, and how he vouched that it was carried out in a humane way.

It would clearly demonstrate that it is far from fair and humane, and that given the chance to end the deaths from accelerating, Conservative MP’s sanctioned them to continue.

Video posted by Occupy London TV of Paula Peters delivering a heartfelt poem on the remembrance  for the 10,600 people that died within six weeks of undergoing Atos' Work Capability Assessment.

This is certainly not the end of the Work Capability Assessment, but it could be the beginning of the end. Until then, like Paula, disabled people across the nation will be awaiting in fear of brown letters being dropped through their letter boxes.