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Dear JohnWe want to start with a thank you…
Hundreds upon hundreds of you joined disabled activists in speaking up against the Government’s threatened wild cuts to social security payments. If you wrote to your MP, signed a petition, shared messages from activists like Sydnie, Mary and Stef, or did anything else to oppose the plans, thank you. Be in no doubt, it made a difference.
The huge chorus of outrage, led by disabled activists and supported by many others, reminded us once again that people power can be a huge and powerful force. We know lots of you have strengthened your relationship with your own MP through this issue, which has been great to hear. The past few months should also remind ruling politicians what happens when you don’t involve the people most affected by any given issue. You can only get the right policy if you talk to the right people.
Let’s be clear - we absolutely haven’t won. But nor have we lost. The uprising of civic opposition meant the Government applied the brakes just in time to avert an immediate disaster for millions of people. But we are still a long way from where we want to be. The Government lost its way and took the wrong course. We need it now to back up, pause, and work out with disabled people where we need to get to and how.
Britain’s social security system is a cherished national asset. It is a lifeline for some, helping them to get out of a crisis situation, and a safety railing for many, preventing people from being swept into crisis in the first place. It is there to enable people for whom life has been difficult or unfair to live with dignity and agency, and to live the best life they possibly can. And yet, instead of bolstering and investing in one of the country’s greatest assets, and despite its huge support among the public, successive Governments have steadily dismantled it, imperilling disabled people, and people on the lowest incomes. The United Nations has repeatedly had to sound the alarm bells, including again last week ([link removed]).
MPs have now voted on the current legislation, but there is a lot of work still to be done. The Government has promised that much of the detail, such as the eligibility rules for Personal Independent Payments, will now be subject to review. The Government has promised this review will be carried out with disabled people and disability organisations, but what this means or looks like remains to be seen. We won’t let up. Please don’t either.
If you’d like to read more about the detail of how the legislation was changed, see this article by one of our trustees, Richard Machin. ([link removed])
Best wishes
Liam Purcell
Chief Executive Officer, Church Action on Poverty
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Church Action on Poverty
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