CALLING ALL DISABLED PEOPLE IN AND AROUND CHESTER … EMERGENCY PUBLIC MEETING … JOIN THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST CUTS IN BENEFITS AND SERVICES FOR DISABLED PEOPLE … MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD!
The government’s Welfare Reform Bill will soon be passed. Disabled people will face the means testing of Incapacity Benefit after 12 months and the abolition of Disability Living Allowance. About 8 billion pounds a year will be cut from benefits for disabled people. Cuts to the NHS and local authority budgets, and the threatened abolition of the Independent Living Fund are further examples of how disabled people are paying for a crisis we did not create.
Disabled people have campaigned long and hard against these cut backs. The ‘Spartacus’ Report, prepared by disabled people themselves, destroyed the government’s arguments for welfare reform. Disabled People Against Cuts in London have blocked off Oxford Circus. And there have been regular protests at the offices of ATOS, the government’s contractor for cutting disability benefits through fake ‘medicals’.
These protests are making a difference. More people are passing the ATOS medicals. Minor changes have been agreed to the Welfare Reform Bill. And the campaign of hatred in some of the press against benefit ‘scroungers’ has been slightly toned down.
But we need more. Chester MP Stephen Moseley has said he wants to know about any disabled people affected by the cuts – we need to tell him, in numbers and in public. We need local protests against press hate campaigns. We need campaigns to support local disabled people affected by the cuts.
Above all disabled people themselves must speak out against all cuts to their benefits and services whenever and wherever they have an effect. We must not suffer in silence.
Disabled People Against the Cuts is a national campaign set up by disabled people to make sure our voices are heard. Come and join us at our Chester public meeting
WEDNESDAY 29TH FEBRUARY, 12.30 pm – 3.00 pm
QUAKER MEETING HOUSE, FRODSHAM ST, CHESTER.
Refreshments available. All disabled people and carers welcome.
