Summary
Manchester DPAC's statement after attending DWP consultation event on the Pathways to Work Green Paper
MDPAC Statement:
On Wednesday 7th May, Manchester DPAC and our supporters attended the DWP’s ‘consultation’ on the Pathways to Work Green Paper – which proposes slashing disability benefits by over £9bn pounds – at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Manchester.
We were not invited. The organisers made very clear to us they did not want us there. We told them that their consultation was a sham. It was not open to all disabled people who are angry about the cuts, and it was slated to only ask attendees about 10 of the 22 proposals in the green paper – leaving us no say over the cuts that will cost lives in our community.
By turning up to the consultation unannounced, we forced DWP managers to back down on their ridiculous set up. They tried to lock us out, by putting security on the doors and police in the lobby. We got in anyway. They tried to shut us up by saying they couldn’t talk to us now, but would come back later for a ‘separate’ (meaningless) conversation. We just got louder.
Eventually, they agreed that our delegation could join their meeting AND that we could run our own consultation on ALL of the proposed cuts – not the insulting Q&A their politician bosses had sent them to do. We insisted that their staff record the answers of all disabled people – whether from our protest or not – and take these back to their bosses in Westminster. After a heated argument, they agreed. We then spoke to other attendees about how dangerous these cuts are. Unsurprisingly, the other people in the room were as worried and angry as we are.
Our action proved that, working together, we can fight our way to the table. We encourage every DPO to show up to their local consultation and demand entry. We have a right to be in every discussion about our lives. We will happily share our experience with you to help your DPO plan this kind of action.
The government, and their lackeys, want to shut disabled people out from decisions about us. They keep the venues secret. They turn us away at the door. They have the gall to tell us what can and can’t be discussed. We refuse to have the door slammed in our faces. We will continue to disrupt, take over, or shut down every sham PR exercise by this disablist government until a truly co-produced and democratic process is offered to us.
And we reject the cumulative oppression of the Assisted Dying Bill which leaves up prey to euthanasia, The Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill which gives DWP powers of arrest and to spy on our bank accounts, the discriminatory Mental Health Bill and the attacks on our Trans members.
In solidarity,
Manchester Disabled People Against Cuts
Well done everyone who was involved in this and thank you all so so much for your work in making it happen, refusing to be locked out. The green paper is terrifying, they are removing money from so many people who have no other options and are going to be left in worse health, even to the point of death. They are trying to bully and harass even more people into unsafe unsustainable work and no amount of lies from Liz Kendall or whoever else speaks on behalf of the DWP will change that. There is barely any support for disabled people to access work, and most employers refuse to make changes or adjustments to help us stay in work when we’ve got it. So many of us are so unwell we struggle even to access the healthcare we need, which is also often not available, nevermind maintain our health well enough to be able to work. The Labour government are simply repeatedly lying about disabled and ill people, hoping that the non-disabled public are angry enough about their own situations that they fall for the scapegoat. The changes proposed in the green paper will k_ll people, and leave many many more in worse health than we were before.
This is abuse in any bodies book but to do this to those disabled is sickening and against human rights
I applied to go to the Glasgow session over a month ago and they refused me! I was gutted! I’m glad you guys got in! I’m so scared and worried of what the cuts are going to do to my life. My last job was given a lot of support from remploy and access to work and my company.5 doctors found me unfit for work, my go finds me unfit for work, my neuro rehab team found me unfit for work. I’ve been given an occupational pension because I’m unfit for work. I am deaf, partially sighted, I have a brain injury, hydrocephalus, a brain anuerysm and I’ve had a sub arachnoid haemorrhage in the past that nearly killed me. I have high pressure in my head,and chronic migraines where I get severe headaches, vomiting and a stiff neck up to several times a week. On top of this I have fibromyalgia, diabetes, hypertension, depression, anxiety, asthma, hashimotos thyroiditis and ibs. Im also incontinent.I’m cared for by my family.
When I did work because my employer made me go back after a year off for nuero rehab, I was a mess. I couldn’t see my computer and it took them 2 years to get a big screen, another year to get a screen magnifier and a double headset and hearing loop. I suffer from executive disfunction, I get very upset easily,I cannot concentrate for long periods and I often say the wrong thing that people who don’t know me might take offence at. The mental health support involved me filling out a form and I had one session with a my worker where I cried the whole time where I was so physically and mentally exhausted and my head hurt so much I was unable to talk. I was only working 3 half days a week. I’d get home from work and I’d fall asleep in my arm chair with my coat and bag and shoes still on. Often I would get on the wrong train because several trains were on the same platforms, I’d fall asleep and wake up somewhere I wouldn’t know with no idea how to get home. I was off sick for 4 years out of 5. Then the pandemic came along and they medically retired me. By then I was pretty broken, in so much pain and I was in bed for months with fibromyalgia pain and severe headaches. Even taking a shower required so much effort. The DWP made me attend interviews for months until I did the work capability test. Even my DWP job coach felt sorry for me, and after throwing up on her floor one day let me do phone interviews from home.
I still have a section of the brain anuerysmn that is unstable following surgery. This who business of potentially losing my pip, my home and any shred of hope I have has caused me so much stress. My blood pressure is up, I don’t sleep and the headaches are worse. I don’t want to have the anuerysmn burst again….because I might not survive it.
I don’t really score a 4 in any category. I’m so scared I’ll have to go back to work in another job where they don’t want me, where I’m constantly being told how to do the job better.