Summary
The Government is talking about plans to take money away from young disabled people.
Disabled people are telling the Government it's wrong.
Graphic by DPAC Cymru – no AI used
In South Wales last week, Disabled people, including DPAC members and allies, asserted control of the Timms Review workshop to send a positive message of defiance.
Why?
‘Whitehall sources’ are briefing papers about possible future disability cuts:
– Removing the health element of Universal Credit entirely for claimants under the age of 25.
– A separate PIP system for under-25s with “reduced or withdrawn” entitlements.
Prior to this, Stephen Timms was frank that he still intended to cut some or all health and disability benefits for under-22s.
It is easy to feel afraid, upset and powerless when politicians talk about our lives like this. That’s why Disabled people need to make our own headlines.
In an indicative vote at our Timms Review workshop, we made clear our total opposition to any cuts aimed at young disabled people.
We said to tell Timms that those plans needed to be dead and buried.
We also discussed other groups of people that the Government demonises, like disabled migrants.
We unanimously approved our own positive counter-recommendation:
“The PIP process must work for you, whatever age you are, whatever condition or impairment you might have, whatever class you are, whatever ethnicity you are, whatever your circumstances.”
If the Government picks this fight with young disabled people, they will lose. Again.
We won’t leave anybody behind: an injury to one is an injury to all.
We urgently call on all disabled workers to hold the TUC General Council to account over its cowardly abdication in failing to implement TUC 2025 motions 38 and 39, and for individual trade unions to commit to emergency action.
