Crips Against Cuts Bristol: Disabled People Take Action Against Disability Benefit Cuts
Disabled and d/Deaf people came together on College Green for a demo against national disability benefit cuts
Disabled people rallied across the UK this weekend, coming together to protest against the government’s planned cuts to disability benefits.
Crips Against Cuts, formed in the fall-out of this week’s announcement of the planned cuts by Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall.
Ahead of the action, Beth O’Brien from Crips Against Cuts London said the planned cuts were “nothing short of an assault on the dignity and rights of Disabled people in the UK.”
“Instead of punishing Disabled people, this Labour government must invest in sickness prevention, research and treatment, and address widespread inaccessibility, prejudice and abuse,” O’Brien added.
Co-ordinated action took place in Bristol on Saturday, as well as other locations around the UK – including Edinburgh, Manchester, Leeds, Exeter, London and Brighton.
The College Green rally in Bristol saw around 300 people meet to protest the cuts. Speakers included Green MP Carla Denyer and BAFTA nominated Film Director Sam Downie.
Major changes to disability benefits that have been proposed this week include:
- Changes to the scoring of the Daily Living part of Personal Independence Payment (PIP). In the future, Disabled people must score 4 points in a single activity instead of accumulating the 8 points across a variety of activities.
- The health element of Universal Credit will be frozen for those already claiming. Those making new claims from April next year will get a lower health element.
- Disabled young people will get Disability Living Allowance (DLA) – a benefit with lower rates than PIP – until they are 18. Those aged under 22 will no longer be able to claim for the health top-up on Universal Credit claims.
- The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) will be stopped in 2028, replaced by the PIP assessment, which is already incredibly stringent.
- Contribution Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) would be merged with Job seeker’s Allowance into Unemployment Insurance. This is a new time-limited benefit.
Over a million Disabled people are expected to be affected by the cuts. Personal Independence Payment is a benefit for Disabled people that are both in-work as well as those who are unable to work. It supports people with the extra living costs associated with a long-term physical or mental health condition, neurodivergence or disability.
Crips Against Cuts say that ‘enough is enough’. Over 100 Disabled people have already been driven to suicide by the ‘cruelty’ of benefit cuts and years of austerity.
They continued: ‘Anyone can become Disabled. All it takes is one illness, getting older, one accident at work. A harsh benefits system drives down wages for everyone, because it makes people too scared to quit when faced with unfair workloads, pay cuts or bullying managers. The rich and powerful want us divided and ruled, persecuting the hardest up in society, calling us “scroungers” while they walk away with the profits.’
Labour Member of Parliament for Bristol East, Kerry McCarthy told followers on Facebook on Friday that worried residents had contacted her over cuts to disability benefits.
She said: “Many constituents have contacted me with their concerns over the Government “Pathways to Work” Green Paper which was unveiled this week.
“The benefits system as it stands is a mess. It fails both those who want to work, and those who cannot. It is in urgent need of reform, and there are many good ideas within the Green Paper including the scrapping of the Work Capability Assessment, increases to the standard allowance of Universal Credit, and bringing in a “right to try” jobs without the fear or having to start again on your benefits application if it doesn’t work out.
“I understand how worried people are about some of the proposed changes. It was good to hear the Minister confirm that PIP will not be frozen and will not be means-tested. There are proposals to change future eligibility for PIP – but these will be put out for consultation, and any changes would not come in until November 2026.”
One resident replied: ‘I’m ashamed to have voted Labour. The cuts to PiP will be devastating to me and hundreds of thousands of others. PiP is a dehumanising, horrific experience as it is and you make it harder.
‘The irony of your office assisting me with PiP right now, as the government you are part of is preparing to cut it back would make me laugh if it wasn’t so tragic.
‘The “consultation” is a joke btw.
‘Never thought it would be a Labour government who demonised disabled people.’
Another said: ‘Cutting the health top for under 22s is shocking. Is my 20 yo who is blind and quadriplegic meant to get a part time job?’
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