More than 100 of the UK’s most high-profile disabled people, including Liz Carr, Rosie Jones, Ruth Madeley and Cherylee Houston, have called on the prime minister to abandon “inhumane and catastrophic plans to cut disability benefits”.
In an open letter to Keir Starmer before a planned Commons vote next month, they argue that the government’s plan to reduce eligibility to personal independence payment (Pip) and the health component of universal credit is a matter of “survival” and “basic human rights”.
“If these plans go ahead, 700,000 families already living in poverty will face further devastation,” they write. “This is not reform; it is cruelty by policy.”
The signatories warn Starmer the changes will “strip financial support from those who need it most”, deepen social exclusion and “increase disability-related deaths”.
Citing the way Pip is linked to a loved one’s eligibility for carer’s allowance, the letter says thousands of unpaid carers will lose income as well as “overwhelm local councils”, which often rely on disabled people’s Pips for social care.
“We have already endured a decade of austerity, disproportionate pandemic losses, and life-costing cuts,” the letter says of disabled people in the UK. “We, the undersigned, will not stand by while our community is sacrificed for the illusion of savings.” They add: “For us, Pip is not a benefit – it is access to life.”
The government’s plans, set out in a green paper earlier this year, would reduce the eligibility criteria for Pip – a non-means tested benefit designed to pay for the extra costs of disability – for an estimated 1 million people.
The sickness-related element of universal credit is also set to be cut, with MPs due to vote on that aspect in the autumn. Official figures show 3.2 million people could lose an average of £1,720 a year as a result.
Spanning the worlds of television, theatre, literature and the media, the signatories include the Adolescence writer Jack Thorne, the comedian Lee Ridley known as Lost Voice Guy, the actor Lisa Hammond and the broadcaster Sophie Morgan. The letter will be part of a wider campaign launched by disabled celebrities that aims to bring attention to the government’s proposed cuts. Using the hashtag #TakingThePIP, the organisers will ask deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people to share their experiences, contact their MPs, and “take a stand” on social media.
Houston, an actor and co-organiser of the letter, said she and others with a platform felt they “had to do something” to oppose the “barbaric” policy.
“I’ve heard so very many heartbreaking stories of the struggles people are facing, even before this latest round of proposed cuts. These cuts will devastate disabled people’s lives if they go through. These are lifeline benefits we are talking about, stripping away the ability for disabled people to live their lives. We want the government to listen, withdraw the cuts, and work with us to create a system that supports, not punishes, disabled people.”
The letter raises concerns about the government’s rhetoric around its proposals titled Get Britain Working. “Framing welfare cuts as ‘incentives’ to work implies that disabled people must earn their place in society through productivity – a dangerous narrative. Disabled lives are inherently valuable – whether someone can work or not,” it says. The signatories add that the Access to Work scheme now has a backlog of over six months, preventing many from working, while cutting Pip will make it harder for people to stay in work.
The opposition from leading disabled people comes as ministers face a rebellion from backbenchers over the plans, as well as condemnation from charities and unions. The partial U-turn over the winter fuel allowance last week has raised questions over whether other benefit reductions should also be overturned, with Unison urging ministers to “look again” at cuts facing disabled people as well as pensioners.
A government spokesperson said: “We are determined to support people in all parts of the country by tackling poverty and creating secure, well-paid jobs.
“Pip is a part of the way that we support disabled people and people with long-term health conditions. But with the number of people claiming Pip doubling since the pandemic, it’s right that we rebalance the system to ensure support is targeted to those who need it most.
“Alongside this, as part of our plan for change, we’ve increased the national living wage, uprated benefits, and are helping over 1 million households by introducing a fair repayment rate on universal credit deductions.”
