Disabled celebrities urge Keir Starmer to scrap ‘inhumane' benefit cuts
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.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
29 minutes ago
- The Sun
Coronation Street star goes Instagram official with her new boyfriend just weeks after revealing romance
A CORONATION Street favourite has gone Instagram official with her new boyfriend and praised her man for "blessing my life." The ITV actress posted a gushing tribute to her other-half in a series of social media slides celebrating his 23th birthday. 7 7 7 7 Cait Fitton, who plays Corrie 's Lauren Bolton, had teased her mystery man weeks ago, after telling fans she'd received a Jellycat cuddly toy gift from "my boyfriend." Now the 23-year-old screen star, who had admitted she wanted to be in Corrie since the age of five, has returned the favour, arranging for a series of 23-shaped silver balloons to fill his room as well as a happy birthday banner. She added the sweet caption: "A day celebrating you." Deciding not to name her partner, she then posted a series of snaps showing happy moments together, including them glammed up as well as holding hands. Cait then wrote: "Happy birthday to my man. "Thank you for blessing my life." The soap star, who joined the show back in 2022, has decided against revealing her partner's identity. OFF SCREEN Cait's life away from the Weatherfield cobbles recently came to light. She is originally from Lancashire and ventured into performing arts at the age of three. While it's clear Cait has a talent when it comes to acting, having also starred in Doctors, she's also a great singer. My teacher asked me what I wanted from life when I was five-years-old – I said 'I want to be in Coronation Street' She previously wowed her followers online after posting a clip of her singing a rendition of Ben E. King's Stand By Me. Cait always had her sights set on Coronation Street, previously telling us she told her entire class in school how she wanted a role on the ITV soap. She spoke exclusively to The Sun and said: "The teacher asked us, 'What do you want to be when you're older?' Children were saying 'a fireman' or 'a nurse', and I said, 'I want to be in Coronation Street'. "I remember all the teachers were amused, they couldn't believe it. I watched it religiously." Corrie's 15 most popular characters in 2024 Dee-Dee Bailey - 214 episodes - 1st Nick Tilsley - 178 episodes - 2nd Toyah Habeeb - 163 episodes - 3rd Leanne Battersby - 156 episodes - 4th Carla Connor - 145 episodes - 5th Sarah Platt - 144 episodes - Joint 6th David Platt - 144 episodes - Joint 6th Kit Green - 138 episodes - Joint 8th Daniel Osbourne - 138 episodes - Joint 8th Bethany Platt - 138 episodes - Joint 8th DS Lisa Swain - 128 episodes - 11th Steve McDonald - 126 episodes - 12th Roy Cropper - 125 episodes - 13th Billy Mayhew - 121 episodes - Joint 14th Bernie Winter - 121 episodes - Joint 14th When she announced her role on Corrie, Cait paid tribute to the family members she's sadly lost over the years. She wrote: "My younger self is screaming right now!!! I want to say a big thank you to all the cast and crew at @coronationstreet for inviting me in with open arms and making me feel so welcome! "Thank you to my amazing agent Brooke Kinsella at @intertalentactors for constantly supporting me and always pushing me to achieve." Remembering family members who have passed on, she continued: "Also a massive thank you to my family and friends who have supported me throughout this process and been with me along the journey so far! I dedicate this role of achievement to my family who were huge fans of the show but unfortunately are no longer with me, but I know if they were, they'd be bursting at the seams!" CORRIE FUTURE Meanwhile, back on the ITV soap, Cait recently exclusively told The Sun how the soap will feature a game-changing episode based on its younger cast. Fans have seen Lauren caught up in an epic disappearance plot and her connection with the wicked Joel Deering. She spoke to The Sun at the British Soap Awards where they revealed the "different" twist that would be rocking the soap. Cait told us: "There is gonna be something quite different in the near-near future where we see all the younger cast come together. "We really enjoyed that because nine times out of ten you don't really get to see people unless you are working with them. "Working with people our own age has been so much fun. "It was two weeks of us non-stop altogether." She then joked: "I felt sorry for the crew and directors by the end of it but it was so much fun." 7 7 7
Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Keir Starmer backs strike by Trump's US on Iran saying its nuclear weapons are 'a grave threat to international security'
Keir Starmer this morning gave British backing to strikes on Iran 's nuclear capabilities by Donald Trump 's America. The Prime Minister said that Tehran's atomic programme was 'a grave threat to international security' after bombers dropped 30,000-pound 'bunker buster' bombs on the Fordow nuclear facility. Sir Keir added that the US had taken action to 'alleviate that threat', having previously urged Trump to use diplomacy instead, warning that military action could cause wider ramifications. Trump last night claimed the attack using B2 steal bombers had been 'a spectacular military success,' something Tehran denied. Reports from the US suggested that the bombers flew direct from the US rather than using the joint UK/US base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. In a statement this morning Sir Keir said: 'Iran's nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security. 'Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat. 'The situation in the Middle East remains volatile and stability in the region is a priority. 'We call on Iran to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis.'
Telegraph
36 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Britain's defeatist attitude ‘has led to reliance on foreign labour'
A 'defeatist' attitude to getting young people into work has left Britain over-reliant on foreign labour, the Business Secretary has said. Jonathan Reynolds hits out at the 'casual' approach taken to packing key sectors such as healthcare, construction and manufacturing with imported workers. In an interview with The Telegraph, he says the UK is 'vulnerable' to global events because 'tremendous skills gaps' have opened up in the domestic workforce. His intervention comes as Labour prepares to publish plans on Monday on how to boost the number of young Britons taking up jobs in areas like defence. Mr Reynolds will publish a 10-year blueprint to train up thousands more school leavers and 'end the over-reliance on foreign labour' in the economy. It comes after new analysis from Oxford University's Migration Observatory showed the proportion of migrant employees in the UK has risen from 12 per cent a decade ago to just under one in five now. At the same time, the number of young Britons who are not in employment, education or training (Neet) has risen sharply to one in seven. The Business Secretary said that the Neet statistic was 'appalling' and that people too often felt that skilled jobs had 'not been available to them and their children'. 'If on key areas the argument is 'we just have to import talent in that sector, we can't train people, we haven't got the money, we haven't got the capacity', I think that's too defeatist and we've got to address that,' he said. 'We cannot have a vibrant, diverse economy, we cannot have a very strong manufacturing base, unless we've got the skills for it and that's why we can't be casual about just importing that.' Monday's industrial strategy announcement will include plans to open a new generation of technical colleges and fund 'cutting-edge' courses in defence and engineering. It will also set out how the Government plans to be more interventionist, 'rather than leaving industry to fend for itself and let the markets decide'. Mr Reynolds said it will help 'ensure British workers can secure good, well-paid jobs in the industries of tomorrow'. He acknowledged that the historically high level of net migration over recent years 'doesn't have public consent' and has created a 'lot of anger'. It was important to remain 'very pro talent coming to the UK' but also ensure migration was 'not the only way we're meeting those skills needs', he added. 'If you think about the tremendous gaps we've got in the skills pipeline in construction, in engineering, defence, that's the reason why the wider sectors that we've picked for the strategy have these packages in there. 'We are vulnerable when the whole world wants these things. I feel previous governments have assumed it doesn't matter if we make anything in the UK – I think that's wrong.' Mr Reynolds said that 'the country has failed' the almost one million 16 to 24-year-olds who are currently classed as Neet. There is 'not just an economic argument' but 'a moral one as well', he said, adding that 'it's a tragedy' if people aren't getting the right opportunities. He backed the proposed £5 billion cuts to benefits, over which No 10 is facing a big Labour rebellion, arguing that 'we've got to be addressing these issues'. 'No young person, unless they obviously have a significant disability or are genuinely not in a position to work, should be choosing or [be] in a position where they're not going into employment or education or training,' he said. 'I go around, it doesn't matter whether it's creative industries, advanced manufacturing, services, energy, and think I'd love my kids to work in any of these sectors. 'I think the number of young people who are Neet is appalling. I don't know how we've allowed that to happen.' Mr Reynolds said the industrial strategy should be judged on whether it helps school leavers 'understand that there are major careers, good jobs for British people'. 'The skills are about new careers for thousands of British people. Business needs that, I think the country needs that,' he said. 'Part of the conversation this week has been about the number of people on disability benefits in the UK, some of whom are in work, I do recognise that. 'But we've we've got to be addressing these issues for business, and we've got to be addressing them for people's lives themselves.' He also insisted that, whilst defending UK industry, the strategy will not represent 'nostalgia for the past' or a 'protectionist and 1970s orientated' approach. The Business Secretary, who has recently struck landmark trade deals with the US and India, said he would take a more cautious approach with China. He said that he has repeatedly brought up the dumping of steel on the global market at below production value in 'candid' discussions with Beijing. 'Whatever people think of the US administration, they have a point on the reciprocity of trade, if one part of the world is producing a lot of what the world makes and doesn't consume itself a reflective share of that,' he said. 'These big global imbalances, this isn't really how the global economy is supposed to function. 'So an obvious thing for us would be, is a country like China willing to let our brilliant service industries operate freely as we allow some countries to operate in the UK? That's a question for China.'
