Glasgow DWP offices picketed by disability activists
The consultation, held between 1 and 4 PM, has been labelled a 'sham'.
There has been anger over proposed cuts. (Image: Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco) A statement released by Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) said: 'We are protesting because the consultation does not address the cuts which will have the most devastating effects and frames questions so they can only be answered positively.
"This means they can tell Parliament the DWP consulted people who would be affected and no major issues were highlighted.'
'Among the elements not consulted on are changes to eligibility for PIP, combining assessments for PIP and the UC health element, and freezing the UC health element. The questions are worded so any answers must agree with the premise that some people must lose benefits.
Security officers stood outside the building. (Image: Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco) 'Despite the DWP knowing how many people currently being supported will lose that support and how many people are claiming for specific conditions, this information is not provided. Consultees are expected to answer without knowing who will be affected.'
A consultation in Cardiff was cancelled after the government became aware it was going to be protested, according to DPAC.
The statement added: 'We should not be manipulated and used to legitimise a process which will lead to significant harm and, in all likelihood, deaths of disabled people.'
Labour has blamed the previous government for a faulty benefits system they say is costing too much.
In the forward to the green paper announcing the plan, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall wrote: 'We simply can't justify spending this much on a system which is failing on all counts – failing young people, failing disabled people and people with health conditions who need it, failing taxpayers and denying people the opportunities and support they need to get back to work.
'We must grasp the nettle and decisively reshape the benefits system towards being more proactive, more pro-work and sustainable.'
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