12 hours ago
More than 100,000 people sign Scope's petition against government disability cut
Volunteers from learning disability charity Scope today handed a petition to the government with the voices of 100,0000 people opposing the cuts to welfare and PIP.
Today, members of the charity gathered at Downing Street after receiving the backing of people across the UK and the disabled community.
In March, Labour announced plans to save £5bn a year by overhauling the welfare system, plans which have been called 'barbaric' by campaigners.
Volunteers for the charity included Rachel Batton, 53, from Cardiff, who, if the government papers are given the green light, her PIP cuts would be halved.
She told Metro she was 'really scared' about the future and in 'constant stress waiting on tenterhooks' awaiting what cuts the government is going to make.
Rachel has classical type EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome). EDS impacts Rachel by causing joint and muscle pain, easy bruising, frequent dislocations, and severe fatigue.
She also has Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which further affects her mobility and fatigue.
She said she felt 'resilient' but that there was a 'black cloud' over her everyday.
She said: 'You feel like you're walking through treacle, just because your symptoms are getting worse and things and your pain is getting significantly worse.
'I can't remember a time when my pain was as bad as this, because I'm stressing about it every single day.'
Rachel receives Personal Independence Payment (PIP) at the enhanced rate for daily living and the standard rate for mobility.
Without PIP, Rachel would not be able to afford to manage the extra costs she is faced with.
It's like, it feels like this is a tick box exercise, and the decision has already been made, and they're not going to change their mind but we've got to try.'
'It's like, it feels like this is a tick box exercise, and the decision has already been made, and they're not going to change their mind but we've got to try.'
Rachel has a number of disability related extra costs and the amount of money she is about to receive from the government is going to be halved, she said.
She needs frequent hot baths and consistent heating to manage her symptoms. Fatigue and mobility issues make food preparation difficult, so she relied on more expensive pre-cut ingredients and ready meals
Scope said in the petition: 'Needing more financial support is not a choice. Disabled people often live in pain and in fear of losing vital support.
'After years of rising prices, many disabled people are already on the brink. Cutting disability benefits will deal another catastrophic blow to disabled people's lives.'
Jessica Leigh, campaigns manager at disability equality charity Scope, said: 'We're here to urge the government to drop these catastrophic plans to rip billions from the welfare budget.
'Life costs a lot more when you're disabled, and these cuts will have a devastating effect on disabled people's health, ability to live independently or work, as in Rachel's case.
'Without PIP, she won't be able to afford the things she needs to manage her conditions and the pain which comes with them, meaning she could no longer be able to work.
'The government must listen to disabled people and change course.'
Last year, Scope research found that on average, disabled households need an additional £1,010 a month to have the same standard of living as non-disabled households.
If you want to find out more information about the petition visit:
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