We know that the Government’s proposed benefit cuts will make our lives as Disabled people even more precarious. These cuts will impact all areas of our lives, including our right to physical activity. We have written a template for you to email your MP, explaining why they should vote against these cuts. You can find your MP and their contact details on the Write to Them website.
All you have to do is copy this email in, and add any experiences you might want to share in the brackets on the 6th paragraph. The Government just U-turned on their cuts to winter fuel payments, we must keep being heard so they do the same with these disability cuts!
Template Letter to MP
I am writing to you as a Disabled person deeply concerned about the Government’s proposed disability benefit cuts. I urge you to vote against the reforms in the Green Paper: Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working.
Disability benefits such as the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and health element of Universal Credit are absolute lifelines for Disabled people like me. According to Scope’s research, Disabled households on average need an additional £1,010 a month to have the same standard of living as non-disabled households.
On top of this landscape, the Green Paper proposals will make 3.8 million Disabled people financially worse off, with over 350,000 more Disabled people forced into poverty by the proposals.
One of the many results of these reforms is the detrimental impact it will have on Disabled people like me’s right to physical activity. Physical activity is largely inaccessible for Disabled people currently, with 41% of us participating in less than 30 minutes of activity a week. We know the hugely positive impact sport can have on our lives and wellbeing – from better mood and sense of community to improved health outcomes and mobility.
As a Disabled person who is physically active, I know how crucial the support afforded to Disabled people by Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and other benefits is in enabling us to be active, participate in activities that improve our health and mental wellbeing, and engage with the community. The wider personal and societal consequences of this cannot be overemphasised – preventative health measures tackling root causes of inequality are always the most effective.
[Optional: example of your physical activity and how it has improved your life]
Physical activity is just one element of our lives that these cuts will impact, and I can say with certainty that these reforms will only widen all existing economic, health and social inequalities further.
These cuts can’t be mitigated or tweaked. Just some of their consequences:
- Increased Barriers to Job Access & Retention
- Potential Impacts on the NHS
- Greater Demand for Rehabilitation & Physiotherapy
- Higher Risk of Mental ill-health and distress
- Increased Demand for Home Care & Personal Assistance
- Negative impacts on Carers & Family Members
- Reduced Ability to Work Due to Worsening Health
Changes to the social security system must uplift Disabled people, and any reforms should be co-produced by and with Disabled people and those directly impacted. I am writing to ask that you consider those who are most silenced in society – vote against the cuts to ensure that Disabled people can live their lives without fear or poverty.
Yours sincerely,
Share!
Be sure to share this template with other Disabled people and organisations who want to oppose the cuts.
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