So what does this election propose to solve this crisis? Despite polls showing that the public is more in favor of social security than in the past, and researchers concluding that “pro-welfare policies are more likely to be perceived favorably,” the major parties have failed to offer the radical policies we need, let alone take a principled stance.
As people wait anxiously for the party manifestos, the direction is clear – the Conservatives want to impose more conditionality, more sanctions and brand our communities as “welfare scams”. If the recent Green Paper consultation is any guide, their dangerous rhetoric may translate into even more brutal and harsh policy proposals in the coming weeks.
The Big Issue is calling for the eradication of poverty in this general election. Would you please sign our open letter to the party leader?
Given such clear demands for substantive reform, many will be surprised that the main opposition Labour party has proposed so little. So far, its leader has refused to scrap the cap on second-child benefit, which has already plunged 490,000 children directly into poverty. In January, the then-shadow work and pensions secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, announced that the welfare system overseen by his party would come with “conditions”.
That both parties can do nothing but threaten further sanctions and further conditionality is a clear sign that our system is in urgent need of repair. That’s why Geoff Phimister, policy co-chair of the Disability Benefits Consortium, told me late last year: “Ministers have so little confidence in what is being offered that they feel they need to resort to threats to encourage take-up.”
With little real change currently happening, the disability movement must unite and fight back. We can learn from the success of radical disability resistance over the past 40 years. As part of DPO Forum England, a grouping of disabled people’s organisations in England, we follow in this radical tradition and want to join in the action we are seeing across the country and unify our demands.
That’s why we came together to create a Disability Manifesto, with radical policy demands to overhaul and transform the system. Now, we as disabled people need to come together and demand that politicians embrace this manifesto by committing to creating a system underpinned by a new ethos of dignity, respect, trust and support. This system should be focused on helping people with disabilities live the lives they want, without sanctions, conditions or caps. That’s the bare minimum we deserve.
Mikey Earhart is Campaigns and Policy Officer at Disability Rights UK.