It’s been an anxious and uneasy few months for disabled people, with threats of drastic cuts to our benefits on the horizon. As always with the government, there’s been a distinct lack of clarity, even around when the legislation will be announced and debated – though we expect it to be before the actual consultation has ended, which tells you everything you need to know.
Here to not ease our minds in any way, is Rachel Reeves with the government’s spending review.
There was much speculation leading up to the spending review that DWP cuts could be softened and the reading of the welfare reform bill delayed, as the labour government is facing mass rebellion within it’s ranks from those who actually care. However there was no indication of this in the spending review- in fact there was no indication they’d considered disabled people at all.
There was a great deal promised in the spending review, and I use the word promised as I don’t believe all of it will come to fruition. More funding for schools, more housing, a big injection to the NHS and a more comprehensive and joined up transport system across the country. Support for young people, more funding to deprived communities, backing the high street and more British business for run down communities.
However there was one thing missing- there was absolutely no mention of disabled people, not just the cuts we face but absolutely no reference to us in any of the exciting new plans.
The spending review: everything but disabled people
In the housing announcement, whilst there was a commitment to social and affordable homes, there was no guarantee of how many of these homes would be accessible to disabled people. There are currently 104,000 disabled people on council waiting lists for accessible and adaptable homes, but Reeves has not announced how much will be earmarked to ensure disabled people are housed too. In fact her line that these will be “homes built for working people” pretty much cemented it.
There was huge support in the chamber for the spending review announcement that work will be done to make transport more joined up across the country. As someone living in the north east I’m always angry that it takes me longer to get to parts of Yorkshire by public transport than it does to get straight to London, which of course has a direct line.
However, despite growing awareness of how inaccessible public transport is thanks to Tanni Grey-Thompson and other campaigners, we were of course missed from the transport overhaul. It’s ironic that Labour is forcing disabled people into work, while with the state of public transport its impossible for many of us to actually get there.
It’s of course great that there will be more funding for school and the free school meals programme will be expanded. But again with disabled people left out of the equation there are some very obvious holes here.
‘Renewing’
I’m never going to be against free school meals, because they’re going to be needed more than ever if cuts come in and disabled parents cant afford to feed their kids- it could be the only meal a day they get.
Prior to the spending review in Prime Ministers Questions, Starmer was asked what he’d do to ensure SEND students didn’t fall through the cracks and that parents wouldn’t be prosecuted if their kids didn’t attend school as a result. His response was wishy washy as ever but he affirmed “I do think we are striking the right balance”, whatever that means.
There was a huge promise to inject more cash into the NHS, which its going to need when thousands of disabled people suddenly become a whole lot sicker as a result of DWP benefit cuts. Support for young people to get into work, but no mention of how young disabled people, who Kendall previously said were “Taking the mickey” would be supported.
The part I found the most insulting was the commitment to supporting deprived communities. Reeves said:
We are renewing Britain but I know too many people in too many parts of this country are yet to feel it.
This is very true and especially in working class communities, but contrary to what she believes this will not be made better by Labour policy, in fact working class communities are only going to struggle more if benefits are cut and the fall out will be pushed onto local councils who already have tighter budgets.
It’s all well and good promising to back the high street and bring more British business to the communities that need it, but when you’re pushing disabled people into further poverty, their local community will be hit hard.
Even the Tories slammed the spending review
Reeves punctuated her announcement by repeatedly stating that Labour was a government for working people, and that just says it all. At one point she affirmed “Priorities of this spending review are the priorities of working people.” Despite the fact that many disabled people do work, the government have made it clear that disabled people on benefits will be shut out of society.
As if all of this wasn’t horrendous enough, the opposition to Reeves speech was an even bigger windbag. Enter Mel Stride, former DWP Wet Wipe and now Shadow Chancellor.
Stride was loving every fucking second of how ridiculous Reeves’ announcement was, but unfortunately a lot of his retorts made sense. He bellowed:
Instead of proper reforms to PIP, their own plans are a rushed cost cutting exercise so rushed they even had to change them after they announced them and their own backbenchers are in full revolt.
It’s worth pointing out here though that Strides own welfare plans involved making PIP vouchers and socially prescribing loneliness support groups, whilst also cutting benefits.
The next Stride shit nugget made me feel sick at how much I agreed with him:
The drumbeat for U-turns pounding in her ears yet her tone today suggests all is well.
Because, as much as it pains me, Stride is right here (sick noises).
The spending review exposed Labour’s cruelty
Whilst there is rebellion brewing with Labour about benefit cuts, Reeves yesterday decided to present a perfect rose tinted plan of how much Labour was going to save Britain – as long as you completely disregard disabled people.
All in all Reeves spending review felt like putting a sticking plaster on a knife wound when the knife is still being twisted. No amount of extra funding for essential service will matter when the government are preparing to plunge hundreds of thousands of disabled people into poverty that will kill many of us.
The Labour government are trying their hardest to prove how much they will make lives better, but for disabled people their cruelty is all too clear.
Featured image via the Canary
This post was originally published on Canary.