radiofree.asia

Starmer’s sham concessions are a disgusting creation of a two-tier system

In yet another embarrassing u-turn, Keir Starmer has offered concessions to Labour rebels over disability benefit cuts. More than 120 Labour MPs have mounted a major rebellion against the proposed cuts. And, countless disability organisations and activists have repeatedly warned that the cuts will decimate the lives of disabled people.

Ahead of a major vote next week, Starmer has reached out to rebels with a desperate attempt to win their support. The government has proposed a major reform to Personal Independence Payment (PIP). As ever, it’s worth nothing that PIP has a 0% fraud rate and is not an out of work benefit. That’s in spite of the fact that this raft of disability cuts are being presented as getting disabled people into work. Now, Starmer has proposed the following ‘concessions’:

  • everyone currently on PIP will use the old points system, whilst new claimants will be subject to the overhauled points system
  • universal credit (UC) health element – the Limited Capability for Work Related Activity (LCWRA) component – will now rise alongside inflation, but again this appears to apply only to existing claimants, and those that meet the DWP’s new ‘severe conditions criteria’ as new claimants
  • increasing spending on employment schemes

Starmer’s sham concessions

This is Starmer’s third major u-turn just this month. But, this one really takes the cake. He’s proposed a two-tier benefit system that separates current PIP claimants from new ones. As the Canary has previously reported, the proposed PIP cuts will mean that the following people will no longer be eligible for support:

(a) assistance to be able to cut up food

(b) supervision or prompting to be able to wash or bathe

(c) assistance to be able to wash either their hair or body below the waist

(d) assistance to be able to get in or out of a bath or shower

(e) supervision or prompting to be able to manage toilet needs

(f) assistance to be able to dress or undress their lower body

(g) supervision, prompting or assistance to be able to manage medication and, or, to be able to monitor a health condition.

Starmer has some fucking nerve if he thinks that disabled people are going to be in any way convinced by a ‘concession’ that segregates disabled people based on when they applied for an essential benefit. Even before these proposed changes, PIP is a notoriously demeaning and difficult benefit to apply for. How exactly do the needs of PIP applicants change depending on Starmer’s desperate timeline to sway votes? If you can’t fucking feed yourself or clean yourself that shouldn’t be subject to a lottery based on when you apply.

On top of that, the very idea that the UC health element increasing alongside inflation is somehow a concession is batshit. If the UC health element doesn’t increase alongside inflation, that’s a pay cut for disabled people already living in poverty. However, the government has controversially worded the LCWRA to exclude people living with fluctuating conditions. And, disabled people have been begging the government to understand how expensive it is to be disabled. How will more money for employment help with that? If anything, it further demonises disabled people who cannot work. Starmer’s insistence on helping “working people” is a lazy conservative talking point. Does someone who cannot work deserve to starve to death? Should they live on the streets? For the avoidance of doubt, given the absolute fucking state of corporate capitalism: food and shelter is a basic human right that shouldn’t cost anything.

Widespread condemnation

Unfortunately for Starmer, these concessions are being seen for the farce that they are. Canary guest author and disability activist Laura Elliott said:

Journalist and disability advocate Lucy Webster decried the immoral decision:

Canary writer Rachel Charlton-Dailey made it clear that Labour rebels shouldn’t be convinced by any of this horse shit:

And, another person agreed:

Disability rights activist Abi Broomfield who launched a vital petition against the cuts – which is still running – said the concessions were entirely worthless:

Erin Ekins took the corporate media to task for parroting the government line without question:

That disabled people have to hang our hopes on MPs not falling for Starmer’s sham concessions:

Fix up

As usual, it was women of colour having a shred of decency. Diane Abbott said:

Nadia Whittome said MPs had no option but to block the bill:

Apsana Begum insisted the bill needs to be dropped:

Block the bill

Labour rebels face a choice next week: listen to disabled communities, or sell us down the river for party politics. Starmer may well be wobbling on a knife edge as leader of the Labour party with embarrassing climbdown after embarrassing climbdown. However, I couldn’t give less of a fuck if this does end up being a fight over whether Starmer has the support of the Labour party.

Before Starmer’s proposed cuts and changes over disability welfare, it was hell to be a disabled person in this country. Any welfare is accessed via the DWP who make it their mission to demean and demonise disabled people. We have a broken system that views disabled people as feckless, lazy, and simply requiring a push into work. So many of us live in debilitating pain with complex conditions, all whilst being failed and denied by a crumbling NHS.

With these proposed cuts and changes? People who are struggling to survive will not survive. Starmer is playing with people’s lives. MPs must continue their rebellion against him to avoid destroying lives. It’s beyond a fucking joke that we have to do this, but we must bombard our MPs over the weekend with the consequences of their decision next week.

Use this template from Taking the PIP to write to your MP, and urge them to block the bill. You can also join Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) for an in-person protest against the cuts outside Parliament on Monday 30 June:

Disability Rebellion, Taking the PIP, and Crips Against Cuts are hosting an online protest to coincide with this so chronically ill and disabled people can take action from home:

Any Labour MP that falls for Starmer’s sham concessions will be betraying their disabled constituents.

Featured image via the Canary

By Maryam Jameela

This post was originally published on Canary.