Disabled people nationwide are taking part in protests across the UK against government spending cuts. The protests are being held in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Brighton, Leeds, Nottingham and Manchester. The organisation objects to benefit changes, including cuts in local service cutbacks and DLA disability living allowance.

Government ministers say the welfare system is currently failing people and that the reforms will see benefits go to the right people who need the benefits. Steve Winyard, co-chairman of the Hardest Hit coalition, says the “one single achievement” of disability minister Maria Miller is that she has united the disability movement.

Organisers are calling on government ministers to:

• ensure changes to disability living allowance DLA  – which currentley helps many to live independently – do not make disabled people in need of the benefit worse off
• make sure employment and support allowance, the successor to incapacity benefit, has a fair assessment, does its job and supports disabled people
• stop cuts to services which are essential to disabled people’s quality of life, such as day care, transport and respite care services
• make sure that the welfare system supports people with the additional costs of living with a disability.

A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions said the government was “absolutely committed” to supporting disabled people and would spend “more than £40bn a year on disabled people and their services”.

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