Protest taking place in Bideford against disability benefit cuts
It's ahead of a vote in Parliament.
Disabled people, carers and supporters are being urged to attend a protest in Bideford against proposed cuts to disability benefits.
The event will take place at Jubilee Square at 1.30pm on Monday ahead of a vote in parliament the next day where MPs will be asked to vote on the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill as part of welfare reforms.
Conservative MP for Torridge and Tavistock Sir Geoffrey Cox has been invited to the protest but says he can’t go because he will be in Westminster.
Campaign group Disabled Activists North Devon is appealing to him to vote against the proposals which will include tightening the eligibility of PIP (Personal Independence Allowance).
Under the changes, people will need to score at least four points in at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the PIP daily living component. This will be on top of existing criteria of accumulating eight points across all daily living activities to get a standard daily living award, or 12 points for an enhanced award.
The government wants to save more than £5 billion a year on benefits by 2029/30 and get more people with health conditions into work, focusing benefits to people with higher needs.
Disabled Activists North Devon claim the cuts will affect more than three million of the UK’s poorest and most vulnerable people.
“Government ministers will say that they want to help disabled people into work but people claiming PIP do work and use the benefit to access work,” said the group.
“Taking away this support could exclude them from employment.
“Disability benefits also help people to be independent in their homes, raise families and access healthcare. Cuts to vital benefits will mean people will become isolated, less able to work and suffer worsening health, putting pressure on already stretched services.
“Ministers will also say that they want to reassess claimants to ensure no one is claiming when they should not be, however the number of fraudulent claimants are miniscule.”
“All disabled people, carers and allies are welcome to come along and support the peaceful protest.”
National spending on PIP has increased to £26 billion compared to £22 billion in 2024.
Overpayments due to fraud were £100 million (0.4 per cent) and claimant error £190 million (0.7 per cent), significantly up from the year before but down on 2023.
Sir Geoffrey has offered to meet concerned Northern Devon residents at another opportunity. He said: “I know that reductions in disability benefits will not be easy for many of my constituents and I am scrutinising anxiously the detail of the government’s proposed reforms to welfare benefits before the vote on 1 July.”