HARDEST HIT PARADE

Thousands of people, including many disabled, carers and those with long-term health issues, marched in London on Wednesday (11th) to protest against the chaotic cuts to disability allowances and the skewed process for assessing ability to work that could force some of society’s most vulnerable into unsuitable work – or poverty.

The ‘Hardest Hit’ march took place on the first anniversary of the Con-Dem government. The aim was to show the Coalition that it hasn’t gone unnoticed that while the bankers carry on with their corrupt and greedy ways, the cuts imposed on the population have left disabled people en masse an estimated £374 million worse off. This has a knock-on effect on people’s quality of life; the scrapping of the mobility component, for example, means those who rely on taxis to get out the house and socialise will be stuck indoors.

While Tory MPs repeat until they’re er, blue in the face that the current system is “failing people” (read: it doesn’t fit with their vision of a privatised lean, mean, small government machine), the message from the disabled masses was that it’s the government who are failing people – and they won’t get away with it.