It is truly a terrifying time to be disabled in the UK.

Last week, the assisted dying bill was passed by MPs at the very same time as welfare cuts and specifically huge cuts to personal Independence payments or PIP were being “consulted “ on. It speaks volumes to us about how important we are seen, with this timing.

Most disabled charities are against the bill in its current form as they say it puts our lives in danger and is a bad bill. The fact the govt are trying to reduce disabled benefits at the same time, when disabled people are far more likely to be in poverty, is abysmal.

What is really sinister even evil, though,  is the misinformation being peddled by the Labour government. Even the prime minister himself doesn’t seem to understand that PIP is claimed by disabled people to pay for essential bits of kit or other expenses we incur just by being disabled, and is not an unemployment benefit. And that lots of us who need PIP do in fact go out to work.

MS Society research says that 94% of PIP claimants with MS are worried the proposals will worsen their MS symptoms such as fatigue, and that 41% of Pip claimants with ms are at high risk of losing all or some of their money.

But most worryingly, 31% of PIP claimants with MS who are in work, say they will be forced to stop work if they lose their PIP.

This is because PiPis often used by people to for example, occasionally pay for a taxi to get to work if they’re too exhausted to walk  or lack the mobility to get the bus or can’t afford a car. Or they use it to pay for extra physio or counselling to keep well and able to work.

I myself had to use Access to work and PIP funds in the past to pay to have my car adapted, as I needed a car to get to work at that time, and the adaptation was going to cost me over £1000.  If I had not been able to have my car adapted, I wouldn’t have been able to have a job.

Like many disabled people, I now use PIP to help pay for weekly physio/ mobility appointments, without which I would become more immobile faster and a burden on my family and the state.

Of course in an ideal world, I would get these sessions on the NHS, but you are only eligible for a physio course of six weeks on the NHS.

But the government and Liz Kendall claim these measures are to get us back into work? They are proposing cutting PIP which actually enables people to go to work and live decent lives, and also slashing the access to work fund, which is a fund to help disabled people get and retain jobs.

These measures together prove the government are not telling the truth, and far from caring about disabled people, all they want is an easy target to strip funds from us, rather than going after the rich and tax cheats .

Shame on our government, and shame on Liz Kendall.

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I would like to personally wholeheartedly support Heather Rawling,  who is fighting Leicester City Council against £100 fine she received for breaching antisocial behaviour laws.

Whilst it is essential that we have laws to deal with antisocial behaviour, it is profoundly undemocratic and ablest to target people in this way.

This is because small campaigning charities and small political parties simply can’t afford to pay fines like this, and setting tables up is one of the few ways we have to reach out to the public. We often won’t know until we’re actually on the spot , where is the best place to actually set a table up or where best to reach the maximum number of people, but we always make absolutely sure it causes minimal disruption. Unlike the council themselves, who have form in putting up barriers or street furniture, with seemingly no account of the needs of disabled people.

 I myself am disabled, and when I have stood for political office or highlighted issues relating to disability rights in the city, I have been unable to door knock due to my disability, so I set up pop-up tables to meet people.  I want to hear their issues  and this is one of the few ways open to disabled or older people to campaign.

To the council, I would say I have raised this issue with you in the past and pointed out the antidemocratic nature of this law, and called on you to use common sense.

 I would also say please release your equality impact assessment which you should legally have undertaken before putting in place this change, because it unfairly impacts on disabled and elderly people. 

Good luck Heather. 

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Whilst it is brilliant to hear the transport secretary is making a huge cash injection into bus services, Leicester City council and our Mayor mustn’t squander this opportunity.

Too often, the council spends money on fripperies and window dressing , like the railway station refurbishment , which will not give us disabled loos as promised, any extra platform capacity or lower our extortionate fares- the highest in the midlands.

A friend  wanted to take the bus on Saturday from Clarendon Park to Fosse Park, which is about 3 miles. By bus it was going to take an hour and a half on two or three buses, so she had to take a taxi. It’s such a waste.

What we actually need is fast reliable cheap bus services, that go cross the city, not just to the town centre.

Please help with this, Mayor Soulsby, and show some leadership via the tools the council already have .

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Not only this, but on Leicester Green  Party checking  how many of the 135 houses and flats will be fully or partially accessible homes, we were initially told by the deputy mayor and Saffton councillor Elly Cutkelvin that  none would be !!

Leicester Greens reminded the council it is a legal requirement that at least 10% of any housing development is accessible. This is the absolute minimum all developers must do, so, were the proposals implemented in their current form, the council would be breaking the law. 

Not only this , but the council should be aiming far higher than this, and leading the way with accessible, climate resilient and zero carbon affordable housing.

The council hastily confirmed there would be the minimum 10% accessible housing, but Ursula Bilson from the Green Party said:

“There are people across the city needing accessible council housing who are being let down and excluded, and are told there is no suitable housing available.
The waiting time to have existing council homes adapted is nine years, and it is much cheaper to build accessible in the first place , rather than adapt.”

Hospital Close gives the Council an opportunity to show the way and ensure all of the houses are fully accessible or built to “homes for life“ standards, which allow for easy cheap renovation  so that elderly and disabled people can stay in their homes.

It is really disappointing the council are creating a new refurbished  estate beside a special school, which can’t house many of the children at that school. What message does this send to the community?

The Green Party policies supports higher levels of accessible , warm and climate ready housing for all.”

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