Lincolnshire Disabled People Against Cuts has written a statement that was sent and presented in person, by myself as a spokesperson for the group, to Labour MP for Lincoln, Hamish Falconer. 

He has refused to support our statement or requests below. 

Sign your name if you agree with us. This will then be presented to the Lincolnshire MPs who support the cuts.

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Our statement. 

We are writing this statement, to express our deep concern and opposition to the proposed Disability Reform policy currently being developed by the Labour Government.

The slogan “Nothing about us, without us” has long been a cornerstone of the disability rights movement. Yet, these reforms are being drafted and pushed forward without meaningful consultation with disabled people or disabled-led organisations. This is not just an oversight—it is a fundamental failure in democratic and inclusive policymaking.

The most alarming elements of the policy—those that threaten vital support for disabled people already in work—are being presented without debate, review, or transparent impact assessments. The stated aim of increasing employment among disabled people is fundamentally contradicted by actions that threaten to dismantle the very supports that enable many of us to remain in work.

Let us be clear: cutting support will not result in more employment. It will result in more poverty, more isolation, and a deeper divide between the disabled community and a society that claims to be inclusive.

The recent rise in disability claims is not a mystery. It is a direct consequence of public health decisions taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the previous government's embrace of a herd immunity strategy. The increase in chronic illness was predictable—and predicted. Punishing disabled people now for becoming ill due to those policy decisions is both unethical and cruel.

The current Access to Work scheme is dysfunctional and under-resourced. Worse still, the grant scheme that supported disabled people in becoming self-employed was scrapped in 2023, with no viable replacement. The idea that disabled people are simply not trying hard enough to find work is not only harmful—it is false. Many of us work, or try to, against immense barriers. Many volunteer because employment systems cannot or will not accommodate us. Others  are unable to work in traditional employment settings due to complex health needs, but run businesses around those needs.

We are constantly navigating costs—transport, carers, assistive tech, flexible schedules, specialist equipment—that non-disabled people never have to consider. Many of us rely on PIP not just to survive, but to work. If Labour intends to strip this support away, how does it propose to enable us to remain in employment?

After an in-depth search for remote, accessible employment that accommodates fluctuating health, hospital visits, and home-based limitations, we found one suitable job in the entire country. One. Where are the remaining 1.3 million disabled people supposed to work?

During the years of Conservative rule, it is estimated that over 330,000 disabled people died prematurely due to punitive government policy and welfare cuts. In contrast, Nazi Germany's Aktion T4 program killed 180,000 disabled people. Slow violence is still violence. The UK must reckon with the systemic harms it has inflicted. Some of us have been campaigning since 2014 for government accountability in what I believe amounts to a form of modern genocide. We have mourned friends lost to these policies. We wept tears of relief when the Tories were voted out—but we are in shock and horror that the Labour Party now proposes reforms that threaten to kill even more of us. You must understand the terror currently felt by disabled people who have lived through the consequences of government indifference and cruelty.

We are also deeply disturbed by the framing of this policy in terms of youth unemployment. To target an entire population of disabled people—of all ages—and justify this by citing the needs of one group is insulting and divisive.

Conclusion

We, Lincolnshire Disabled People Against Cuts, demand the following:

An end to the demonisation of disabled people in political rhetoric and policy.

A meaningful and well-resourced commitment to supporting disabled people into employment or self-employment before punitive measures are considered.

A public acknowledgement of the premature deaths caused by previous government policies, and a firm commitment to ensuring that no further “slow violence” is inflicted upon our community.

Recognition that not all disabled people can work—and that those contributing through voluntary work or in unpaid ways are no less valuable.

A guarantee that the Labour Party will work directly and continuously with disabled communities to create employment opportunities, support systems, and a society that values us as equal citizens.

We urge you to stand with us, not against us.

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So far only Conservative MP for Gainsborough, Sir Edward Leigh has spoken out in opposition to the proposed cuts.