Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) is an organisation based in the United Kingdom for disabled people and allies to campaign against the impact of government spending cuts on the lives of disabled people. Formed on 3 October 2010 DPAC promotes full human rights and equality for all disabled people, and operates from the Social Model of Disability. [1] [2]
The 'Disabled People Protest' demonstration took place outside the Conservative Party annual conference on 3 October 2010 in the pouring rain in Birmingham, England. This was the first mass protest against the impact of austerity cuts to disabled people. It was also entirely led by disabled people, speaking out on their own behalf for themselves. Using this march as a catalyst, leading activists founded the organisation. [3] [4]
DPAC is a non-hierarchical organisation which grew organically from a small group of people who came together to plan an anti-cuts march in Birmingham. The current steering group was elected at the 2011 conference. [5]
There are 26 local DPAC groups, each one of which works within the DPAC constitution [6] but are generally autonomous and their members make decisions for those groups. [7]
DPAC currently has a formal membership of 1,500, with 2,500 members of the Facebook page and 4,500 followers on Twitter. Online activism has had a key role to play in the development of the group. While other groups were organising entirely on line, or alternatively making little use of new social media, DPAC developed an approach that enabled both approaches side by side which enabled greater numbers to take part. [8]
DPAC is closely affiliated with its sister organisation Black Triangle in Scotland. [9]
DPAC operate from the Social model of disability which sees disability as being created by the structures of society not the medical differences in a person's body. A very simple example of this is where a wheelchair user won't say that they can not get up the steps into the public building because they have a specific medical condition that prevents them from walking, rather, they are disabled by the lack of access ramps. Economic, political and cultural forces exclude those of us with impairments and long-term health conditions from full participation in society, limiting our educational, social, political, economic, health and cultural potential, well-being and participation. [10] DPAC supports full citizenship for all Disabled People and opposes all cutbacks and austerity measures which are currently hitting Disabled People 9 times harder than non-disabled people. [11]
DPAC oppose all austerity measures which are currently heavily impacting disabled people in the UK. These include the closure of the Independent Living Fund, Personal Independence Payment (replacing Disability Living Allowance), Employment and Support Allowance, the Children and Families Bill 2013 and the 'Bedroom tax'.
Ellen Clifford, of DPAC, explained the tactics used by the anti-cuts group in the Guardian, saying "No one who cares about social justice can work with a government that is intent on dismantling the welfare state, so disabled activists are having to find other means to try to stop what is happening. Legal challenges to reforms are one part of that... But legal challenges aren't an answer in themselves, and, as a form of campaigning, need to be run alongside other forms of awareness-raising, lobbying, protests and direct action. We need the 99% to stand up and say "We will not let this happen'"." [12]
DPAC have carried out a number of civil disobedience actions. The most notable of these actions follow. A blockade of Regent Street in London, January 2012, with UK Uncut. [13] [14] Blockade of Trafalgar Square in April 2012 [15] [16] A street blockade as part of a national Trade Union march in October 2012 [17] [18] April 2013 The 'Eviction' of Iain Duncan Smith [19] August 2013 DPAC members took part in the 'Reclaim the Power' anti-fracking protest camp at Balcombe, West Sussex to engage with training in non-violent Direct action, and emphasise the needs of disabled people for clean, affordable and sustainable energy. [20] [21] On 24 June 2015, activists angered by the ending of The Independent Living Fund for disabled people were prevented from accessing The House of Commons Chamber during PMQs. [22] [23] Members of Manchester DPAC chained their wheelchairs together to block the VIP entrance to the Conservative Party Conference in October 2015. [24] [25] In September 2016, DPAC protesters closed down Westminster Bridge for several hours to bring attention to deaths arising from government welfare 'reforms'. [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] In July 2017, the Lobby of Parliament was occupied and the main entrance to the Commons Chamber blocked, accompanied by chants of "No Justice...No Peace". [35] [36] [37]
In 2012, 2013, 2016, and 2017 have held a 'Week of Action' to highlight the impact of austerity and the cuts on disabled peoples lives. The Atos Games From Monday 27 August 2012 DPAC hosted a week of 'The Atos Games' which focused on highlighting the hypocrisy of the sponsorship of the Paralympic games by Atos – the same company that carries out the highly controversial Work Capability Assessments. [38] [39] Events included a spoof 'paralymic award ceremony', and the delivery of a coffin to Atos offices. On 30 August, campaigners staging a "die in" in Cardiff brought traffic to a standstill. [40] On the closing day of the event, a demonstration outside Atos head offices moved to the offices of the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) where protestors chained themselves to the main entrance. This event was marred with significant police violence. [41] [42] [43] [44] [45]
Reclaiming our Futures was the week of action held from 29 August to 4 September 2013 [46] to protest against the targeting of disabled people by austerity measures, and to celebrate the value, pride and self-determination of disabled people. The event features an on-line day of action launch, coinciding with the Torch Relay protest organised by Transport for All to highlight lack of accessibility on the new crossrail trainline currently being constructed. [47] Friday 30 August saw local protests across the UK, while Saturday 1 September features a day of art and music with a 'Disability, Art and Protest' exhibition, banner making workshop, poetry reading and gig. 'The Social Model in the 21st century' conference saw key note speeches by Debbie Jolly of DPAC, Professor Colin Barnes [48] and Ann Rae of the Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation (UPIAS). The week included a direct action outside the BBC to highlight biased representation of disabled people and promotion of 'scrounger rhetoric' and culminated on a march on parliament during which the UK Disabled Peoples Manifesto was launched. [49]
The 2016 Week Of Action was held to coincide with the Paralympic Games in London in September. Events included a pop-up guerilla art installation at Tate Modern, London, and the closing of Westminster Bridge by activists.
The 2017 Week of Action, in August, included support for RMT action to keep guards on trains, a protest outside ATOS HQ, and the blocking of the main entrance to The House of Commons Chamber.
In 2019, DPAC activists in Manchester and Sheffield started a campaign to have PIP assessments audio recorded, in response to reports of assessment companies recording inaccurate information during assessments and producing flawed decisions. [50] [51] Because the Department for Work and Pensions only allowed audio recording of assessments via CD and audio cassette, [52] the campaign raised funds to purchase the necessary audio recording equipment so that it could be loaned out for free to people facing PIP assessments. Activists stressed that while the initiative aimed to ensure greater accountability and fairness in the current process, the ultimate aim of the campaign remained to scrap work capability and PIP assessments altogether. The campaign was supported by Labour MPs including Dan Carden and Emma Hardy. [53] [54]
In 2020, The DWP committed to a new approach to "provide consistency for claimants across audio recording of work capability assessments and personal independence payment assessments". [55] On 30 September 2020, the DWP Secretary told the Work and Pensions Committee that assessors had begun audio recording assessments. [56]
Sir George Iain Duncan Smith, often referred to by his initials IDS, is a British politician who served as Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2001 to 2003. He was Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2010 to 2016. He has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Chingford and Woodford Green, formerly Chingford, since 1992.
The welfare state of the United Kingdom began to evolve in the 1900s and early 1910s, and comprises expenditures by the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland intended to improve health, education, employment and social security. The British system has been classified as a liberal welfare state system.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is a United Kingdom government department of His Majesty's Government responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. As the UK's biggest public service department it administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers. It is the second largest governmental department in terms of employees, and the largest in terms of expenditure (£187bn).
Atos is a European multinational information technology (IT) service and consulting company with headquarters in Bezons, France, and offices worldwide. It specialises in hi-tech transactional services, unified communications, cloud, big data and cybersecurity services. Atos operates worldwide under the brands Atos, Atos|Syntel, Atos Consulting, Atos Healthcare, Atos Worldgrid, Groupe Bull, Canopy, Maven Wave, and Unify.
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Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is a United Kingdom welfare payment for adults younger than the State Pension age who are having difficulty finding work because of their long-term medical condition or a disability. It is a basic income-replacement benefit paid in lieu of wages. It is currently being phased out and replaced with Universal Credit for claimants on low incomes, although the contribution-based element remains available.
Universal Credit is a United Kingdom social security payment. It is means-tested and is replacing and combining six benefits for working-age households with a low income: income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, and Income Support; Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit; and Housing Benefit. An award of UC is made up of different elements, which become payable to the claimant if relevant criteria apply: a standard allowance for singles or couples, child elements and disabled child elements for children in the household, housing cost element, childcare costs element, as well as elements for being a carer or having an illness or disability and therefore having limited capability to work.
UK Uncut was a network of United Kingdom-based protest groups established in October 2010 to protest against cuts to public services and tax avoidance in the UK. Various sources have described the group as left-wing in its political orientation.
The anti-austerity movement in the United Kingdom saw major demonstrations throughout the 2010s in response to Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government's austerity measures which saw significant reductions in local council budgets, increasing of university tuition fees and reduction of public spending on welfare, education, health and policing, among others. Anti-austerity protests became a prominent part of popular demonstrations across the 2010s, particularly the first half of the decade.
Personal Independence Payment is a welfare benefit in the United Kingdom that is intended to help working age adults with the extra costs of living with a health condition or a disability.
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The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) is used by the British Government's Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to decide whether and to what extent welfare benefit claimants are capable of doing work or work-related activities. The outcome of the assessment also determines whether claimants are entitled to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), or more recently, additional elements of Universal Credit (UC).
Disability in the United Kingdom covers a wide range of conditions and experiences, deeply impacting the lives of millions of people. Defined by the Equality Act 2010 as a physical or mental impairment with a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, it encompasses various aspects of life, including demographics, legislation, healthcare, employment, and culture. Despite numerous advancements in policy and social attitudes, individuals with disabilities often encounter unique challenges and disparities.
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The Disabled People's Direct Action Network (DAN) is a disability rights activist organisation in England and Wales that campaigned for civil rights with high-profile street demonstrations involving civil disobedience, rallies and protests.
Iain Duncan Smith served as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2010 to 2016. A member and previous leader of the Conservative Party, Duncan Smith was appointed to the cabinet by Prime Minister David Cameron following the 2010 general election and the formation of the coalition government between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. He was reappointed after the Conservatives won a majority in the 2015 general election but resigned in March 2016 in opposition to disability benefit cuts.
The Citizen Network Research, formerly the Centre for Welfare Reform is a Sheffield-based think tank which works globally on advancing citizenship for all. It was launched in 2009, changed its name in 2022, and has published a range of materials offering progressive innovations in welfare reform. It is not linked to any particular political party but is aligned with progressive politics in the UK and also works internationally. The Director and founder is Dr Simon Duffy.
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