On the first anniversary of the coalition government tomorrow, more than 40 charities will take to the streets of London in protest against government spending cuts affecting disabled people.
The 'Hardest Hit March' has been organised by the UK Disabled People’s Council and the Disability Benefits Consortium with charities including Mencap, RNIB and Sense taking part.
Around 10,000 people are expected to attend the march in Westminster to tell the government not to cut benefits such as Disability Living Allowance or services such as transport, day care and respite care and to improve the Work Capability Assessment.
At midday a rally on Victoria Embankment will see a speech from Labour MP Anne Begg. President of Arthritis Care Jane Asher will also join representatives from the disabled community and speakers from National Autistic Society and Parkinson’s UK on the soapbox before the march to Dean Stanley Street.
After the march individual campaigners are expected to lobby their MPs at Westminster Hall.
Earlier this year the government published the Welfare Reform Bill with the intention of simplifying the benefit system.
Under these plans, by 2013, the Disability Living Allowance would be replaced with a Personal Independence Payment where claimants would have to undertake regular assessments.
Protesters claim that an estimated £9bn of income will be lost to families affected by disability or illness over the next four years due to this and other cuts within the bill, including a £2bn cut to the Employment and Support Allowance.
