Many disabled people may be feeling gaslighted today
Amy Little
Amy Little, our Head of Advocacy, responds to the Prime Minister’s speech on welfare.
Many disabled people may be feeling gaslighted today. Within a minute of declaring that he "will never dismiss or downplay the illnesses people have", the Prime Minister spoke of "over-medicalising the everyday challenges and worries of life."
A lack of adequate mental health support, poor access to social care, and long NHS waiting lists are among the key reasons why not enough people are well enough to work.
Fixing these issues and providing tailored inclusive employment support, as well as better in-work support, needs to be the priority. Instead, disabled people are being demonised, accused of being work-shy and threatened with withdrawal of benefits. This is cynical and hugely damaging.
Government must listen to disabled people to formulate policy that truly tackles barriers to employment, rather than using harmful, stereotyping rhetoric.
