Newham protest against Sir Stephen Timms MP, DWP minister for disability benefits

On Saturday 31 May, we took part in a lively community protest at Stratford Station against Sir Stephen Timms, minister for Social Security and Disability and MP for East Ham, who is bringing forward the proposed cuts to PIP and Universal Credit disability payment.

It was called by Disabled People Against Cuts with support from East London Unite Community, Stand Up for Your Rights and other groups, and attended by several independent councillors from East London. People gathered outside Stratford Station.

Cardboard cutouts of Stephen Timms and benefits thief Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who vowed to be “tough on welfare”! The cuts to disability benefits are actually estimated to be £9 billion not £5 billion, and would have massive knock-on effects for families and the community.

We remembered protesting to Stephen Timms about the “all work test” for incapacity benefit in the 1990s, when he was a DWP minister under Tony Blair. We highlighted what’s happening to women now under ESA to Universal Credit. We spoke about the impact on disabled women/of colour of the planned cuts to disability benefits, and disabled mums facing the threat of having our children taken by social services because poverty is seen as “neglect”. We can stop this!

People made really good placards — Financially disabled. Labour: Stop taking the PIP.

Trans rights friends took part in the protest, who we supported at the April demonstration against the Supreme Court ruling and in our comments to the Guardian against the segregation of trans people to disabled loos.

#TakingThePIP #WelfareNotWarfare