WinVisible women defending our benefit rights

A large crowd of mainly disabled people in a semi-circle on the grass in Parliament Square, with Houses of Parliament in the background. Many banners including DPAC, DPAC Ipswich and Suffolk, WinVisible, Unite Community branches.

On 18 July, WinVisible women took part in #DisabledPeopleDemand – a celebration of disabled people’s creativity and our demands for the new government, organised by Disabled People Against Cuts, with Recovery In The Bin, Bromley & Croydon Unite Community, Disability and Migrant Network (DAMN) and the Trans Safety Network. Labour’s insulting attacks on sick and … Read more

“You are owed some money” – winning back after PIP cut

WV logo -- a woman of colour's fist holds pound notes, inside a shape combining the women's symbol and Egyptian Eye of Horus, symbol of healing. In this case, the pound notes say PIP.

Ms X, a disabled single mum and survivor of domestic violence, tells how she secured over £5,000 backdated PIP which the DWP owed for her social support needs “mixing with people” – taking action from info about a legal case she read about online.  She could pay off energy bills and other debts hanging over … Read more

Grandmother with cancer wins cancellation of care charges debt

Women protesting outside a town hall building, most are disabled. Some hold the WinVisible banner. Others hold placards saying Care charges = Violence against women. We want free homecare as in Hammersmith & Fulham. No ifs, no buts, no care cuts.

A grandmother with cancer was pursued by Tower Hamlets council for £2,600 care charges arrears. Her debt was written off after our battle lasting over nine months, with various twists and turns.  Several times, WinVisible quickly had to write to the council asking them to hold off debt recovery, on occasions when she felt too … Read more

Sign the petition to ban forced prepayment meters for good!

A prepayment meter with payment key inserted.

Sign the 38 Degrees petition to ban the violent force-fitting of prepayment meters for good! After the temporary ban was lifted last year, immediately, some companies were breaking the code, by applying for warrants against mums with newborns and young children, who they claimed not to know about. Only an outright ban will protect us … Read more

Care charges — our Open Letter to Brent Council

WinVisible women holding our banner and placards at a protest against care charges.

16 December 2023 To: Cllr Neil Nerva, Cabinet member, Public Health and Adult Social Care cllr.neil.nerva@brent.gov.uk Andrew Davies, Head of Commissioning, Contract and Market Management andrew.davies@brent.gov.uk Open letterResponse to Brent Adult Social Care Charging Policy Consultation Consultation info We are writing from WinVisible (women with visible and invisible disabilities), a multi-racial grassroots self-help organisation, based … Read more

Wed 13 September: Mothers Manifesto hunger strike against child hunger

We’re supporting The Mothers Manifesto protest outside Parliament calling for action on food insecurity of children and mothers.  The Mothers Manifesto is a group of mothers and grandmothers from Cornwall and Devon who have travelled to London and camped outside Parliament and Downing Street on hunger strike to highlight children and mums going hungry because … Read more

Emma won care charges down to £4.19 a week

Thanks to My London news and reporter Joe Coughlan, read Emma’s story below.    WinVisible says: Our member Emma is severely disabled and won reduced care charges down to £4.19 a week, from £48.27, with our support.  She is due a cash refund from Bromley Council.  Bromley has privatised who decides care charges, so people … Read more

‘It’s a tax on disability’: rising UK social care costs force many into debt

Disabled people are paying “a tax on disability” by being forced to fund soaring care charges out of their benefits as the cost of living pushes care users into financial crisis . . . [WinVisible] said some disabled women are being coerced into sex by acquaintances after turning to them for care because they couldn’t pay care charges.