Protestors in Winchester have said they fear people will die if welfare payments are cut by the government
On Saturday, April 26, people gathered outside the Winchester Guildhall to protest the cuts to welfare, including the changes to the personal independence payment (PIP) – claimed by 3.6 million people in the country.
Under the proposals, the assessment for PIP will be tightened, potentially affecting around 800,000 people according to the Office for Budget Responsibility.
READ MORE: Charities and health experts warn welfare cuts could cost lives
Winchester residents were joined by people from as far as Portsmouth and Salisbury at the protest.
Poppy Harrison, a student at the University of Winchester, said her life would completely change without the PIP, which helps pay for her wheelchair.
She said: "It's already so difficult to get a PIP claim accepted. My first one was rejected because I'm not on any pain medication.
"I want people to understand that without my PIP money, I would be completely bed-bound, I would not be able to live. It gives me the independence to live the life of a 21-year-old."
"Without my chair and PIP, I would be out of a job. It is not enough to tell disabled people to get a job, people who receive PIP work and the PIP helps them work."
Luna said: "It is not about giving extra money to people, it is about equality. If I don't book my taxis in advance, I cannot get into town. I am stuck, and it's only a five-minute drive."
She added: "Many people on PIP already work, but it shouldn't be about that. You shouldn't have to prove your worth. Not everyone can work, but there are ways people still give back to their communities, like volunteering.
"There are people at home who want to work, but there aren't jobs that are accessible. They could have created accessible jobs for people to discuss the cuts, but they didn't.
"There is a huge lack of accessible jobs within the government. What should employers do if the government aren't making itself an example?"
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Delfi said: "It is essential to be here today. This narrative that all disabled people are out to get benefits is just not right.
"We are a conscious community, none of us wants to be taking something away from someone else.
"We have never been a society that sees disabled people as real people, we judge people based on their fiscal worth. It's the idea that you have to prove your potential in order to be kept alive."
Felix, from Portsmouth, was joined by their mother, Sarah Seymour. The King's Somborne resident said: "I have disabled friends who cannot be here, I wanted to stand up for people who are invisible and cannot be here; instead, they are struggling at home.
"I think the government should do something different, like increase taxes, it will have an impact, but not as catastrophic as taking away PIP."
"There are so many people who need financial support, I know someone who took their own life because their application was rejected. It can be the difference between getting a wheelchair and getting to live.
"If the PIP is cut, more people will die. People have already died."
Winchester MP Danny Chambers joined the protestors, he said: "There are over 30bn unpaid taxes in the UK, we should not be making life harder for people are disabled. We should stand up to the cuts."
