New Green Paper Discussion - now includes accessible formats and consultation event sign up links!

THERE IS SO MUCH HOPE- 

Please read :

Yesterday, many of us felt low. I did too-for a moment. But then I reminded myself: we’re not powerless. We have each other, we have lived experience, and we have our voices.

We were building real momentum. And just like the nature of some our health conditions, we’ve had a setback -but that doesn’t mean we stop or lose hope.

 This green paper is not “reform.” It’s a cruel dismantling of our safety net(our lifeline!). It threatens vital health-related benefits like PIP, UC (LCWRA), and ESA. This battle is no longer just about proposals….it’s about survival. That’s why I’m taking this so seriously. That’s why I’m fighting.

We now have until 30 June to respond. 

Let’s email our responses instead. If you’re against these proposals, it may be better to avoid using the official consultation link (Microsoft Forms), which is recommended by the government. I personally felt the way it’s designed-with leading and limited questions-can lure people into a trap, nudging them toward agreement even when they strongly disagree.

Please compare writing this email to completing 3 PIP forms-yes, it’s a lot of effort , but it’s worth it. I’m offering a skeleton guide here to facilitate ongoing discussions . Build on it. Adapt it. 

This email should then be sent directly to the official Pathways to Work consultation email address:

Consultation.pathwaystowork@dwp.gov.uk

Please Trust your voice. 

(Note: I’m writing this as a disabled person myself. I have no legal qualifications. Like many of you, I’m deeply worried-for myself, my family, my children, and for disabled people both on and beyond the Scope forum. For me, this is a serious cause-one worth fighting for, because it’s about all our rights.)

Step-by-Step: Your Consultation Email Strategy

Subject Line:

Consultation Response: I OPPOSE the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper

1. Open with Your Story

   •   Say what you live with (physical, neurological, or mental health conditions).

   •   How long you’ve been impacted.

   •   What support you currently rely on (PIP? LCWRA? ESA?).

   •   What these cuts will do to you and your family.

Example: “I live with sensory-motor neuropathy, Adrenal Insufficiency,autonomic dysfunction, Ulnar Neuropathy and chronic pain. I am a parent, and I rely on PIP and LCWRA to stay afloat. These cuts threaten not just my stability-but the survival of my whole family, including my children.

2. Make it Personal and Real

   •   Talk numbers if you can: How much do you have left after bills?

   •   What do you skip? Meals? Heating?

Example: “After bills and rent, I’m £180 in deficit each month. These reforms will push me further into crisis.”

3. State How You Were Excluded from the Proposals/Consultation

• Did you attend a “public consultation” event? If not-why?

• Were you aware it was happening? Were the questions fair?

• What were your views on the proposals? Could you understand them? Were they clearly explained and inclusive?

“I was never consulted. Events were inaccessible or full. Crucial changes like PIP reform weren’t even included in the questions.”

4. Highlight the Legal Violations

Use these headings and examples if helpful-copy and paste directly:

Equality Act 2010

   •   Section 149 – No proper Equality Impact Assessment/Analysis .

   •   Section 19 – Indirect discrimination: Proposals hit disabled people hardest.

   •   Section 15 – Unfair treatment linked to disability. Everyone’s story will be different, so please explain yours clearly and honestly.

   •   Section 20 – No reasonable adjustments: Scrapping WCAs harms those with fluctuating/invisible conditions.

   •   Sections 26–27 – Harassment/Victimisation: Govt language/processes creates a hostile environment.

Administrative Law

   •   Procedural fairness breached-key changes weren’t in the consultation.

   •   No disabled-led design or transparent process.

Section 1 – Socioeconomic Duty

   •   Worsens poverty for carers, disabled people, and single parents.

Examples in Plain Language (Pick 1–2 to include in your email)

Use your own story, but here are some powerful examples I wrote - I thought it might help guide you:

   •   “I have ADHD and PTSD. No one asked how these cuts will affect me. I was excluded from the process from the start.”

   •   “I already skip meals. If PIP/WCA is cut, I won’t be able to feed my children.”

   •   “Being called a ‘mickey taker’, a ‘burden’, and being compared to children getting pocket money publicly -this is harassment, not welfare reform .”

   •   “These so-called reforms have created barriers and silenced me. I had no real option to explain how this would impact my life. That feels like coercion and intimidation.”

   •   “The consultation was filled with deceptive, leading questions that boxed me in. It felt like a trap. I was left helpless, alone, and voiceless.”

   •   “Without WCAs, my invisible condition won’t be understood. A form alone can’t capture the reality of my daily struggle.”

Please don’t lose hope. There’s strength in our voices and the government cannot silence us.

Please start preparing your email. Let’s try to channel our anger at the government into action-rather than giving in to fear or staying silent.

As @MW123 said, we are the experts in our own lives. We live this. We know this. There are thousands of us, and together, we are powerful.

Yes, the government is a force-but so are we.

Stay strong. Speak loud. Send your email. Let’s make the Government listen.

We will not be silenced.

Disabled voices matter.

In Solidarity ✊