LAST YEAR Keith Rushmore from Leeds went on hunger strike for 40 days to protest against the treatment of disabled people by the Benefit Agency Medical Service doctors and through the All Work procedures.
Fifty Activists from the Disabled People's Action Network and other groups picketed Downing street on December 22 in the famous 'red paint' action.
This protest gained a lot of publicity - partly because it was very dramatic but probably because it challenged the stereotype that disabled people are passive and long suffering.
Not a chance! It should be little suprise that disabled people are angry - and that some have developed a political approach that uses the prejudices againsi them and inverts them to good effect in such protests.
Forced to up their level of campaigning by these latest disgraceful attacks, disability groups are desperately short of money.
If you can make a donation - or get your trade union, labour party or other group to do so, or if you want further information about how to support the campaign against these attacks contact: Incapacity Action, 65 Casimir Rd, Hackney, London E5 9NU. 0181 806 6455 Disabled People's Action Network. 3 Crawley Rd, Wood Green, N22 6AN. condition was not sufficiently bad on the day of their All Works Test.
Even the application for Incapacity Benefit asks a staggering 96 questions about what the claimant is or is not able to do (including a question halfway through the booklet that asks if you are able to turn a In opposition Labour officially opposed these attacks. Now they are in government thev have changed their tune. Their document leaked in November of last year reveals plans to cut £2.5 billion of disability benefits by the year 2000, from Incapacity Benefit and Disability Living Allowance.
At the same time they plan to privatise BAMS, the hated Benefit Agency that runs the All Work Test. As if it wasn't demeaning enough to be seen by a doctor from the DHSS now disabled people will be examined and quizzed by a doctor employed by a private agency.
They also plan an assault on Industrial Injuries Compensation.
Socialist Qutlook Elkie Dee and Terry