Former Strictly judge Dame Arlene Phillips said: ‘Our social security system should be rooted in justice and compassion, able to be there for us all…cutting disability benefits is shameful’
Stephen Fry, Arlene Phillips, Brian Cox, and Stanley Tucci are among celebs today calling on ministers to rethink massive welfare cuts.
They warn the controversial decision to slash £5billion from sickness and disability benefits risks pushing even more people to food banks. The former Strictly judge Dame Arlene branded the changes “shameful”.
It comes amid growing anger among Labour MPs at the scale of the cuts unveiled by Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall on Tuesday. Most of the savings are expected to come from tightening the eligibility to a key disability benefit – Personal Independence Payments (PIP) – with between 800,000 to 1.2million people estimated to lose entitlement.
Calling for a reversal of the proposals, actor Sir Stephen said: “Cuts should be for people who can best afford them, not for disabled people, who are amongst the most vulnerable and overlooked of all our population.”
The former BBC QI host, who was knighted earlier this year for services to mental health awareness, has often spoken about his own experience with bipolar disorder. He added: “The social security system should be rooted in justice and compassion, fairness and need. It’s not too late to rethink this.”
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The actor is among high-profile stars who have joined forces with the anti-poverty charity Trussell to urge Keir Starmer’s government to change course. Former Strictly judge Dame Arlene Phillips said: “Our social security system should be rooted in justice and compassion, able to be there for us all, especially when we need it most. Cutting disability benefits is shameful.”
Comedian Rosie Jones, who has cerebral palsy, also said: “Disabled people are scared of what the future holds”. Succession actor Brian Cox, who has previously detailed his own experience of poverty, added: “The fact that so many people are having to turn to food banks is a stain on this country.
“This government vowed to tackle the need for emergency food parcels in the UK, yet this decision risks even more people having to seek support. It makes no sense and will have a lasting impact on the lives of so many people already finding it difficult to afford life’s essentials.”
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Hollywood actor Stanley Tucci, who has encouraged people to speak out about the risk of the cuts, said: “It breaks my heart to know so many people in a country as wealthy and developed as UK are experiencing hunger. Through my work with Trussell, I know that the reality of these cuts will be parents in disabled families having to skip meals so that they can feed their children. Things don’t have to be this way. We must shout as loud as we can to let the UK government know this plan is wrong.”
Others backing Trussell’s call to rethink the cuts are Jed Mercurio, the writer of BBC hit-series Line of Duty, entrepreneur Levi Roots, actresses Aisling Bea and Charlotte Ritchie, and musician Guy Garvey.
Trussell, which oversees food banks across the country, has branded the cuts “cruel, irresponsible and out of touch” with what the public want. Polling by YouGov for the charity this week also suggested 60% of voters believe the government is doing badly on reducing the number of people experiencing poverty.
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