Minister shares post that branded her own government’s PIP reforms ‘dangerous’

The minister for disabled people has refused to explain why she shared a social media post that described her own government’s disability benefit reforms as “dangerous” and accused ministers of “demonising” disabled people.

Mims Davies, who has been minister for disabled people for just four months, shared the post by a disability charity on Tuesday.

The previous day, her government had launched proposals for cuts and reforms to personal independence payment (PIP) that were branded a “brutal, ideological attack” on disabled people’s support (see separate story).

Under the plans for England and Wales, which are now out for consultation, ministers are considering making it harder to claim disability benefits and replacing cash-based payments with vouchers or one-off grants.

Tuesday’s Twitter post, by the disability charity Scope, which was reposted by Davies, said: “Proposals to curb Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and change how people are assessed as unfit for work are dangerous.

“Disabled people and people with mental health conditions must stop being seen as the problem by this government.

“Share your views, and sign the petition to tell the government to stop demonising us.”

The PIP proposals followed a speech last month by the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, which led to him being accused by activists of whipping up hostility towards disabled people, and demonising and scapegoating claimants of disability benefits.

Sunak had announced a faster rollout of universal credit to disabled people, and an end to what he called a “sicknote culture”, among other reforms to social security.

Disability News Service (DNS) contacted Davies’s parliamentary office yesterday (Wednesday), but when editor John Pring started to read out the tweet, a staff member said: “I actually don’t have much time right now, we’re really short of staff so I need to crack on with that, all right?”

When Pring said it was important, because Davies was the minister for disabled people, he said: “Yeah, but I can’t deal with it right now, right, thank you, bye,” and hung up the phone.

After DNS followed up with an email, Davies’s chief of staff, Sarah Davies, refused to comment, and wrote: “As you have written regarding Mims’ role as the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, your approach has been forwarded to her DWP office.”

DNS emailed back to say that by sharing a social media post that was highly critical of the government’s position she was not acting in her ministerial role, and asked if Mims Davies was about to resign as minister for disabled people.

Sarah Davies had not responded by noon today (Thursday).

A DWP spokesperson also refused to comment, but referred instead to a response to the Scope post that Mims Davies appears to have made several hours after she had shared the charity’s tweet, in which she said: “Really keen we hear all views on this consultation – its absolutely an open consultation to hear disabled people’s views & those with a health condition – its so vital this is what people hear & engage with – I know people want to be heard & understood & is whats at the heart of this.”

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