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Cut-outs of Stef, Mary and Sydnie. Text above says: "Labour said they would put disabled people at the heart of everything they do. But instead they have shoved us to the very edges."

Activists have called for the disability minister to resign, after an “awful” meeting where he took no interest in what they had to say.

Cut-outs of Stef, Mary and Sydnie. Text above says: "Labour said they would put disabled people at the heart of everything they do. But instead they have shoved us to the very edges."

Stef, Sydnie and Mary, three disabled women working with the charity Church Action on Poverty met Stephen Timms MP earlier this month.

The meeting was part of the Government’s professed consultation on huge cuts to Britain’s social security system, which will sweep millions of disabled people into deeper poverty. One member of the group joined online, and two attended in person along with two members of staff from the charity.

The group had prepared moral arguments and evidence for why the cuts will not achieve the stated goals, but the Minister showed no interest in the evidence, asked no questions and scarcely engaged with what the group had to say. 

When one of the women passed out at the end of the meeting, Mr Timms walked out without even checking whether she was okay, and the zoom link to her friend who could have given medical advice was disconnected.

Church Action on Poverty is now writing to Mr Timms, expressing disappointment with how the meeting unfolded, and including a briefing paper the group had prepared. 

Mary: It was awful. I passed out; he walked out

Mary, who is also carer for her adult autistic son, said: “Stephen Timms and the Government need to understand that we (disabled and chronically sick people) are coming from a place of fear. I felt that in that room, facing that man and hearing what he had to say, that I had to justify my right to live.

“I felt such a deep fear for my son. What will happen to him when I die?

“The meeting was awful. He used a lot of our precious 30 minutes with over-long ‘answers’, he wasn’t interested in anything we had to say. He absolutely was not in the room to listen to us.

“There was no care, understanding or basic empathy for the group he is supposed to represent.

“Faced with a group that included three people with long term chronic conditions and disability, he refused to take on board anything that was said to him. He doesn’t care that Labour’s cuts to disability benefits will drive vulnerable people further into poverty. He knows this. He said it would create a culture change, but the fact that people will die because of these cuts doesn’t matter.

“At the end of the meeting I passed out through simple exhaustion. He didn’t even wait to see if I was okay. He walked around me lying on the floor to exit the room.

“What people like Timms need to realise is that being disabled costs money. The support we need to live with some dignity, to go to work or contribute to our community does not come free of charge either in terms of cash or physical/mental cost.”

The group at the first meeting, last December

Sydnie: This proposal will not cure us

Sydnie added:  “For a person with a complex disability (having multiple disorders, illness etc) and who is neurodiverse, this proposal will not cure us or make us able to work, and there isn’t one or two simple reasonable adjustments that can create this so called curing of people’s complex disabilities, hidden or not.

“We said that employers cannot afford to pay for or risk hiring such people. Timms had no reply, no eye contact and showed no remorse, no empathy or willingness to comprehend something he clearly doesn’t understand. 

“Bear in mind this was a meeting as a part of the consultation. There was no engagement, no questions asked of our situation, he did not listen. He talked straight away about needing to save money, even though we pointed out it’s breaking equality legislation.

“I referred to him as ‘shameful’, and said that he should resign, show a true stand for all disabled people, for their human rights and their rights to self-actualisation, to have a life worth living.

“After we poured our hearts out, gave him stats and figures and gave him hard very open honesty to how this will affect and end many, Stephen Timms still looked at us with a blank expression and said he believes changing PIP and access to work through job centres will work, saying it will make people change their ways.

“The whole affair is rigged, we know this but we have first-hand knowledge of this now.”

Stef Benstead with a copy her book, Second Class Citizens, which looks at the way the UK has breached disabled people's human rights
Stef pictured previously, with her book exposing the UK's mis-treatment of disabled people

Stef: We expected him to believe in protecting the poor

Stef said: “We had hoped (expected), in attending the meeting, to find that Stephen Timms was conflicted in regard to his party’s plans, and that we could help him move towards resigning his ministerial position and rebelling against the Government as the principled and right course of action. 

“As a Christian, we expected Timms to have a strong belief in protecting the poor and needy, and as a long-standing MP with substantial experience in the DWP, we expected him to understand the lack of evidence in support of Labour’s plans and the substantial evidence about the harm they will cause both to sick and disabled people and their carers, and to the economy and society more widely.

“We were surprised to find that Timms seems to genuinely and strongly believe that employment support, when provided by Labour, will have a profoundly different impact to the support provided under Conservative governments. There is no evidence to support this claim. 

“We were surprised that Timms seems to genuinely believe that the Health Element of Universal Credit needs to be cut because of ‘perverse incentives’, despite such incentives having no bearing on whether a person is assessed as fit for work or not. 

“We were also surprised that Timms argued both that PIP needs to be cut because it’s ‘unsustainable’ – which in essence means that sick and disabled people are an unsustainable burden on the country – and that cuts won’t be as severe as projected and that’s a good thing, even though he also thinks that the cuts do need to be severe. We couldn’t get any recognition of the inconsistency of this position from Timms.

“In a half hour meeting there wasn’t time to push back properly on any of Timms’ claims.

“It is hard to believe that an MP of his standing and experience could genuinely believe Labour’s lines on these cuts. But it seems that he does, and it’s difficult to know what evidence or anecdotes Timms needs to persuade him differently.

“The cuts proposed to the social security system for sick and disabled people have no justification.

“They are deeply immoral and should be opposed by all Christians and those who know anything about disability, chronic illness, social security, and work. The fact that Timms appears to genuinely support these cuts, given his long experience in this arena, is genuinely baffling. I urge Timms to listen to his conscience and to God, to resign from his ministerial position, and to stand with sick and disabled people in opposing such dangerous cuts.”

Stand with Mary, Sydnie and Stef

Earlier in the year, more than 300 Church Action on Poverty supporters endorsed Mary, Stef and Sydnie’s message by contacting their MPs and calling on them to oppose the immoral cuts. We will continue to speak out, and call on all churches and Christians to join us.

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Let's End Poverty logo: text in black, with a pink triangle logo

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A collage of five photos of Church Action on Poverty events over the past 28 years

Niall Cooper is stepping down after 28 years at Church Action on Poverty. He reflects on some remarkable highlights.

Niall in front of a Pilgrimage Against Poverty banner

How did you first come to be involved in Church Action on Poverty?

Niall: “My university degree had been in politics and religion, and I knew that I wanted to do that work – not just study it, but to do it. My passion was how the churches could make a difference.

“I worked on a project called the Churches National Housing Coalition, in 1991. I had helped set it up and Church Action on Poverty then took it on. I was doing community work in Hulme in Manchester at the time, and housing was the main issue.

“Then a few years later in 1997, the then director Paul Goggins was selected to stand as an MP, and I was appointed as director.”

What are some of your stand-out highlights?

Niall: “I think they come into four categories:

  • the big supporter moments
  • the really big policy wins
  • the moments of impact in local communities
  • and witnessing the inspiring activism of people with lived experience of poverty.

Supporter moments

“The two big supporter moments were the Pilgrimage Against Poverty in 1999, and the Tax Justice bus tour in partnership with Christian Aid in 2013. In 1999, we organised a nine-week pilgrimage from Iona to Westminster. Six people walked the whole way, but thousands of people joined along the route, for a mile or a day or a week.

“It was a significant thing for people to be part of, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We took a political message and it was amazing – we had a big rally in Trafalgar Square, a service in St Martin-in-the-Fields and the six people who had walked all the way met with the Chancellor, Gordon Brown. 

“Then the Tax Justice Tour was amazing as well – we took a double decker bus around the country, engaging people in conversations. Both of those things really engaged people behind a powerful message, and created space for conversations.”

Above: The Pilgrimage Against Poverty reaches London, in 1999. Below: the Tax Justice Tour bus, in 2013
A traditional red double decker bus, for the tax justice tour

Big wins

“For big wins, I’m going to pick out two. The first was around financial inclusion work, under the New Labour government. We had meetings with a senior Treasury civil servant and we produced a report making the case for investing in affordable credit, as a result of which the Government then invested £120 million into credit unions. 

“The other big win was the campaign with Thrive Teesside, around irresponsible high-cost lending. That was led by the women of Thrive over the best part of ten years, with our support.

“The Government was not initially interested, but we built up a coalition with about 80 backbench MPs, and that persuaded the Financial Conduct Authority to properly regulate high-cost lending, and as a result several million pounds in compensation was paid to customers of three main lenders. And because their business model was then broken, that really saw them off.

A black and white photo of inflatable sharks being thrown in the air, outside Parliament

Community impact 

“Along with Oxfam, we introduced Participatory Budgeting to the UK and got the Government to fund us to set up a unit that advised local government. This resulted in over  120 participatory budgeting projects in local communities around the country, each involving hundreds of people – so tens of thousands of people had a direct say in how pots of money were spent in their communities. The Scottish Government then enshrined that approach in law in Scotland.

“A second big community impact success has been Your Local Pantry. We took a very local idea and have enabled 120 communities (and counting!) to open Local Pantries, which are bringing people together through food, and enabling great things to happen. The characteristic of both of those areas of work is that they empower communities to have control and dignity and agency.”

A Pantry member holds a basket beside a volunteer; both smile towards the camera

Seeing lived experience campaigners rise up 

“I draw huge inspiration from activists who have refused to give up – people like Wayne Green, Sarah Whitehead and Ashleigh May.

“Wayne spoke at the first National Poverty Hearing in 1996, and is still involved now. Sarah started off as a participant in one local project and now runs Community Pride in Salford, advises Joseph Rowntree Foundation and has trained and supported lots of other people to speak up. Ashleigh [pictured below] was made homeless and moved by her council 200 miles away from her community, but has been determined to speak up and create a space for other people, using her experience as an inspiration for making change.

“There are many other amazing people I could talk about as well!”

Ashleigh sitting in a Parliamentary committee room

What big changes have you seen - and what hasn't changed?

Niall: “People’s belief in political solutions has shifted, and certainly the harshness of the DWP at the moment is more brutal than ever. People who don’t experience poverty do not realise just how punitive and brutal it is. That punitive nature of Government systems has got worse. 

“As the state has pulled away, we’ve seen churches, charities and communities stepping up. Covid was the biggest example of that, where people stepped up. That trend has been for good and ill. Compared with 30 years ago, so many more churches are doing so much more, but there is still a pervasive attitude in places that it’s about tackling poverty one person at a time, individualising the problem and the solutions. 

“One of the things that has endured is the nature of poverty. As Wayne Green said in the 1990s, “poverty is a battle of invisibility and being blamed for society’s problems”. The context has changed, but that is as true now as it was then.

“Another area where we have made strides is in the growing recognition of the importance of prioritising lived experience voices. The Dear Prime Minister letters last year exemplified that – we were able to gather 12 to 15 people, well supported by six or seven organisations around the country, and that would not have happened ten or even five years ago.”

A row of people sitting behind a curving table, with a Let's End Poverty banner behind

What is your parting message to UK churches - and what are your own plans once you step down?

Niall: “The big task for churches is helping build a powerful movement in which people do feel they have agency, dignity and power, and in which they have enough allies to push back and say ‘enough; we are not going to take this any more’. Churches should invest in that, rather than sticking plaster solutions.

“As for my next steps… Well, in my 60s, I’ve started fell-running, and have just done the Yorkshire Three Peaks race, and I’ll also have some time for seeing family and travelling.

“I’m going to have a bit of a break and reflect on what I have learnt, but I am not stepping away from the anti-poverty movement. This is still what I am passionate about, and I still want to keep in touch with some of the amazing people I have met, but I also want to find out what’s the next challenge I can do.”

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Meeting the minister

19 new Pantries are reaching thousands of people

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Cut-outs of Stef, Mary and Sydnie. Text above says: "Labour said they would put disabled people at the heart of everything they do. But instead they have shoved us to the very edges."

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SPARK newsletter summer 2025

Let's End Poverty logo: text in black, with a pink triangle logo

Let’s End Poverty: what comes next?

Wayne stands in front of his portrait

10,000 miles and counting: Wayne Walton’s fight to end homelessness across the UK

Wayne Walton estimates he has walked more than 10,000 miles alongside homeless individuals. Now, he’s calling for national action—urging the entire UK to wake up, mobilise, and demand solutions.

“That’s what homeless people do,” he says. “You never know how much you’ve walked, but with everything I’ve done, I’d be surprised if it were less.”

Determined to see homelessness not just reduced but eradicated, Wayne Walton is launching a nationwide movement. He’s encouraging people across the United Kingdom to stand together, demand accountability, and help fund a mobile emergency unit to assist people in crisis.

Wayne stands in front of his portrait
Wayne Walton in front of his portrait, at the launch of the Dreams and Realities exhibition in 2024

Wayne: It's a nationwide crisis

Homelessness is a national emergency, with rising numbers in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow—and virtually every town across the UK. Government figures show that rough sleeping has surged since the pandemic, yet support systems remain broken and underfunded.

Wayne Walton believes it’s time for bold action, led by people with lived experience—not just policymakers and charities. He urges cities and communities beyond Yorkshire to join the fight.

“We cannot wait for another crisis. In March 2025, homelessness is worse than ever. The government keeps making false promises, but nothing is changing. We need a nationwide awakening.”

Walking through hardship: Wayne's journey to advocacy

Wayne Walton’s personal battle with homelessness began in 2019, when violence and racism drove him from his home in northeast London. With nowhere safe to go—and his social security payments stopped—he was forced into rough sleeping.

He soon discovered that up to 100 people a night were sleeping in a shopping centre, relying on faith groups for food. That moment shifted his perspective forever.

“Standing in that queue, I felt like I shouldn’t be there. But then I realised—this is exactly where change begins.”

Determined to help, Wayne Walton connected people with aid organisations, gathered a team of Christian activists, and petitioned the government in December 2019—only to be told homelessness couldn’t be solved even in a decade.

Then, in March 2020, the pandemic proved them wrong.

Wayne: The pandemic showed solutions are possible

Within three weeks, the UK government rolled out the “Everyone In” policy—placing thousands of rough sleepers into accommodation. The same Government that had claimed this was impossible for ten years had solved the issue in days.

Wayne Walton became a key part of this emergency response, volunteering at 5am daily to help homeless individuals find shelter. Alongside activists, he even helped set up a temporary village for those missed by councils—transforming an abandoned dairy into shelter with donated blankets, tents, and supplies.

When local officials tried to shut the effort down, media exposure forced them to accommodate those in need. Wayne Walton stayed for a year, distributing aid via a donated minibus.

Expanding the mission beyond Yorkshire

In 2021, a family tragedy sent Wayne Walton overseas. When he returned to the UK, his sister in Sheffield encouraged him to stay for a while—a move that unexpectedly reshaped his mission.

While walking Sheffield’s streets, he felt a spiritual calling—a divine push to finish the advocacy work he had started years before.

Since then, Wayne Walton has developed counseling and evangelism programs, helping homeless individuals nationwide navigate local services. He continues to move between sofa-surfing and rough sleeping, yet remains driven by faith.

“I have hope. That’s what Jesus gives us. God has a plan.”

Wayne's plan for a mobile emergency unit

Wayne Walton’s next step is big—a van-based emergency unit capable of reaching homeless individuals across the UK.

“Too many people can’t get from A to B, can’t transport their belongings, and can’t access support. A mobile unit would change that.”

He recalls helping a blind ex-Muslim man struggling with trauma and anxiety—terrified to leave his home. A mobile response team could bring care directly to people like him.

This is not just about Sheffield—it’s about every city, every town. Homelessness is not a regional issue, it’s a national crisis.

Wayne Walton urges the public across the nation to step up and push for real change.

“Einstein said insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results. The government’s approach isn’t working—people have the answers.”

How you can get involved

Wayne Walton’s group meets every Friday at Barker’s Pool, Sheffield, S1 1EF (6pm-9pm), inviting individuals to organise change beyond Yorkshire. He’s calling for people from all across the UK to join.

They aim to:

  • Fund a mobile emergency unit
  • Organise rallies nationwide
  • Demand government accountability

The movement’s WhatsApp group has 75 members, and supporters can email:

praiseuk3@gmail.com

ukcities4christ@gmail.com

Upcoming national events

  • May 25: UK Prayer Festival at Barker’s Pool, Sheffield
  • August 23-25: National Rally—Praise UK (Christian music festival)

“We are seeking the greatest sustainable revival movement in the history of God. We pray daily at 8am, calling the UK to pray together for an hour—asking for sustainable change.”

Help Fund the Mobile Emergency Unit – Donate Today!

Wayne says: “Homelessness is a national emergency – we must act now! We’re raising funds to create a mobile emergency unit that will provide direct support, transport, food and urgent care for rough sleepers across the UK.”

  • Donate today.
  • Share & spread the word!
  • Join us in Sheffield every Friday!

Homelessness isn’t inevitable—it’s preventable. The UK must wake up and demand real change.

Together, we can make a difference. Thank you for standing with us!

It was awful: what happened when we met the disability minister

SPARK newsletter summer 2025

Let’s End Poverty: what comes next?

Vacancy: Chief Executive

Faith, justice & awesome activists: Niall reflects on his 28 years

In a queue, and newly homeless, I realised: this is where change begins

Legacies: invest in a future without poverty

Sharing Power to Shape Mission

Activists work to shape policies of the future

Are churches losing faith in low-income communities?

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The activists Speaking Truth to Power in York

We’re listening!

Briefing: New Government data further undermines its cuts to UK’s vital lifelines

The church must be at the heart of the mishmash of local life

Volunteers needed!

Cut-outs of Stef, Mary and Sydnie. Text above says: "Labour said they would put disabled people at the heart of everything they do. But instead they have shoved us to the very edges."

It was awful: what happened when we met the disability minister

SPARK newsletter summer 2025

Let's End Poverty logo: text in black, with a pink triangle logo

Let’s End Poverty: what comes next?

Four people behind a desk, looking at the camera. Two are standing; two sitting.

Change happens when people come together to make it happen. Activists with experience of poverty have been doing just that, with three UK universities.

Members of the Speaking Truth To Power panel took part in a national event at London School of Economics with academics and practitioners, and then delivered online workshops at the University of Staffordshire and the University of Salford.

Panel member Wayne Green, from Shoreham by Sea in West Sussex, reflects on the two most recent events.

Four people behind a desk, looking at the camera. Two are standing; two sitting.
Wayne, Penny, Steve and Tracy at the London event last winter. Two more events have now taken place at other universities.

Wayne: we're speaking to tomorrow's decision-makers

“Why universities? We felt it was important, as activists seeking to end all forms of poverty and exclusion. It is important for students who could be tomorrow’s decision makers, policy makers and future leaders, to fully understand how and why we do what we do and how to challenge power structures, with a human-centred experience besides the academic rational perspective.

“The work at times I found was slow, and now and then disagreements got in the way. But I was learning to dump much of my professional experience, relearning to be more empathetic and take more of a back seat, and try not to see it all from my perspective.

“It was hard for me. But each time we met I could see that I was changing a little more my perspective. Slowly but surely we started to gel really well as a group. And I now understand why the planning took time.

“Finally, we had built two two-hour programmes. We had full control of the design, agenda, subject matter, and timings, and we chose who best to speak on each topic. It was a really fully human-centred, collaborative and equally balanced process.

“The workshops were with the Universities of Staffordshire and Salford.

“We were there by experience to share – for example, to show what the difference is between experience and academic
knowledge, also to show the value of real experience of poverty, the pain, how to avoid tokenism, how to navigate power dynamics, types of power flows, and the value of listening by those in power.

Wayne: You have so much power

“I felt all the lecturers and departments were highly motivated, and positive in working with us, which gave us much confidence.

“We wanted to highlight to the students that they do have power, and how to be more politically active.

“Often your experience and knowledge is more than the power-holders’ or decision-makers’. We showed real-life examples of how people in poverty can still have a voice and make changes.

“For example, we told how we had attended events at Parliament, and led on campaigns in our local communities, and spoke about our experiences of campaigns at local and national levels. It was important to show them what is often missed or not shown.

“It is important for students to see and learn from real-life activists in poverty, as this sets the agenda. They too can change the world.

“I wanted to say, ‘You have so much power, it’s all around us up for grabs. Look at us, look at what we are doing. Do not be afraid.’ As I noted, poverty is a battle of invisibility, it must be won, we must be seen and heard.

Wayne: what I've learned

“What have I really learned from all of this? I think I have learned to be more humble to the other members.

“Even though I find it hard to show, I do really care about them all in the years we have grown with each other. At the end of the day who am I, but a poor weak man offering my small bit of experience to such large problems. But I do believe change can happen and the younger generations have so much more to offer than I for that change.”

It was awful: what happened when we met the disability minister

SPARK newsletter summer 2025

Let’s End Poverty: what comes next?

Vacancy: Chief Executive

Faith, justice & awesome activists: Niall reflects on his 28 years

In a queue, and newly homeless, I realised: this is where change begins

Legacies: invest in a future without poverty

Sharing Power to Shape Mission

Activists work to shape policies of the future

Are churches losing faith in low-income communities?

Church Action On Poverty North East 2025 AGM

Cut-outs of Stef, Mary and Sydnie. Text above says: "Labour said they would put disabled people at the heart of everything they do. But instead they have shoved us to the very edges."

It was awful: what happened when we met the disability minister

SPARK newsletter summer 2025

Let's End Poverty logo: text in black, with a pink triangle logo

Let’s End Poverty: what comes next?

An evening photo of the House of Commons, from across the Thames

The Government's own statistics show that disabled people are already three times as likely to be living in food insecurity

Church Action on Poverty briefing

9 April 2025

Newly published Government data has shown the severe scale of poverty and food insecurity in the UK, and shows once again how disastrous it would be to further cut support for disabled people, as the Government proposes to do.

The newest release of the Family Resources Survey shows that one in ten UK households was living in food insecurity in 2023/24.

That equates to around 2.8 million households where people do not have consistent access to the good food they need – an increase of 600,000 in four years.

The picture is even more shocking for groups already hit hardest by Britain’s neglected housing and social security systems. The data shows that:

  • In households where there are no disabled adults, food insecurity is 6%, but in households where there is one or more disabled adults it soars to 16%.
  • Among homeowners (with or without a mortgage), food insecurity is only 3%, but in the private rented sector it is 17%, and in the social rented sector it is 31%.

The data covers the year 2023/24, so reflects the position when the current Government took office.

An evening photo of the House of Commons, from across the Thames

Food insecurity: background and context

The fact that this data is even measured is thanks to the tenacious efforts of food justice campaigners, including through the End Hunger UK campaign.

In 2020/21, the Government added a series of food-based questions to the annual Family Resources Survey, allowing the scale of the issue to be shown clearly for the first time.

The first data release, covering 2019/20, showed that 8% of households were in food insecurity. That number reduced in the subsequent two years, at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, but has since increased sharply as vital lifelines have been withdrawn.

Church Action on Poverty comment

“Millions of families in the UK worry about whether they will have enough food, and whether they can afford a nutritious and varied diet. It is a shameful indictment on successive Governments that such poverty is continuing in such a wealthy country.

“The direction of travel should be obvious to politicians: As a starting point, we need to repair our shared social security system so that everyone has enough to live on.

“There should be no cuts to social security, which is already woefully inadequate. It is immoral for the Government to raid the country’s poorest households, just so it can stick to its self-imposed financial tactics. Disabled activists like Mary, Stef and Sydnie say the impact of yet more cuts to disability support would be devastating and terrifying

In recent years, the cost of living scandal has swept more and more people into poverty, very few people’s wages have kept pace with inflation and housing has remained prohibitively unaffordable for most people.

“Against that context, Westminster politicians have been steadily dismantling Britain’s cherished social security system instead of bolstering it. This data shows that an extra 600,000 households have been made food insecure in the past four years. 

“The Government response must be to reverse those damaging trends, not to accelerate them. Repeated polls show that the public are unhappy about levels of poverty and inequality in Britain, and want action. 

“Ending poverty needs to be a national priority. Instead this Government is singling out disabled people for swingeing cuts, while allowing far richer people to bear little or no burden.”

Food insecurity: links and data

Say no to the immoral cuts

Church Action on Poverty is supporting the widespread national calls to oppose the immoral cuts to disability support.

The threatened cuts to Britain’s shared social security system are immoral, deeply harmful to some of the country’s poorest people, and are based on misleading spin.

Disabled activists Stef, Mary and Sydnie, who work with and advise Church Action on Poverty, say the further dismantling of crucial welfare support threatens to impoverish them, and flies in the face of Government promises and thorough evidence. Read more of their story and ask your MP to help oppose the cuts here.

It was awful: what happened when we met the disability minister

SPARK newsletter summer 2025

Let’s End Poverty: what comes next?

Vacancy: Chief Executive

Faith, justice & awesome activists: Niall reflects on his 28 years

In a queue, and newly homeless, I realised: this is where change begins

Legacies: invest in a future without poverty

Sharing Power to Shape Mission

Activists work to shape policies of the future

Are churches losing faith in low-income communities?

Church Action On Poverty North East 2025 AGM

The activists Speaking Truth to Power in York

Cut-outs of Stef, Mary and Sydnie. Text above says: "Labour said they would put disabled people at the heart of everything they do. But instead they have shoved us to the very edges."

It was awful: what happened when we met the disability minister

SPARK newsletter summer 2025

Let's End Poverty logo: text in black, with a pink triangle logo

Let’s End Poverty: what comes next?

Four people at a table in a church hall. One is looking at the camera, the others are chatting. More people are further in the background. Sunshine is hitting the back wall.

What are the challenges and opportunities in your neighbourhood? And where does your church fit in?

Those are two of the questions that people at the Dandelion Community church have been pondering and acting on in recent weeks, as they try to build one another up, and make change happen.

In February, the church hosted a Vision Day. Church leaders were there; so too were the various organisations that use the building through the week; so too were other local groups; and so too were wider partners.

A mug with a Dandelion on it, beside a flyer reading Wythenshawe Against Poverty

Dandelion: A hope-filled, bustling day

It was a hope-filled, upbeat day, bustling with conversation and bubbling with possibilities and ideas. It was a reminder of how much energy and ingenuity there is in communities, and how much power there is in bringing people together.

Revd Kate Gray, minister at Dandelion, says: “Feedback has been that it was a really positive and creative day, because of the opportunities to connect with all sorts of different organisations that might not have met each other before. It felt very creative and constructive.”

She highlights two particular areas of work that have grown from the day:

  1. An exciting collaboration around using green energy to reduce local bills
  2. A women’s leadership programme
A busy church hall with people chatting: some sitting at tables, some standing.

Green energy

“One strand is looking at community-owned renewable energy – a collection of local residents and local groups, including some from Dandelion, are working together on that with a charity partner and a university, and we’ve had the first community workshop.

“We are hoping, particularly with local residents who live immediately around the building, to develop some short and long term responses to poverty by lowering bills. We want Dandelion to become a zero-carbon church and hub, and we have a feasibility study looking at things like ground pumps or a form of hydro-power, and we want solar panels on the roof. 

“That would reduce our bills and respond to climate change in the next few years. There’s lots of interest in that in churches and community groups in Wythenshawe and across the wider area of east, central and south Manchester. We would lower our bills but also produce enough surplus energy so that can go to local households, local schools, or other buildings.”

Women's leadership

“Another piece of work is around women’s leadership, and how women want to organise themselves to respond to poverty through collective action, through families, households, social enterprises etc.

“There’s a stream of work with three women-led organisations at Dandelion developing around that. One of those is called Wythenshawe Central and is now a wider network for people and organisations across Wythenshawe. That’s responding specifically to Wythenshawe town centre redevelopment – what do local people need to be in that development?”

Four people at a table. Two are hugging.

Church's role in the community

Dandelion is in a low-income neighbourhood in Wythenshawe, right beside Manchester Airport, and is eager to play a positive role across a wide range of issues.

Kate says “We are developing a church and community hub with a range of partnerships. There are independent partners who are charities, CICs, local enterprises, and we share some values together. 

“We want to explore more seriously a small governance-based organisation that includes the Dandelion church, includes the URC more widely, and also includes and has clear representation from community organisations that are based in and around Dandelion. We could develop a locally led, locally steered partnership together (with faith and non-faith groups), where we act together and make bids for pieces of work we want to make happen, and that we have identified together.

“Our role as a church here is to be in the mix. Our role is to be part of conversations with a range of other people and – where those conversations don’t yet exist – to look at creating opportunities to host or facilitate or encourage or generate those. Our role is to have a diverse mish-mash of partnerships and also to do that in a way that’s sensitive to all partners and not necessarily church-led.

A view from the back of a busy church hall, with many people sitting and standing and chatting.

“Also, our role is to ensure that Christians who are involved in the life of Wythenshawe are not separate from that. The role of faith is made clear through the practice of faith. In our context that looks like this; in other contexts it might look different. 

“There are a lot of churches with buildings in Wythenshawe and we want to encourage collective action to support the use of public space and to value public space for communities to come together to act together. We can do things like encourage people to access support for their mental health, or other services. Church has a role to play and to be an acknowledgement to God.

“I would say it’s clear to me that the Holy Spirit has made it quite easy for us to do this work, because we are open to change and able to adapt our building, our worship, our language, format and style of being church. If we want to keep everything the same, it’s harder for God to act.”

A jigsaw graphic showing different local issues: eg uneven power relations, dignity, boundaries, community experiences

Dandelion in partnership

The Dandelion Community church is a URC church in Wythenshawe. Church Action on Poverty has partnered with the church for many years, and it was a central partner in the Church on the Margins programme.

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The town of 250,000 that revolutionised its food system

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Let's End Poverty logo: text in black, with a pink triangle logo

Let’s End Poverty: what comes next?

An image of a text poster

Churchgoers are urged to speak up against the Government's harmful and immoral cuts to vital lifelines. Please, join the calls.

The Government is proposing to dismantle vital parts of Britain’s social security system, but there has already been a big public opposition.

Disabled activists, campaigners, charities and churches have spoken up against the immoral and harmful cuts, which would remove many disabled people’s lifelines.

The cuts fly in the face of Government promises and evidence of what does or doesn’t work, and the consultation is stacked against disabled people, by consulting only on certain selected points. 

Join us and thousands of others in saying no to these immoral cuts. 

Please ask your church to download, print and display this poster in your church building, so people who are not already on our mailing list can speak up. 

Click on the button or image below, to open a high-res version of the file.

Urge the disability minister

The QR code on the poster will take you to this online form, where you can contact your MP and ask them to speak to the minister for disability, Sir Stephen Timms MP.

In December, the minister met disabled activists and he has promised that disabled people will be at the heart of this Government’s actions. The threatened cuts go against that, and we are urging him to honour his pledge.

Stop the immoral cuts: links and resources

If you run a Your Local Pantry, there is also a Pantry version of the poster here:

“When governments make choices that clearly – or even potentially – harm poor people, the church should say so.”
Stef Benstead
Stef Benstead
Author of Just Worship: Worshipping God By Living Just Lives

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An aerial view of Reading, with two group photos overlaid. One shows a group of volunteers in a line; the other shows four people around a table smiling.

The town of Reading, in Berkshire, has revolutionised its community food work in the past two years.

Faith Christian Group has opened eight Your Local Pantries with nearby churches, and plans to open two more – with the aim of ensuring everyone in the town has one within walking distance.

Andy Dickens, director of FCG, says it became a charity in the 1990s, focused on providing support for local homeless people. It then began running a home-delivery food bank, and Pantries then felt a natural next step.

An aerial view of Reading, with two group photos overlaid. One shows a group of volunteers in a line; the other shows four people around a table smiling.

Everyone in Reading should be able to walk to a Pantry

He says: “We deliver food parcels to about 170 households each week, to people who have been referred to us in crisis.

“From that, about two years ago, we started our first Pantry. The vision was the next step up for people to get out of poverty but also with wrap-around services and support.

“Norcot was our first one, and in the subsequent 24 months we’ve gone to eight. 

“The food bank is emergency supplies of food for people in crisis, and the Pantry is the next step up. People pay £5 and get about £25 worth of groceries. There’s dignity, choice and hope there and we encourage churches to see Pantries as part of their mission to the community. 

“The churches collect and get volunteers etc. We have about 80 volunteers giving 240 hours a week of time. This makes the pantries sustainable in the long-term.

“We facilitate and support to ensure each Pantry has wrap-around services, like assistance and advice. We work with Christians Against Poverty who help people out of debt, as well as a furniture charity, Citizens advice and other community groups that do things like cookery courses. We are currently trying to migrate to healthy Pantries, to get more fresh food in. 

“We have eight Pantries because we are a town of about 250,000 people. Most people we work with are lonely or isolated and most do not have transport, so we want people to be able to walk to have this opportunity.

“In estates or low-income communities, the Pantries are all within walking distance. And when we have ten, anyone in Reading should be able to access a Pantry. The ninth will open imminently, and the tenth will probably open in the autumn. We are engaged with the council as well; they love the model.”

A posed head & shoulders photo of Andy Dickens, director of FCG in Reading. A man in a blue shirt and glasses is smiling to the camera.
Andy Dickens, director of FCG in Reading

Reading Pantries build community

Andy says the Pantries have really strengthened community in their neighbourhoods. Last autumn, members at Coley Park Pantry spent several months crocheting a Christmas tree, which was unveiled at a special community event for local residents, Pantry members and church members.

He adds: “At Norcot there is a real community with friends who use the church hall for other activities. There is a great cake baker in that Pantry and they bring in cakes. It’s people getting back to knowing their neighbours. It’s local people helping local people.

“Each Pantry has stories of people who have journeyed with them and joined different craft clubs, parent and toddler groups, other groups, or joined churches.

“Without the Pantry work, they would never have come across each other and joined in with other things. We had one man who came on Friday, and he had not seen anyone since being diagnosed with terminal cancer on the Tuesday. We helped someone with pension benefits to get £10,000 of back payments that been due, as they were on the wrong benefit.

“Someone else said they wouldn’t need to come back, because they had got out of severe debt. It’s little shoots of life and the vision is to support people with subsidised food, healthy lifestyles and support them on a journey of faith.

What Pantries mean for churches in Reading

“When we set up, churches see this as part of their social aid action arm, making a meaningful and intentional difference. There are people finding each other, finding faith, finding connection and finding friendship.

“The churches we are dealing with are getting people across the threshold who would never come on a Sunday morning, and they are meeting new people and new connections.

“It’s a great opportunity for local churches to make a difference to people struggling, and really support people on a journey of faith. Churches see it as part of their mission.”

FCG is also exploring getting more involved in advocacy and helping people do campaigning work.

Andy says: “The charity is thinking through what’s important to us from a Christian perspective. Jesus showed mercy to individuals but more than that he brought God’s justice to society, so we are working deliberately and intentionally with MPs, councillors, national charities to try to get more understanding of what’s happening and formulating our thoughts.

“We want to be able to look back in ten years and see how we have made a difference and raised voices.”

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Cut-outs of Stef, Mary and Sydnie. Text above says: "Labour said they would put disabled people at the heart of everything they do. But instead they have shoved us to the very edges."

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Let's End Poverty logo: text in black, with a pink triangle logo

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Cut-outs of Stef, Mary and Sydnie. Text above says: "Labour said they would put disabled people at the heart of everything they do. But instead they have shoved us to the very edges."

Labour said they would put disabled people at the heart of everything they do. But instead they have shoved us to the very edges.

The proposed cuts to Britain’s social security system are immoral, are deeply harmful to some of the country’s poorest people, and are based on misleading spin.

Disabled activists who work with and advise Church Action on Poverty say the further dismantling of crucial welfare support threatens to impoverish them, and flies in the face of Government promises and thorough evidence.

Stef Benstead, Sydnie Corley and Mary Passeri are all involved in the Speaking Truth to Power programme and other campaigns, and have joined the growing calls all over the country for the threatened cuts to be cancelled.

Cut-outs of Stef, Mary and Sydnie. Text above says: "Labour said they would put disabled people at the heart of everything they do. But instead they have shoved us to the very edges."

No to cuts: Now honour the promise

In December, Stef, Sydnie, Mary and others met the minister for disability, Sir Stephen Timms MP, who had said that disabled people would be at the heart of the Government’s actions.

Church Action on Poverty is urging Stephen Timms to honour that pledge, and today we are asking supporters to ask their MPs to make similar calls. 

Stef: They're deliberately misleading the public to buy support for cuts

Stef said: “Labour said they would put disabled people at the heart of everything they do, but instead they’ve shoved us to the very edges. They’re using a lot of spin and weasel words, but it is worse than empty rhetoric. It is deliberately misleading the public in order to buy support for immoral, harmful cuts.

“It really is a bogus consultation. The things they aren’t consulting on, and the assumptions made behind the things that they are consulting on, make the results a foregone conclusion. The cuts will happen, and they’re not interested in anything other than pretending to care about the people affected.

“Anyone can launch a consultation and say that it will be ‘close’. But to launch a consultation when you’ve already stated that there is no consultation on the ‘four-point’ criterion, and you’ve already decided how much money it will save, is not an honest consultation.”

Sydnie: We know the DWP does not score people correctly

Sydnie highlighted that in recent years, hundreds of thousands of people who were initially refused PIP were wrongly rejected, and had the refusal overturned at appeal, showing that the Government has a terrible track record at assessing people’s health and disability.

She says: “The DWP does not understand people’s conditions. Their ‘professionals’ are not qualified in many disabilities or in who can receive what payment, and what jobs people are capable of. The waiting list for PIP is too long.

“Too many people have to appeal where they were originally awarded hardly any points, then achieve the proper high amount in each category via the appeal. This waiting time is even longer and one that is degrading and not accessible to all, and this whole process is too much of a strain on people’s physical and mental health.

“How on earth are they going to reassess everyone, with what cost, as there are not enough staff as it is. We know the DWP does not score people correctly. They are unqualified for this job and under too much strain to cope.

“How on earth are they going to reassess everyone, with what cost, as there are not enough staff as it is. We know the DWP do not score people correctly. They are unqualified for this job and under too much strain to cope.

Mary: These cuts apply pressure not to live any more

Mary said she was terrified that the changes were coming in at the same time as the assisted dying legislation. She said: “The benefits system should be there as a safety net. I totally agree it should not be an alternative way of living, But it needs to be a stronger net, with fewer tears to fall through!”

“Now this is happening and the assisted dying laws are coming in as well. You can foresee a system where they will say they’ll give me benefits for another five years, and that’s it – and then in the context of assisted dying, see what pressure that puts on people not to live any more!”

Speaking Truth to Power panelists meet with minister Stephen Timms
Mary (back left), Sydnie (remotely) and Stef (middle left) were part of a group that met Stephen Timms (far right) in December. Now they're urging him to be true to his word.

Stef dissects the Government's spin on cuts

Stef said much of the Government’s statement this week was hollow spin. 

She says: “You can be as harsh a government as you like and still pretend to the masses that you are nice, really, because you support the ‘greatest needs’ – just not the ‘also great but we’ve decided we can’t afford them’ needs.”

“The fact is that all the evidence shows that people assessed as unfit for work – whether required to prepare for work or not – are demonstrably not fit for work. Consequently any cuts to support for these people means that Labour is not protecting those who cannot work. And they are spinning this by claiming that we are people who are of non-genuine need.

“For example, I don’t receive the Daily Living component of PIP. Whilst I think this is wrong (I can only shower once a week and have to pay an assistant to cook for me, as well as doing my cleaning, tidying, washing up, and laundry which aren’t assessed by PIP), it means that I don’t qualify for the Health Element of Universal Credit under Labour’s proposed system.

“Yet, I’ve been unable to work since 2011. Various attempts to work have led to suicidal depression as I struggle with the demands of working not even eight hours a week.”

She also said the Government’s claim that the work capability assessment was binary was untrue, as it already has three possible outcomes: fit for work; unfit for work but fit to prepare for work; unfit either to work or prepare for work. And she criticised the suggestion that the number of PIP awards was not sustainable.

“How does that work? Is Liz Kendall saying that I am not sustainable? Too many people have long-term needs so the problem is that we’re unsustainable for each other? Taking PIP away from people who depend on it does not help people who depend upon it. It does not make PIP more sustainable long-term for them; rather, their lives have been made less sustainable.”

The system should not push people into poverty

Sydnie said: “We should be able to entrust our Government to ensure there is a system that is fair, prosperous, and sustainable, which is looking forward and grows with the modern world, that has empathy and deeper understanding of how to support everyone who is living here.

“We should all have a future, to feel worth and again, to not feel a burden on society, and to not be judged unfairly for this. Everyone has some right to self actualisation, to have dignity, to be heard and listened to, and also have a legal right to not be pushed into poverty, to have a good standard of living environmentally and mentally.

“People who live in Britain have fought for human rights, equal rights, racism, gender rights, equality, a fair social system, disabled rights and far far more. Is money more important than people’s lives and living experience? The Government has control and yet deems us as nothing more than a waste of money, draining the public’s purse.”

Sydnie said most jobs did not reflect the flexibility that disabled people would inevitably need. 

“How on earth can the Government create jobs that are flexible, inclusive, and offering reasonable adjustment – such as time off at short notice with no repercussions, full support and at minimum wage and above?

“Will the Government make working places hire staff at their cost, where their insurance has to be increased, with new risk assessments, buying specialist equipment, having another member of staff to stand by at any time to replace their shift?

“And the other measures won’t make people better: covering child care costs won’t cure people; reducing benefits won’t cure people; voluntary work won’t cure people; adding more support with CVs, interviews or short basic courses won’t cure people – and most people know how to do these things. Disabled people are not uneducated as the Government seems to believe. 

“Can’t the Government comprehend that some people are simply unable to work, but need to have the same rights as everyone, and to stop cuts to supportive programs, outreach centres, social workers, and accessibility to all.”

Mary: They understand us but they're doing it anyway!

Mary says: “Will job training or loss of money take away my son’s autism? Will it cure his health issues? Will it cure cerebral palsy and learning disabilities? It will not change any of that!

“I would love to work, to be back doing research work and group work, but how can I when some days I cannot even remember the names of people I am with? If I was employed, the employer would also need to employ someone else too, to cover when I was too ill to work. Small businesses can’t afford to employ people who can’t work regularly, and big businesses are not going to.

“I feel totally and utterly let down, because when the Conservatives were putting forward cuts and the UN was saying what they were doing was unlawful and should be stopped, Labour were jumping all over them trying to say it was all wrong. 

“Now they’re in power, not only have they ignored that, but they are being worse! People say the Government needs to talk to people to understand, but that’s not enough – they have talked to people, they do understand, they’re speaking to people – but they’re doing this anyway! It’s all window dressing.”

“I already get less Universal Credit than my rent, so it’s essential I get PIP, or I would not have anything to eat! I get the standard rate of Universal Credit, as I’m unable to work. At the moment I’m not expected to work, or look for work. My son Adriano is on the special higher rate, and he’s not expected to work.

“I will be in their target group, because it’s people with severe aches and pains they will target. Most of the jobs available in York are coffee shop jobs – how could I work in a coffee shop, having to be on my feet and flexible. I can have good days, but last time I did something exertive, when I went to London for a meeting, I was in bed for nearly a week!

“For me, you can probably get four good hours out of me, but in that time I’d need to get washed and dressed, eat and get to where I would need to be. That could take three hours already… who’s going to give me a job for an hour?!”

“And are we saying people’s only reason for being is to go to work, because then when some people finish work, we’re in so much pain and cannot look after our family or do anything in life. Are they really saying that’s okay? As a disabled person, don’t I deserve a work-life balance like anyone else?

“I know it’s hard to arrange a really fair system, but punishing people who cannot work will not make them work. And for people who would like to work but are disabled, support needs to go to employers to enable that. Telling people to work when no employer would touch them is not going to help.

“After we met Stephen Timms, we were at least tentatively hopeful that there may be some real exchange. The Government’s actions would quash that hope. 

“Why can’t we have a Government that is prepared to give real protections and quality of life to disabled people? If the Government could bring themselves to stop scapegoating and instead invest in bettering the situation for disabled people, then perhaps there would be less pressure on social and health services.

“This investment could begin with education. Children with disabilities have been facing cuts to essential services that would allow them to benefit from an education thus refusing them any real aspiration and ambition.”

Stef, Sydnie and Mary are members of the Speaking Truth to Power programme coordinated by Church Action on Poverty.

Stef is also the author of Second Class Citizens: The Treatment of Disabled People in Austerity Britain

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Meeting the minister

19 new Pantries are reaching thousands of people

78 pics: Pantry members get creative to end poverty

Cut-outs of Stef, Mary and Sydnie. Text above says: "Labour said they would put disabled people at the heart of everything they do. But instead they have shoved us to the very edges."

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Let's End Poverty logo: text in black, with a pink triangle logo

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A large posed groupshot in a hall. Some people are in blue 'Your Local Pantry' aprons and there is a balloon arch behind them.

Thousands of people across the UK are enjoying a merrier Christmas this year, thanks to the opening of Pantries in their neighbourhoods.

The Your Local Pantry network has welcomed 19 new partners throughout 2024, across all four nations of the UK.

Already, the new Pantries are supporting 3,770 people in 1,400 households. The new openings take the number of Your Local Pantries to 125, and the whole network now reaches more than 130,000 people in more than 47,000 households. 

A large posed groupshot in a hall. Some people are in blue 'Your Local Pantry' aprons and there is a balloon arch behind them.
The opening of the Your Local Pantry in Hurlford, Ayrshire

Strong, hope-filled communities

Pantries typically save people £21 a week, and also strengthen community bonds, improve health and nurture new friendships.

Rachel Brown, Your Local Pantry development coordinator, said:

“Pantries are wonderful places, supporting people to come together to improve their own situations but also the whole neighbourhood. It’s been great to welcome so many new partners throughout 2024, from churches, to charities, to councils.

“Charity is never going to be the long-term answer to food insecurity. We need the Government to commit to take bolder action to end the ongoing cost of living scandal, and to end poverty. But at the same time, people need strong, compassionate, hope-filled communities and that’s what Pantries are.”

Places Of Hope

Earlier this year, new research for the Places of Hope report showed that the UK’s Your Local Pantries have saved members £10.5 million in the past two years.

One of the new openings is Stepping Stones Pantry in Northern Ireland, which staff said had had a really positive first few months.

In a recent member survey, one member said it provided “a great selection and amazing value for money”.

Another said: “I attend when I need a bit of help; would be lost without it.”

Other new openings have included new partnerships with Barnardo’s in Ayrshire, and the Salvation Army in Welling.

The 19 new Pantries...

This year’s new Pantries have opened in:

England

  • Croydon, Newham, and Welling (both in Greater London)
  • Reading (two)
  • New Romney and Deal (both in Kent)
  • Warrington (two)
  • Banstead in Surrey
  • Purfleet in Essex
  • Birmingham
  • St Helen’s
  • Portsmouth
  • Rochdale

Northern Ireland

  • Bangor
  • Armagh

Scotland

  • Hurlford in Ayrshire

Wales

  • Pontllanfraith in Blackwood

Is your church ready to open a Pantry?

The Your Local Pantry network has saved members £10.5 million in the past two years, but the benefits go far deeper – research has shown that:

  • 83% of members say it has been good for their mental health
  • 74% feel more connected to their community
  • 66% have made new friends
  • 63% now eat more fruit and veg

Pantries are also increasingly about social transformation, with many members in 2024 becoming involved in local democracy, social campaigns and art projects.

The Bishop of Leeds recently visited one of his nearest Your Local Pantries, and urged all churches to consider opening a Pantry.

Anyone interested in opening a Your Local Pantry should email info@yourlocalpantry.co.uk

It was awful: what happened when we met the disability minister

SPARK newsletter summer 2025

Let’s End Poverty: what comes next?

Vacancy: Chief Executive

Faith, justice & awesome activists: Niall reflects on his 28 years

In a queue, and newly homeless, I realised: this is where change begins

Legacies: invest in a future without poverty

Sharing Power to Shape Mission

Activists work to shape policies of the future

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Church Action On Poverty North East 2025 AGM

The activists Speaking Truth to Power in York

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Cut-outs of Stef, Mary and Sydnie. Text above says: "Labour said they would put disabled people at the heart of everything they do. But instead they have shoved us to the very edges."

It was awful: what happened when we met the disability minister

SPARK newsletter summer 2025

Let's End Poverty logo: text in black, with a pink triangle logo

Let’s End Poverty: what comes next?