Unlimited call for Action

As Unlimited mark three years as an independent organisation,Director, Jo Verrent, shares why 2025 is shaping up to be a difficult year.

The last year has been nothing short of a rollercoaster, filled with amazing artistic works from a growing pool of disabled artists; forming, norming, and storming with new and existing allies; and examples of real change across our sector. However, our fight is far from over. While we, as a charity, cannot weigh in on many political issues, we have a duty to raise our voices when they affect those we serve.

We’re a young company with a large board that is 93% disabled people, a 100% disabled team, and of course, 538 commissioned disabled artists. We have high levels of intersectionality with marginalised characteristics and lived experiences. This beautiful blend makes us innovative, unique, and distinct. It’s also what has made the last few months so challenging, as in the UK multiple cuts have been proposed to disability benefits – ones that we know will hit hardest for the multiply marginalised.

The scale of the issue

The current plans aim to cut disability benefits by £5 billion a year – the biggest cuts to disability benefits ever on record. This will be a catastrophe for disabled people’s living standards and independence. It’s important to remember that disabled people are not a small percentage of the country. 23% of the working-age UK population identify as disabled people and this swells to 36% if you include those who define as living with long term health conditions, according to recent government data.

For many, there are additional costs associated with living with a disability. A 2024 Scope report found that on average, disabled households in UK need an additional £1,010 a month to have the same standard of living as non-disabled households. Yet disabled people have lower employment rates and when in employment, earn significantly less than their non-disabled peers.

For example, Artist’s Union England, cite that in 2024 the average annual income for a disabled artist in the UK was just £3750 – which is only 10% of the median gross annual wage for full-time employees in the UK.

It seems counter-intuitive that the government is choosing to penalise some of the poorest people in our society when almost half of families in poverty include someone who is disabled.

What benefits are at risk?

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a benefit which can currently be paid regardless of whether someone is working, to balance out the additional costs of impairment. It’s one of the key benefits facing potential reforms and cuts. There’s a suggestion that the eligibility criteria for PIP could be tightened, potentially leading to fewer people receiving payments and some people who are currently awarded PIP having their decision revoked. Some reports suggest that the government is also considering freezing payments for PIP in 2026.

Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit (UC) are also under threat, particularly the ‘health element’ of UC. There are reports that the government is looking at increasing the basic rate of Universal Credit paid to people already in work or looking for employment, leaving those not in work or deemed incapable of work at a lower rate.

The government is also considering changes to the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) used to determine eligibility for the health element of Universal Credit, including potentially scrapping the WCA altogether.

The Access to Work scheme is the one which provides support for disabled people in employment. Already applicants face delays of up to a year and there are now plans to reduce the amounts available. This would push employers to cover a greater percentage of costs, thereby making disabled people more costly and less employable.

There are concerns that the government may also abolish the Disability Living Allowance Board, Mobility Allowance Board, and the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee.

Alongside these ‘reforms’ are inaccurate media stories circulating about ‘fraudulent benefit claims’, that further undermine disabled people in the UK. In 2024, the Department for Work and Pensions, found that the rate of fraud in relation to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) was so small it was assessed at 0%.

Are you an ally?

We don’t want much as a birthday present, just for our friends and allies to take a single step towards opposing these cuts.

If you’ve signed up as an ally, ever used one of our resources, commissioned with us, or just agree that disabled artists should have equity with non-disabled artists, now is when we need you to act.

We know that being an ally involves continuous effort and commitment to supporting others while recognising one’s own privileges and biases. When you commit to working as an ally, you need to understand your privilege, listen, learn, and take action. It’s time to put that into practice.

What can you do?

To oppose potential disability benefit cuts, there are so many things you can do. You can join protests, sign petitions, contact your MP, respond to consultations, and get involved with organisations like Disability Rights UK or DPAC, and share your concerns on social media using relevant hashtags.

Visit the Unlimited website for more ways to get involved.
Disabled artists under threat - time to take action