Since 2010, when a coalition government of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats took over from Labour Party in the UK, a squeeze on public finances has been linked to nearly 120,000 excess deaths in England according to a study published in the online journal BMJ Open.
Cambridge University Professor Lawrence King, who contributed to the study, has said that “Austerity does not promote growth or reduce deficits, it is bad economics. It is also a public health disaster. It is not an exaggeration to call it economic murder.” The United Nations describes this as “a grave and systematic abuse of disabled peoples’ human rights.” If nothing changes, that figure will rise to 200,000 excess deaths by 2020.
If anything the situation is getting worse. There have been more cuts to social security payments, alongside more tax cuts for the wealthiest. As a disabled person I feel I am treated as an enemy of the state. I’ve just had my own claim for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) turned down, despite support from my GP, my HIV consultant, a psychologist and five support workers.
