Liz Carr and Britain’s Got Talent winner the Lost Voice Guy are among over 100 celebrities urging Keir Starmer to scrap his welfare cuts.
Fuming actors, comedians, and paralympians have written to the PM ahead of a vote next month on the government’s highly controversial reforms to the disability system in a bid to save £5 billion a year by 2030.
These include stricter tests to receive Personal Independent Payments (PIP), scrapping work capability assessments, halving incapacity benefits under Universal Credit, and preventing under-22s from claiming them.
The group argue that the plans are “inhumane and catastrophic”, arguing it is a matter of “basic human rights”.
The letter, seen by The London Economic, reads: “We have already endured a decade of austerity, disproportionate pandemic losses, and life-costing cuts. Our community is on its knees.
“Framing welfare cuts as ‘incentives’ to work implies that disabled people must earn their place in society through productivity – a dangerous narrative. Disabled lives are inherently valuable – whether someone can work or not.
It continues: “An inclusive society doesn’t punish those needing support – it invests in them. A just society backs all its members, not just the economically efficient. Real inclusion begins by recognising every person deserves respect, security, and support – regardless of work capacity. Anything less is not inclusion, but exclusion disguised as reform.”
Talking exclusively to The London Economic, Britain’s Got Talent 2018 winner Lee Ridley, aka the Lost Voice Guy, said: “PIP isn’t a luxury – it’s what levels the playing field. Without it, I wouldn’t just struggle – I’d be excluded. It covers essential things most people don’t even think twice about. Things like getting ready for work, travelling safely, or managing energy levels to do a full day on tour. PIP doesn’t give me an advantage – it gives me a chance.
“Every time someone says disabled people just want ‘handouts,’ I want them to understand the reality. This benefit has never made me rich. It’s not some easy route to comfort. It’s what keeps me working, performing, paying rent, and living independently. Take it away, and all that comes crashing down.
“The idea that needing help with showering, cooking, or social interaction makes someone ‘undeserving’ is not only ridiculous — it’s dangerous. We’re being told that basic human needs don’t count unless you can tick the right box. And in doing that, the government is pushing disabled people further into isolation, poverty, and desperation.”
A government spokesperson said: “We are determined to support people in all parts of the country by tackling poverty and creating secure, well-paid jobs.
“Pip is a part of the way that we support disabled people and people with long-term health conditions. But with the number of people claiming Pip doubling since the pandemic, it’s right that we rebalance the system to ensure support is targeted to those who need it most.”
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