“Get Seen, Be Heard” Generate Voices at the London Campaign Network Meeting

On Friday, Generate Voices attended the second London Campaign Network meeting run by the self-advocacy group, People First, this network was created so people with learning disabilities and neurodivergent people across London could come together to speak up for their rights! 

The London Campaign Network have three campaign priorities for London which are Advocacy, Hate Crime, and Benefits and Money which was the topic for this meeting. 

The network has four big aims which are: 

1. Setting up a network of self-advocates with learning disabilities across London. 
2. Find opportunities to work together on campaigns that matter to everyone! 
3. Influencing the people that make decisions about us. 
4. Improving the lives of people with Learning Disabilities across London. 

At the start of the meeting, everyone took turns to speak about the work they’ve been doing. There were self-advocates from charities and organizations including MENCAP, Advocacy for All, See Ability, Breaking Out of the Bubble, Speak Up Sutton, Speak Out in Hounslow, One Place East, Inclusion London and The Elfrida Society. 

The work everyone has been doing included: 

• My Vote, My Voice campaign 

• Organizing a rally at Westminster to bring people with learning disabilities out of psychiatric hospitals and back into the community 

• More accessible wheelchairs 

• Better communication from funders 

• Travelling independently on transport across London 

• Better eye care 

• Social care 

• Health passports and more accessible GP appointments. 

We moved onto the meeting topic of Benefits and Money which is the biggest concern for people right now and something Generate Voices have discussed before in previous meetings. 

We came together to discuss the main barriers and problems around benefits and money for us all: 

• Not all information from the DWP and local councils about benefits are in an Easy Read format, especially rejection letters which explain why you may not be entitled to the benefit you applied for. 
• People not getting enough money which results in having tighter budgets, some people having to shop at cheaper supermarkets. While prices rise, benefits and wages stay the same. 
• Businesses not accepting cash and only card, some people with learning disabilities feel more safer with using cash and may not feel comfortable with using their bank card to buy things. 
• Benefits merging into Universal Credit causing anxiety among people. 
• Benefit assessments not being too accessible. 
• The stigma that people who claim benefits are seen as ‘scroungers’
• When applying for benefits, people will have to meet a certain criteria to be eligible for benefits, if you claim gets rejected, people may not have enough to challenge the decision!
• Benefit sanctions.
• The cutting of Winter Fuel Payments.

Next, we came up with solutions to these problems: 

• More information, application forms and even rejection letters should be in Easy Read! 

• Charities and organizations who do Easy Read Translating could offer to translate information about benefits. 

• Businesses should accept cash and not just card as this is a reasonable adjustment that they must make. 

• People across London should earn the London Living Wage. 

After some fantastic discussions and sharing ideas, People First asked everyone what will we do next to make these solutions a reality? 

• Write a letter together to send to our MP’s, councillor and authority figures across London. 

• Organize a day of action. 

• Invite guest speakers to talk to people with learning disabilities. 

• Contact the DWP and members of parliament. 

• Write a statement. 

• Get something publish in the press. 

• Most importantly ‘Don’t say it, do it!’ 

Thank you to People First for letting Generate Voices come and be heard, we will continue to work together with the London Campaign Network to campaign on benefits and money.