The government is keeping secret the location of venues for public consultations about the Pathways to Work Green Paper.  Individuals who manage to get a ticket will be informed of the venue by email only after bookings have closed, presumably in an effort to reduce the possibility of demonstrations taking place outside.

Tickets are now available for nine in-person events between 30 April and 24 June in London, Manchester, Plymouth, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow, Birmingham and Nottingham.

Reasonable travel costs will be reimbursed for those attending in a personal capacity.

People hoping to get tickets may be greeted by a notice saying the event is sold out or closed, even though it isn’t.  The organisers say that “To ensure we hear from a range of voices ticket releases will be automatically staggered so please check back later. “  There is no indication of what the final date for bookings will be.

There will also be a series of six virtual events.  However, each of these is very limited in scope, dealing with a single chapter in the Green Paper such as “Supporting people to thrive”.

More information and links to booking forms are on this page.

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 5 days ago
    I just got my ticket to the Cardiff in person event on 3rd June. It said 'a few left'. I'll post any more information as I get it if it might be helpful. 
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      · 4 days ago
      @Claire Johnson They're on Eventbrite 
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      · 4 days ago
      @gingin Hi, where did you find out about the events and booking a ticket? I live in the North East of England. Thanks. 
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      · 4 days ago
      @gingin Cardiff?
      I would not even be able to hobble to my local town hall, let alone go to Cardiff.
      I do hope it is accessible for you.
      Well done.

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    · 5 days ago
    Seem to be some tickets available now. Just booked for Cardiff.
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    · 5 days ago
    A couple of articles today worth reading, in the guardian and the mirror. We’re not alone in this fight, and that’s something. Things are being said where it matters…let’s hope it yields results.
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      · 4 days ago
      @MJ Please see my post - we need to make it clear that disability cuts will mean more costs, not less, which will require extra taxation, either nationally or via council tax. And a lot of the electorate hate paying tax!
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      · 5 days ago
      @Scorpion Both are Labour leaning papers so they aren't willing to criticise and rock the boat. The Tory leaning  press are in favour of the cuts so that leaves us with no daily newspaper on our side or at least not vocally. 
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      · 5 days ago
      @Scorpion With the news on the PIP changes, snooping on bank accounts is not getting the attention it needs. Is there any news of anyone fighting in our corner or has it been forgotten about?
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      · 5 days ago
      @(No) hope I haven't seen any article addressing our plight in the Guardian or the Mirror. The following is the only one in the Mirror, and it's discussing the DWP checking pensioners' bank accounts.

      The Guardian is the only newspaper I regularly read X times a day.

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    · 5 days ago
    Inquiry by APPG for Poverty and Inequality info here:


    Call for submissions by deadline of 14th April

    My email sent to: info@appgpovertyinequality.org.uk

    Subject: 


    I understand you are holding an inquiry into the disproportionate impact of poverty and inequality on disabled people, which will inform discussions around the upcoming green paper on disability benefit reform. I would like to share my personal experience.

    Hidden discrimination

    My ** year old husband has an inherited neurological condition which affects him in various significant ways and has, since his thirties, hindered his ability to secure employment. He has had a strong sense that he has been bypassed for jobs due to interview panels sensing ‘something is not quite right with him’, which could be due to how his neurological condition affects his voice, his speech, his facial expressions and causes him to stumble.

    Blatant discrimination

    The discrimination was blatant when he attended a particular interview. He was well qualified for the position and the interview went well, until he showed his medical driving licence as ID, and a ‘look’ was passed between the two panel members. He did not get the job. When another similar vacancy with the same organisation came up he enquired about this and was quite obviously purposely dissuaded from applying, although the reason given was flimsy.

    Due to having a visible disability and a medical driving licence, we believe that my husband has experienced discrimination in his efforts to secure employment, which has at times meant that our family’s income has fallen well below the national average and we have not been able to afford the basics, let alone the extra medications or eye treatments my husband needs which are not available on prescription.

    Inequality of work opportunities such as working from home

    My husband’s condition has now deteriorated to the point that he is able to work only occasionally, and as such has only secured employment as a *******.  He is only able to do this occasionally due to the fatigue he experiences both at work and the next day. He cannot work from home in this role and in any case no employer would take him on to work as occasionally as he does. In fact, working from home opportunities would be very few for someone in low-paid work such as he is able to do.

    Inequality of household expenses and standard of living compared with a non-disabled household

    Our household expenses are much higher than those of a non-disabled household. Currently, my husband receives health benefits such as PIP and UC LCWRA, which enables us to run a car so that I can work part-time (around my caring responsibilities), so we can buy his expensive eye medications, particular foods that he needs and any special clothing or footwear. We are also able to gradually make small adaptations in our house as his mobility worsens. Without these benefits my husband would be more isolated, he would become more unwell at a quicker pace, and I would have to give up work completely to care for him, which would reduce our income still further. We could not have anything like the same standard of living as a non-disabled household.

    Impact of poverty on children

    Our two daughters are adversely affected by our circumstances and this would be significantly worse if the proposed welfare reforms are passed. It goes without saying that at the ages of ** and **  they can do nothing to improve their situation.

    Access to credit and ability to save for emergencies

    We do not have the same access to credit as many non-disabled households due to our unavoidable reliance on benefits. We are also unable to save more than £6000 without it affecting the benefits we receive, and I understand that this threshold has not changed for a very long time. If we had to replace our roof or if I had a long hospital stay, we would quickly experience a financial crisis.

    I hope my evidence is useful to your inquiry. Please contact me if you would like any more information related to this.

    Yours sincerely,
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 5 days ago
    Well,as an agoraphobic that rules me out,I'm nearest to Manchester but couldn't get that far
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    · 5 days ago
    Shouldnt these events be televised just in case something fishy is going on. Just a thought.
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      · 5 days ago
      @Sammy Exactly the reason why it won't be televised. The whole thing is fishy.
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    · 5 days ago
    This afternoon, Starmer bemoaning that the impact assessment doesn't take into account "changes in behaviour" that the cuts will bring.  In other words, he thinks we just needed a kick up the backside to realise we can actually work after all. 
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      · 4 days ago
      @Slb Is the kick up the backside complementary to the knife in the back?
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      · 4 days ago
      @MJ He's definitely not being naive or ignorant. The fact is they don't care about the negative impacts on us.
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      · 5 days ago
      @MJ MJ.  It means more illness and fatigue for people who shouldn't be at work, and it means people eating less healthily because they can't afford anything better if they don't go to work.  In serious cases, that could cause severe problems - eating cheap micro meals that are full of salt and fat if you're a heart patient could cause the condition to get rapidly worse.  They might save the benefits bill, but more will be spent on the NHS!
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      · 5 days ago
      @JH JH, I think that is the issue.  The impact assessment will only report it if they think it's going to happen.  His approach is rather like writing an essay and coming up with your closing arguments before you've actually done any research - and then trying to make the evidence fit.  Arrogance is to be expected from most politicians, but this is also sheer stupidity.
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      · 5 days ago
      @Anon True. You can read a good number of people with suicidal feeling and thinking on Scope forum.

      These evil changes are mentally torturing people and driving them to the worst before they even come into effect.
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    · 5 days ago
    Mafia!

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    · 5 days ago
    Tarquin Ponsonby (Sarcasm) - "This Green Paper is such a positive and I support Labour's plans"
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    · 5 days ago
    "Individuals who manage to get a ticket will be informed of the venue by email only after bookings have closed, presumably in an effort to reduce the possibility of demonstrations taking place outside."

    I wouldn't be at all surpised if this "top serect venue. Along with all the details" is then immediately leaked to the; press, tabloids, newspapers, journalists, BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky and all other television broadcasters along with online and on social media! 
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    · 5 days ago
    Write or email your local M.P or your local charity to protest against the measures that the Government are using not to release full details of the consultation. 
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    · 5 days ago
    Sorry my mistake, as soon I've tried to get it, the next window says sold out!
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    · 5 days ago
    Seams you can get the London tickets now, but I'm too unwell to go.
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    · 5 days ago
    Hah, suprise, suprise, almost all are sold out. Probably 'sold' the tickets to people who are on the government's payroll and are paid to attend the event, clap and agree with all these horrendous plans.
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      · 5 days ago
      @Tss91 'Sold' out? They're selling them? Ha ha that does not surprise me. 
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      · 5 days ago
      @Tss91 The tickets are being released in a staggered format.  Some more tickets for the virtual events were released at 11am today.  I managed to get one just now (writing this at 12.35)
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      · 5 days ago
      @Tss91 I managed to get a ticket and so have a few other people I know but that was late on yesterday, might be a different story today. Not knowing the venue is a PITA but I’m determined to be there. 
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    · 5 days ago
    I am assuming the charities that we all donate too to help disabled and mentally ill people will be attending? Or are they just like the government and are using this crisis for their own financial gain? I see lots of fund raising for said charities due to this crisis but no action.  
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      · 5 days ago
      @Kevin I follow along on the scope forum, they say they are talking to MPs in private and doing as much as they can behind closed doors but I agree this needs a big charity to have a campaign to show the public how f-ed up this all is
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    · 5 days ago
    These claim to have turned over a new leaf, that bad practices are a thing of the past…but continue to stoop to devious new lows. I wonder how you would get to attend an event, or whether they will have their own actors at them
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    · 5 days ago
    So much for transparency in this government!
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    · 5 days ago
    Yup I tried to get a ticket for Cardiff and it says sold out, will keep trying multiple times a day. 
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      · 4 days ago
      @Gingin If you can manage to use a computer to try and get a ticket, then you can work a 40-hour week (I am being sarcastic in case anyone is offended). That is their kind of attitude it seems.
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    · 5 days ago
    Easier to obtain tickets for Glastonbury it seems.
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    · 5 days ago
    What a surprise!