A law student diagnosed with bipolar disorder has said she feels betrayed by Labour following its announcement of cuts to disability benefits. Natasha Muzembe, a 29-year-old resident of west London, is uncertain about how she will “survive” if her monthly Personal Independence Payments of £739 are reduced.
“It’ll put me in poverty. I’m scared. Thinking about it gets my heart racing. It’s going to be a really tough time if they do that,” she said. Natasha uses her PIP to cover taxi fares when psychosis prevents her from taking the bus due to feelings of being watched, as well as for cleaning services and medication delivery.
She was “very, very, very surprised” when Labour unveiled its welfare reforms and described it as “disgusting” for ministers to “target the most vulnerable people in society”. “I felt betrayal and anger because this is a party that promised to be ‘for people,'” she added, reports
the Mirror
.
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“People voted for them because they were frustrated with the way the country was going. People were in poverty. Children weren’t getting meals. You get nurses going to food banks, and people voted for them in the hopes that they were going to transform the country.”
Natasha expressed relief at the significant Labour rebellion against welfare cuts, saying it was “reassuring”. She then addressed Keir Starmer, urging: “Don’t go back on the people that voted for you in the first place, who need help, that voted for you on the grounds that you were going to support and make them better.
“A healthy mind nurtures a healthy nation. Let’s get people feeling better before they’re forced to get into work and jobs they cannot sustain.”
