Welfare protesters plan occupation

Activists are to stage a "daring and disruptive" act of civil disobedience in opposition to the Government's controversial welfare reforms.

Direct action group UK Uncut will join members of disability campaign groups in occupying an area of central London, with the target being kept secret until the last minute.

The groups said they wanted to voice their anger at the impact of the Welfare Reform Bill, warning that hundreds of thousands of families will lose their homes or become "imprisoned" inside.

UK Uncut attacked the argument that savings were needed to help tackle the deficit, saying that far greater amounts of money were lost through tax-dodging.

Disabled activists from across the country are travelling to London to take part in the protest.

Richard Whitehurst of Disabled People Against Cuts said: "These vicious cuts have already led to at least 31 disabled people committing suicide and many more are now talking about it as they feel they have no future. In the 21st century, in one of the richest nations in the world, disabled people should not be forced to live in fear every day of their lives.

UK Uncut activists are staging a demonstration in central London

"Cuts to disabled people's benefits and services will not save money but will ultimately cost the taxpayer far more as pushing disabled people into destitution and withdrawing care services will lead to an increased demand for NHS care. With the cap on benefits, some single disabled people living in London will be left with only £25 a week to meet all their needs for food, heating and all other costs after paying their rent."

Laura Miller of UK Uncut said: "At least £25 billion of tax is avoided every single year by super-rich companies and individuals, far more than the Government hopes to save through this devastating Bill.

"The Government are choosing to inflict suffering on sick and disabled people rather than tackle rich tax dodgers, because they think the socially disadvantaged are invisible - that they won't or can't make a fuss - and the rest of us don't care. We're going to show them that they're wrong."

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: "This Government is absolutely committed to supporting disabled people and we continue to spend more than £40 billion a year on disabled people and their services. Households where someone receives disability living allowance will be exempt from the benefit cap and we are giving local authorities an additional £190 million over four years to ensure vulnerable people are supported through the housing benefit reform, so we are not expecting people to become homeless."