Urgent Concerns Regarding the UK Government’s “Pathways to Work” Green Paper and Its Impact on Disabled Artists in Wales

Creu Cymru and Disability Arts Cymru Open Letter

17th June 2025

To:

Jack Sargeant MS, Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership Jeremy Miles MS, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Welsh Government

Subject: Urgent Concerns Regarding the UK Government’s “Pathways to Work” Green Paper and Its Impact on Disabled Artists in Wales

Annwyl Ministers,

We are writing on behalf of Creu Cymru and Disability Arts Cymru and we wish to express our deep concern regarding the UK Government’s recent Green Paper, “Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working.”

While we recognise the importance of supporting people into meaningful employment, we believe the proposals outlined in this paper risk significantly undermining the progress made in disability employment—particularly within the arts and cultural sector in Wales. These changes could disproportionately affect disabled artists and cultural workers, many of whom already face systemic barriers to participation and employment.

Wales is home to a vibrant and globally respected disability-led arts community. The proposed reforms threaten to destabilise this ecosystem by introducing punitive measures that may force disabled individuals into unsuitable employment or risk losing vital support. This is not only unjust but also counterproductive to the inclusive values we strive to uphold in Welsh public life.

We urge the Welsh Government to:

1. Publicly oppose the most harmful aspects of the Green Paper and advocate for a more

inclusive, supportive approach to disability employment.

2. Engage directly with disabled artists and organisations in Wales to understand the real-

world impact of these proposals.

3. Champion the principles of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015,

ensuring that decisions made today do not compromise the rights and opportunities of disabled people tomorrow.

We believe that Wales can and should lead the way in creating a fairer, more inclusive cultural sector—one that values the contributions of disabled people not in spite of their disability, but because of the unique perspectives and creativity they bring.

We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss these concerns further and to explore how we can work together to protect and promote disability-led arts in Wales.

Yn gywir

Yours sincerely

Louise Miles-Payne

Cyfarwyddwr, Creu Cymru (ar ran y sector perfformio byw yng Nghymru) Director, Creu Cymru (on behalf of the live performance sector in Wales)

And

Owain Gwilym

Cyfarwyddwr Gweithredol; Celfyddydau Anabledd Cymru

Executive Director; Disability Arts Cymru