Adam here talking about the cuts to disability benefits.

Last week my Mum talked about the cuts on BBC radio. I’m really proud of her. She’s had to fight over and over for me to get the benefits I’m entitled to.

Why do I deserve benefits? Hopefully you know me as a man who works part time, has friends, a good sense of humour and lots of opinions.

What I don’t share often is that I’ve cerebral palsy, epilepsy and a learning disability. These are all life long conditions. At two years of age I qualified for benefits for life.

Luckily, I also have a great team of people who support me - most importantly my Mum, who I live with. There’s also my Auntie and Uncle, friends, my work colleagues and of course the Friendship Club.

Soon I have to fill in a new form and be re-assessed to see if I still qualify for a new disability benefit called Personal Independence Payment. I don’t know when and I’m worried the people asking questions will not fully understand how much support I need to live each day. In fact it really stresses me out.

To me, it feels like the government is behaving like a school bully who has taken away my dinner money. He then tells me that I can have it back, but only if I prove how ‘disabled’ I am.

Every day I work hard to make the best of my disability, like writing this column. But in the interview for the new benefit I will have to tell them how ‘unable’ I am, what I can’t do, not what I can. It makes me feel small and furious.

I understand the Government needs to make savings but why must they make life so hard for the most vulnerable. Surely a letter from the GP saying ‘yes, he’s still disabled for life’ would be enough? What’s worse is that many people like me don’t have the skills to fight back. The benefit cheats could then be targeted, instead of the genuinely disabled like me.

So please, stop punishing people who don’t deserve to be punished, because that is what it feels like.

Adam and William are supported in their editing by The Friendship Club– a project for adults with learning disabilities, run by People First Dorset.