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announced on Saturday that it has begun a formal legal process against government disability benefit and service changes, by issuing a 'letter of claim' to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

The letter suggests that if the government does not address the concerns of disabled people before the impact of proposed cuts is directly felt by the community, the DA will have no option but to take legal action to obtain a judicial review of the plans.

In response, Minister for Disabled People, Maria Miller, said: "We are still only part of the way through this process ... I think some of the concerns that have been expressed are second guessing what the outcome will be and probably creating a great deal of concern where perhaps there is no necessity to have that concern."

Claudia Wood from the doesn't agree and is exercised by announcements around the proposed replacement for Disability Living Allowance, said to be a more positively focused Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

"It is true the PIP plans are not firmed up. But like NHS reform, the government's 'listening exercise' and subsequent amendments seems to be in direct relation to the level of public protest. For example, scrapping DLA mobility component for those in residential care was put on hold (not dropped) after a massive outcry ...

"... So if the government's 'listening mode' involves testing the limits of what people will accept and then stopping just short of it, why should the Disability Alliance stay quiet until the plans have been set in stone?"

Demos recently published and , two surveys the think-tank has undertaken with disabled people during the PIP consultation period.

Follow the story as it unfolds at the and keep up with all the DWP's latest stories .

• The Disability Alliance, a national campaigning charity and membership organisation, has been in existence since 1974. Much of its work has been around providing telephone advice to members and producing written information on tax credits, benefits and social care for people with disabilities. Members include individual disabled people and big charities such as Scope and RNIB.