As many of you will know, the Welfare Reform Bill returns to the House of Commons on Weds, Feb 1st. Ministers have assured us that they will overturn all of the modest amendments we've fought so very hard to achieve. They will do this by using the archaic and undemocratic processes of financial privilege and the Parliament Act. All we can do at this stage is appeal to the consciences of our constituency MP's. Ask them to look very carefully at the amendments and if you wish to personalise the template letter explain to your MP how you as their constituent will be affected by the WRB.
We have until wednesday to persuade those MP's who have heard our arguments for many, many months that we're not asking for the world, we're not seeking to wreck their bill, we just need the bill to be safe. We understand how exhausted everyone is, but this is vital if we are to stop all our hard work from being undone at the brush of an arrogant pen. Please take action now!
PS: Sorry for the formatting. It turns out that two spoonies, with one functioning laptop and no functioning body parts or brains find it a tad tricky to format properly!
Just had a google at this bill and it really does undermine democracy as we know it as it bloody well gives the commons power to overule any amendments the lords bring in as they just class the bill as a 'money bill' and thats it they dont need anything else.Now if this is so then any consultation was just a game playing move by IDS and Fraud as they knew the outcome was rigged from the start so this REALLY is the end game here either the MPs vote against it or they push it through using the privelege thing.
ReplyDeleteDemocracy is not served here and whilst this type of instrument is used then it never will be.Blitz the emails though cos we aint done yet.....i still think there are grounds to go to the EU with this as it infringes democracy and human rights ...maybe they dont think so but it bloody does...ANY lowyers out there care to comment OR HELP....
Welfare reform bill is unjust to the most vulnerable in society, leaving a disable person lying in their own mess for hours on end is not caring for them. Too many are considering suicide, 32 have alredy been forced to carry out this action, many more will follow their lead. I beg you to take action and rebuke this bill in total.
ReplyDeletei emailed my mp tom clarke (labour) of bellshill lanarkshire scotland & his assistant emailed back saying he will vote against the bill on wednesday
ReplyDeleteErm.. I thought the Parliament Act could ONLY BE USED IF THE COUNTRY IS AT WAR?
ReplyDeletelook up financial privelege and the parliament act...
DeleteI need a quick fact check before I write please. I have a variable long-term illness, have been classes as 'unable to work' since before I was 16 and am currently in the less-harassed group for ESA. With them planning to put a time limit on contribution-based ESA, does that mean that if I was well enough to work for a couple of years and pay NI contributions, and then needed to go back on ESA, I'd be limited to 1 year of benefits if I was living with someone who was working?
ReplyDeleteThat's a very complicated question Charlotte. There was an amendment to the welfare reform bill that meant if you got kicked out of the WRAG and then had to go into the Support Group later on, you'd be treated as though you had earned NI contributions, so would still qualify for contributory ESA, but your situation is almost the opposite.
DeleteI think if you had been Support group, then worked for a bit, then went into the WRAG, you'd be time limited like anyone else if you had a working partner, yes. That would be quite a disincentive to try working from the Support Group and exactly why campaigners oppose such ridiculous prescriptive groupings.
Hope that helps, Sue
The truth is I don't know and I'm not exactly sure the DWP would know to be honest.
Thanks for your reply. I'm hoping to use it as an example for my MP of why the bill is badly thought-through, quite apart from being cruel.
DeleteThis bill is about us all not just one aspect of being sick or disabled so please write wether you think you are affected or not as they seek to divide us all so dont let them...one voice here people....
ReplyDeleteI wrote to my MP on Saturday. I took a lot of info from the Spartacus page. My email is here (inc link to Spartacus page)
ReplyDeletehttp://edyourself.org/articles/MPletterWelfareReformLordsamend.php
I emailed my 'Dear Government' cartoon to every single MP over the weekend - and I have had at least 10 positive, supportive responses so far.
ReplyDeleteHave sent re-vamped, more in my words version of the template email to my Tory MP, so not a great deal of hope for positive action from him, being Tory... should just mention the method of sending didn't work, it said the contact couldn't be found? But sent it ordinarily anyway.
DeleteI hope you are resting as much as possible Sue.
There are hundreds of MPs on twitter. You can find them all just by searching 'MP' or 'MP conservative' for example, and there's a huge list!! Looks like most are twitter addicts too.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone got the perfect 140 character message to send to them all?
most of them haven't got anything to do - but they're happy getting paid for nothing though
DeleteI think it is worth writing to as many MPs as you can, not just your own. I am trying to write to as many as possible from all parties. Some ignore non constituency correspondence others seem to at least read what you have to say One secretary kindly printed out my comments for the MP to read. So its worth e-mailing as many as possible, after all this is a national issue which is relevant to everyone effected by the welfare reforms so their decision effects everyone not just their constituents.
ReplyDeleteChristine
my mp, who claims to be the voice of his constituents in parliament rather than the voice of parliament in his constituency - will be voting with the government on this.
ReplyDeletehe pays no heed to what constituents want - in fact his entire starting point on any topic is 'i agree with the government, what's your problem ....?'
he used to be the shadow miister for disabled people and reassures me that disabled people will be okay with all the changes. he's hardly ever seen in his constituency as he's a cabinet office minister now so his constituents can go hang - literally.
someone once told me he's a nice guy, hmmmmmm
when this is all said and done there wont be any scroungers left in the country
ReplyDeleteWe the genuine ones will be able to venture out with our heads held high that is coarse where all well enough
sorry if this appears in the wrong space; the comments box seems to have altered.
DeleteAnother e-petition, this time specifically about ATOS tests:
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/5828
It's a long shot findlow but it wont make a scrape of difference
Deleteif it ever got near the 100000 mark the government would pull the plug on the website and all would be lost
the lords won again tonight thank god on the vote on taking money away from children Ministers had wanted to reduce the amount of money paid to disabled children who do not need care at night - such as the profoundly deaf or those with Down Syndrome.
ReplyDeleteThe government are really scraping the barrel but what did you expect from a government filthy rich front bench
hi sue, have you heard of Shona Banda? try and watch her video .... http://phoenixtears.ca/video-library/
ReplyDeletesorry, this is a better link....http://youtu.be/4cQrT0sDxyc
ReplyDelete