I've just seen Kate Green's first speech as Labour shadow minister for disabled people.
It rocks, and is so different to what we were hearing just two years ago, it's hard to put the two together.
Just one thing. But to me it's a big thing.
When Alf Morris, also Labour and the first minister for disabled people passed his ground breaking legislation, he called it the "chronically sick and disabled people's act."
I've campaigned primarily by trying to re-introduce that original intent back into the narrative. I always, always say "sick and disabled" and it's gives me great pleasure that it has become so universal that even DWP documents and statements now use the phrase. Language matters and if we don't want politicians - and the public - to get away with two dimensional attitudes to disability, we can't use two dimensional definitions.
Otherwise, as I said, it rocks :
"It’s a great pleasure to join Unison here this morning. Earlier this year, I was fortunate to be invited to your equalities conference, and I think I recognise some of the same faces! But I have to tell you this is my very first speech in my new role as shadow minister for disabled people – so I hope you’ll be a little kinder to me – you know so much more than I do, and you will have much more to tell me than I can tell you.
Writing this speech has however been made much easier for me by a very helpful article which was published last week by my predecessor Anne McGuire.
I know Anne is well known to you, and I can imagine there was real dismay when she announced she was stepping down from the frontbench.
She’s been an expert, passionate and committed advocate for the rights of disabled people for many years, she was a highly effective minister when we were in gvt, and I know she’s a very hard act to follow.
I’m very glad to say that she’s also my good friend.
Anne in her article last week wrote that the last three years have been the most threatening for disabled people and their families, and I could not agree more.
After years of progress – under both Tory and Labour governments – the DDA, Making Rights A Reality for Disabled People, the signing of the UN Convention – under the Tory-led coalition it feels we have gone back to the dark ages.
Disabled people have been – I think it’s not an exaggeration to say this – they’ve been vilified, while the support that they rely on has been slashed, without a care for the long term or the human consequences.
According to campaigners, disabled people have been hit 9x as hard as non disabled people by austerity cuts.
And such support as has remained in place is increasingly being confined to the most severely disabled .
Yet such an approach is simply counterproductive.
It will lead to greater isolation, reduced social participation, worse health outcomes, less chance that disabled people will be able to participate economically.
It will pile up costs and anguish for disabled people, their families, communities, and ultimately the public purse.
Yet even as disabled people are taking the hit, every day it seems there’s a drip drip of stories in the media that repeatedly portray them as scroungers, skivers, or frauds.
So I want to say very clearly – what’s being said, insinuated and implied, is wrong, it’s cruel and it’s shameful.
It creates division, and it feeds into quite despicable levels of abuse and violence.
It underlies unacceptable levels of hate crime against disabled people, and we need to call time on it now.
Labour will continue to stand against this, and condemn misleading and inflammatory portrayals of disabled people – and I want to lay down the challenge to government ministers: you should be doing so too.
But while there’s so much for us to be angry about under the present gvt, today I want to think ahead about how Labour would approach disabled people’s rights.
I hope some of you will have contributed to the work that Anne and Liam Byrne set in train to consult widely on what a Labour government could do to make disabled people’s rights a reality.
We’ve asked Sir Bert Massie to chair a taskforce advising us on how we should take our thinking forward in the light of what we’ve been told, and I’m very much looking forward to discussing ideas with Bert and his team.
But, you know, I’m already clear about the guiding principles that we as a Labour government will follow.
Ed Miliband has talked powerfully of how we are a One Nation party.
That means a vision of a better Britain, in which everyone has a stake, everybody plays a part, prosperity’s fairly shared.
And nowhere could our notion of being One Nation be more tested than in the way in which we include disabled people and stand up for their rights.
So every policy Labour develops will be about including, not isolating disabled people.
It will be about respecting them, celebrating the contribution they make, not demeaning and insulting them.
And disabled people themselves will be co-producers in decision-making about them and their lives.
Of course, every individual will face different circumstances, no two disabled people have the same lives or needs.
But we should not be satisfied until every disabled person can achieve their full potential.
Now, we’ve said we will be tough on benefits spending. That doesn’t mean blaming or demonising people, but it does mean being tough on what it is that prevents every disabled person is from participating as they could.
For many, that includes being in work.
And I think we have much more to do to address the disadvantage that disabled people face in the labour market.
Why are disabled people less likely to be in work, to earn less if they are in work, or to progress less than non-disabled people?
What barriers are in their way? And more important, what do we do about it?
I truly believe the gvt has missed a huge trick in its annual reviews of the WCA. It could have taken the opportunity to think big.
But nowhere have ministers asked – what would need to change to enable more disabled people to work and to thrive at work?
Instead they’ve concentrated – crudely – on sorting people into those who can work and those who can’t, and putting more pressure on individuals they think could work.
I simply don’t buy that binary approach. People’s lives are more complicated. Conditions are more nuanced. Work – and contribution – comes in many forms.
So I want to look very hard at all aspects of disabled people’s employment chances, not just go round beating up on Atos (though they deserve some of that), not just a bit of tinkering with the WCA.
I want to see our labour market strategy linked much more closely to our industrial strategy.
And I want us to learn from what were able to try in govt – whether that’s Work Choice, A2W, P2W, NDDP – and take a hard look at what worked and what did not.
On social care, my colleague Liz Kendall and I want a sustainable model that ensures we don’t get into a situation where disabled people end up becoming increasingly dependent for want of often quite small amounts of care.
The government clearly thinks responsibly for caring can be thrown more and more on families.
But that’s not always feasible, it’s not fair, it’s not economically effective, and it’s not what many disabled people want.
We need a system that preserves people’s independence, that is a springboard to their wider participation in society, not a means of putting them out of sight and out of mind.
And on financial support for disabled people, well look, I’ve always known that a secure and decent income is a prerequisite for full social engagement – whether that’s about participating in education, employment, being able to volunteer or participate in community activity, care for your kids, enjoy and live your life.
You know we won’t be able to reverse every benefit cut when we come into government, though we’ve already said we’ll abolish the hated bedroom tax – and 2/3 of those affected by it are disabled people.
But I’ll tell you this: I am all too aware that the cost of living crisis is felt acutely by disabled people, as the extra costs associated with disability pile up.
So it will be my priority to make sure that every measure we announce to address the cost of living crisis that families face under this out of touch, arrogant, millionaires’ gvt – that every one of our policies goes the extra mile to work for disabled people, their families and carers too.
I’m conscious of how much of your time I’m taking. It’s because there is so much I want to say.
So let’s treat this as the start of a conversation, not the end of a speech.
When I heard Anne was standing down, I too was dismayed – but I have to tell you my very next thought was that I passionately wanted her job.
I know how bad things have become in just three short years, but I know we can do so much better for disabled people. I know it can be better than this.
With your support, I very much look forward to getting to grips with the challenge. Please let’s stay in touch.
Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Response to the Fabians
Kind thanks to the Fabians, who have just published my response to their document on Labour spending priorities after 2015 http://www.fabians.org.uk/a-response-to-2030-vision/ :
"Last week, eagle-eyed welfare warriors spotted ‘2030 Vision’ by the Fabian Future Spending Choices Commission, an independent analysis of where spending priorities – and indeed cuts – should fall until 2030.
A lot of the report is good. I agree with the emphasis on early intervention, prevention and efficiency savings. But in a sense, they are political memes as ethereal as the more left-leaning ideas of clamping down on tax avoidance, scrapping trident and taxing the rich.
For instance, just how much more “efficient” can an NHS already facing £20bn of “efficiency savings” really get? Prevention is absolutely a better option than reactionary ‘cures’ but as we’ve seen with mental health treatment and early intervention, the up-front costs are rarely budgeted for.
It is encouraging that ‘2030 Vision’ states:
“In the long term, freezing spending as a share of national income will only be achieved by reducing the generosity of entitlements or abandoning universal provision in pensions and public services, which we do not think is desirable. In the next parliament ministers may need to consider reducing social security entitlements further but the acceptable room for manoeuvre is limited, as we do not support measures that will reduce living standards for low income households nor make deep inroads into universal provision.”
Also encouraging is that the report recommends a 1 per cent increase in overall spending. However, as it makes clear, even an increase in spending will still lead to cuts as upward pressures on the NHS and pensions will swallow the bulk of any increase.
But the part that seemed totally without thought, logic or imagination was the section on social security spending. In fact, it lacked compassion in a manner almost identical to that of the present government.
The report made no reference to the great social damage unfolding in Britain today because of this government’s welfare reforms. We simply cannot look at welfare cuts without accepting the enormous pressure they place on other services, such as the NHS and social care.
This government have just confirmed the cavalier slashing of the mobility threshold for disability benefits (DLA/PIP) from 50 metres to 20 metres following a last-minute consultation (won partly by the threat of legal action).
As a result, over half a million people will become housebound and no longer able to travel independently. And as funding shortages and the increased demand from an ageing population prevent social care services meeting “moderate” care needs, disabled people’s needs will rise to “substantial” or “critical”, putting more strain on local authorities and health services.
Disability cannot be airbrushed away. Barriers created by people’s impairments and by an unequal and inaccessible society still exist. The cost does not disappear, it simply shifts, from benefits to social care and from social care to health.
Reversing the cuts in this area must be factored into future spending choices or the results will simply be disastrous, costing so much more than they will ever save. How did the commission not know this?
The Labour Party have already pledged to scrap the Bedroom Tax, but the one year time limit on sickness benefits for those who may have paid into the system all of their lives must also be reversed, or at least follow Labour policy of a minimum of 2 years. 94 per cent of people who become too ill to work drop their claims within two years, so this would avoid suffering and injustice.
And as an absolute minimum, any future Labour government must pledge to again pay ESA for those awaiting mandatory reconsideration. This cost is not great, but leaving people without support for an indefinite period should shame a wealthy nation. These changes will cost around £4bn, but if not undertaken will only cost more from other departmental budgets.
However, the Fabians report suggests:
“We are not making specific recommendations but have identified around £5bn of cuts which we think could be contemplated if a reduction in social security entitlements does become necessary. These include means-testing winter fuel payments and free TV licences; extending recent disability benefit reforms to older people; and treating certain disability benefits as taxable income.”
I would like to specifically ask the commission how many sick or disabled people they spoke to and from what organisations? Evidence was submitted across 8 separate hearings, given by two or three experts in each field. Not one was a disability expert.
Firstly, let’s look at the practical considerations. Not only do those suggestions assume that another £5bn can come almost exclusively from sick and disabled people already facing devastating cuts of £28bn over this parliament, but they also fall almost entirely on pensioners. Even the coalition has not dared to roll any of their reforms out to pensioners. Can you begin to imagine the fallout?
What’s more, it suggests extending a reform (PIP) that is already certain to fail. The commission should have known that the assessments for PIP are catastrophic.
But economically, almost all of the coalition welfare reforms cost more than they save. The room for total redistribution of the spend on services and support is vast. It’s hard to say how much money Iain Duncan Smith is wasting or has already wasted on the disastrous universal credit, the failing work programme and soaring tribunal costs for incorrect Atos decisions, but £5bn is a conservative estimate.
We must start to be brave and innovative. We must take this money away from corporate “providers” failing in their duties and put it directly into the hands of individuals to control and direct their own work support, rehabilitation, treatment and social care.
If these changes are not made, we will pay just the same – probably more – but we will pay over and over in endless crises and failure.
"Last week, eagle-eyed welfare warriors spotted ‘2030 Vision’ by the Fabian Future Spending Choices Commission, an independent analysis of where spending priorities – and indeed cuts – should fall until 2030.
A lot of the report is good. I agree with the emphasis on early intervention, prevention and efficiency savings. But in a sense, they are political memes as ethereal as the more left-leaning ideas of clamping down on tax avoidance, scrapping trident and taxing the rich.
For instance, just how much more “efficient” can an NHS already facing £20bn of “efficiency savings” really get? Prevention is absolutely a better option than reactionary ‘cures’ but as we’ve seen with mental health treatment and early intervention, the up-front costs are rarely budgeted for.
It is encouraging that ‘2030 Vision’ states:
“In the long term, freezing spending as a share of national income will only be achieved by reducing the generosity of entitlements or abandoning universal provision in pensions and public services, which we do not think is desirable. In the next parliament ministers may need to consider reducing social security entitlements further but the acceptable room for manoeuvre is limited, as we do not support measures that will reduce living standards for low income households nor make deep inroads into universal provision.”
Also encouraging is that the report recommends a 1 per cent increase in overall spending. However, as it makes clear, even an increase in spending will still lead to cuts as upward pressures on the NHS and pensions will swallow the bulk of any increase.
But the part that seemed totally without thought, logic or imagination was the section on social security spending. In fact, it lacked compassion in a manner almost identical to that of the present government.
The report made no reference to the great social damage unfolding in Britain today because of this government’s welfare reforms. We simply cannot look at welfare cuts without accepting the enormous pressure they place on other services, such as the NHS and social care.
This government have just confirmed the cavalier slashing of the mobility threshold for disability benefits (DLA/PIP) from 50 metres to 20 metres following a last-minute consultation (won partly by the threat of legal action).
As a result, over half a million people will become housebound and no longer able to travel independently. And as funding shortages and the increased demand from an ageing population prevent social care services meeting “moderate” care needs, disabled people’s needs will rise to “substantial” or “critical”, putting more strain on local authorities and health services.
Disability cannot be airbrushed away. Barriers created by people’s impairments and by an unequal and inaccessible society still exist. The cost does not disappear, it simply shifts, from benefits to social care and from social care to health.
Reversing the cuts in this area must be factored into future spending choices or the results will simply be disastrous, costing so much more than they will ever save. How did the commission not know this?
The Labour Party have already pledged to scrap the Bedroom Tax, but the one year time limit on sickness benefits for those who may have paid into the system all of their lives must also be reversed, or at least follow Labour policy of a minimum of 2 years. 94 per cent of people who become too ill to work drop their claims within two years, so this would avoid suffering and injustice.
And as an absolute minimum, any future Labour government must pledge to again pay ESA for those awaiting mandatory reconsideration. This cost is not great, but leaving people without support for an indefinite period should shame a wealthy nation. These changes will cost around £4bn, but if not undertaken will only cost more from other departmental budgets.
However, the Fabians report suggests:
“We are not making specific recommendations but have identified around £5bn of cuts which we think could be contemplated if a reduction in social security entitlements does become necessary. These include means-testing winter fuel payments and free TV licences; extending recent disability benefit reforms to older people; and treating certain disability benefits as taxable income.”
I would like to specifically ask the commission how many sick or disabled people they spoke to and from what organisations? Evidence was submitted across 8 separate hearings, given by two or three experts in each field. Not one was a disability expert.
Firstly, let’s look at the practical considerations. Not only do those suggestions assume that another £5bn can come almost exclusively from sick and disabled people already facing devastating cuts of £28bn over this parliament, but they also fall almost entirely on pensioners. Even the coalition has not dared to roll any of their reforms out to pensioners. Can you begin to imagine the fallout?
What’s more, it suggests extending a reform (PIP) that is already certain to fail. The commission should have known that the assessments for PIP are catastrophic.
But economically, almost all of the coalition welfare reforms cost more than they save. The room for total redistribution of the spend on services and support is vast. It’s hard to say how much money Iain Duncan Smith is wasting or has already wasted on the disastrous universal credit, the failing work programme and soaring tribunal costs for incorrect Atos decisions, but £5bn is a conservative estimate.
We must start to be brave and innovative. We must take this money away from corporate “providers” failing in their duties and put it directly into the hands of individuals to control and direct their own work support, rehabilitation, treatment and social care.
If these changes are not made, we will pay just the same – probably more – but we will pay over and over in endless crises and failure.
Finally! What will Labour do for Sick and Disabled People?
Do you remember Ed Miliband's "I met a man speech"? Or Liam Byrne's "Strivers V Skivers"? How could we forget the workfare debacle?
Just how many times have we slammed our heads into the desk in despair, wondering if they actually live on the same planet as us mere mortals?
Before we can expect policies from Labour on "welfare", first we have to see they get it. Do they really see what's so horrifically wrong with this whole system? Do they truly accept it? Do they still think WCAs are the right thing or do they accept that they're fundamentally flawed, that tinkering around the edges is not an option?
In their hearts, is a system of punitive sanctions and cruel tricks still necessary? Do they still doubt and judge us as they did in power? Or have 3 years of constituent's tears and suffering thawed their resolve?
You might remember that during my conference speech, I referred to a document, Making Rights a Reality, the Labour response to a year long consultation up and down the country asking sick and disabled people and their carers what is wrong with the system as it stands.
I've read many "listening exercises" and usually there's nothing even vaguely controversial in them. They simply "listen" to the bits the politicians want to hear.
Well, here is the document, released at last.
http://liambyrne.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/1Making-Rights-a-Reality-Consultation.pdf
The first section recounts the problems in the system as we reported them. I don't think much is left out.
The second section suggests ways forward if Labour regain power and would involve totally fundamental reform of the system. Far from tinkering around the edges, it suggests root and branch reform that would fundamentally change the entire nature of our social security provision for people with disabilites or long term illnesses.
When I first saw the document, we were asked what we thought. I said this :
"If the INTENT has truly changed. If we have truly persuaded you to approach the whole system differently, from judgement to trust, from sanctions to incentive, then I think this document and the suggestions within it are incredible. If we've truly persuaded ALL of the party that we need support not penalties, inspiration not punishment, then this is more radical than I ever dared hope for. But it's all about INTENT. Do you truly believe now that helping us to the best of your ability will create a more efficient, cost effective system? Because unless we've truly won your hearts and minds, unless we've truly persuaded you, this will fail as abjectly as ESA and PIP."
So, here it is. This document is a blueprint for our futures, it will affect our lives fundamentally if Labour regain power. I really hope you read it all. I think I may have given up hope that Labour were listening at all at times. I think I'd stopped believing they could hear us. This document gave me hope. I hope it gives you some hope too. Hope that they did hear us and hope that they might continue to.
http://liambyrne.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/1Making-Rights-a-Reality-Consultation.pdf
Just how many times have we slammed our heads into the desk in despair, wondering if they actually live on the same planet as us mere mortals?
Before we can expect policies from Labour on "welfare", first we have to see they get it. Do they really see what's so horrifically wrong with this whole system? Do they truly accept it? Do they still think WCAs are the right thing or do they accept that they're fundamentally flawed, that tinkering around the edges is not an option?
In their hearts, is a system of punitive sanctions and cruel tricks still necessary? Do they still doubt and judge us as they did in power? Or have 3 years of constituent's tears and suffering thawed their resolve?
You might remember that during my conference speech, I referred to a document, Making Rights a Reality, the Labour response to a year long consultation up and down the country asking sick and disabled people and their carers what is wrong with the system as it stands.
I've read many "listening exercises" and usually there's nothing even vaguely controversial in them. They simply "listen" to the bits the politicians want to hear.
Well, here is the document, released at last.
http://liambyrne.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/1Making-Rights-a-Reality-Consultation.pdf
The first section recounts the problems in the system as we reported them. I don't think much is left out.
The second section suggests ways forward if Labour regain power and would involve totally fundamental reform of the system. Far from tinkering around the edges, it suggests root and branch reform that would fundamentally change the entire nature of our social security provision for people with disabilites or long term illnesses.
When I first saw the document, we were asked what we thought. I said this :
"If the INTENT has truly changed. If we have truly persuaded you to approach the whole system differently, from judgement to trust, from sanctions to incentive, then I think this document and the suggestions within it are incredible. If we've truly persuaded ALL of the party that we need support not penalties, inspiration not punishment, then this is more radical than I ever dared hope for. But it's all about INTENT. Do you truly believe now that helping us to the best of your ability will create a more efficient, cost effective system? Because unless we've truly won your hearts and minds, unless we've truly persuaded you, this will fail as abjectly as ESA and PIP."
So, here it is. This document is a blueprint for our futures, it will affect our lives fundamentally if Labour regain power. I really hope you read it all. I think I may have given up hope that Labour were listening at all at times. I think I'd stopped believing they could hear us. This document gave me hope. I hope it gives you some hope too. Hope that they did hear us and hope that they might continue to.
http://liambyrne.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/1Making-Rights-a-Reality-Consultation.pdf
Wednesday, 23 October 2013
One Life - 125 Clicks
Dear, dear friends. What remarkable people you are. You, many of whom have so little but care so much. I can hardly believe that as I type this, a total of £1,632 has been donated to a stranger, http://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/a-spartacus-in-crisis-please-help.html someone you don't even know, just because I said how much they needed you.
Days like today are what keep me going. And I feel a great sense of hope. I see how much so many of you want to DO something. Do practical things that make a difference, even if just in one life.
You can still donate here http://www.gofundme.com/4xghf0 until midnight on Friday.
Anyway, the following is very, very, painful to read. It's a thank you blog the person sent me and asked if I would post to you all. *TRIGGER WARNING* for some, but this IS the reality of why I asked you. This is the desperation this person has felt for so, so, long . It's the desperation so many feel.
One Life – 125 clicks.
"I have lost count of the number of times I have done this. This desperate act of lining up the tablets, wondering if death will hurt more than life.
The times I have turned my face to the wall, staring into the blackness, hearing the screams of tormented souls inside my head.
The terror of sleep, the shear damnedness of waking to a life that had no meaning.
What is it that gives life meaning?
Is it worth? I feel worthless. I have no worth. I have no place in a society that asks and judges on what you can give, and cares not for what you need.
Is it happiness? Happiness has eluded me for many years, sometimes there are tiny moments, sunshine breaking through the black clouds, but these are fleeting moments, dead before they have time to grow.
Is it love? Does love give meaning to life? How many things are more beautiful for being shared? How many things are more bearable because someone listened, held your hand, wrapped their arms around you and promised that it would be ok.
Today, for me, people offered love.
That love said “Let me help, let me shoulder some of your burdens, let me take away some of your worries, let me – because I want to”.
Today 125 strangers clicked, 125 people took a small piece of my worries and made them vanish.
125 people cared, 125 people believed I was worth saving, 125 people offered unconditional love.
I'm still alone, I'm still ill, and it may take a huge amount of time to resolve all my problems, but I have 125 reasons to put the tablets back in the drawer and believe that one day the sun will shine again.
Saying “Thank you” will never be enough, but its all I have to give.
Days like today are what keep me going. And I feel a great sense of hope. I see how much so many of you want to DO something. Do practical things that make a difference, even if just in one life.
You can still donate here http://www.gofundme.com/4xghf0 until midnight on Friday.
Anyway, the following is very, very, painful to read. It's a thank you blog the person sent me and asked if I would post to you all. *TRIGGER WARNING* for some, but this IS the reality of why I asked you. This is the desperation this person has felt for so, so, long . It's the desperation so many feel.
One Life – 125 clicks.
"I have lost count of the number of times I have done this. This desperate act of lining up the tablets, wondering if death will hurt more than life.
The times I have turned my face to the wall, staring into the blackness, hearing the screams of tormented souls inside my head.
The terror of sleep, the shear damnedness of waking to a life that had no meaning.
What is it that gives life meaning?
Is it worth? I feel worthless. I have no worth. I have no place in a society that asks and judges on what you can give, and cares not for what you need.
Is it happiness? Happiness has eluded me for many years, sometimes there are tiny moments, sunshine breaking through the black clouds, but these are fleeting moments, dead before they have time to grow.
Is it love? Does love give meaning to life? How many things are more beautiful for being shared? How many things are more bearable because someone listened, held your hand, wrapped their arms around you and promised that it would be ok.
Today, for me, people offered love.
That love said “Let me help, let me shoulder some of your burdens, let me take away some of your worries, let me – because I want to”.
Today 125 strangers clicked, 125 people took a small piece of my worries and made them vanish.
125 people cared, 125 people believed I was worth saving, 125 people offered unconditional love.
I'm still alone, I'm still ill, and it may take a huge amount of time to resolve all my problems, but I have 125 reasons to put the tablets back in the drawer and believe that one day the sun will shine again.
Saying “Thank you” will never be enough, but its all I have to give.
Thanks, and the promise that I will continue to give as much as I can to prevent other people reaching for the tablets and turning their faces to the wall."
A Friend in Crisis - Please Help
Regular readers will know that I'm positively squeamish when it comes to money.
The only time I've EVER asked for your support was to produce Spartacus Report, and even then, I was loathe to take any personal support from the fund.
I won't take money from unions or think tanks and certainly not corporate monoliths or political organisations as I feel I would never be truly able to say what I really need to say again. Regularly, kind supporters message me privately and offer to pay a little money to me monthly to support my work, but though I must have spent thousands of pounds of my own money traipsing across the country to represent the sick and disabled, I'm happy to do it if I can. Sometimes, a nasty little troll pops up to say I'm only in it for the money and Dave and I laugh cynical laughs - If only they knew!!
But once, when I was in a truly desperate state, a friend (Fiona Nicholson, I am forever in your debt and will never forget your kindneess) rose up and helped me. I was in hospital after the intense work of Spartacus Report, nearly bankrupt, fighting my DLA appeal and my car blew up on the way to Cambridge when Dave tried to bring the kids for a visit. On the same day, my laptop got drowned in a sea of liquid feed and I was cut off. I moaned about it a bit on twitter, then went offline for the day. When I came back, nearly £1000 had been donated to fix the car and get a new laptop. It was the single most miraculous day of my life.
Not just the money, though it was incredible, but to know so many cared and wanted to help in any small way they could.
So with all of this in mind, you know I would never ask for your help unless the situation was desperate.
Well, today, I'm faced with a desperate situation. One of the people who works most closely with me is in a terrible mess. I can honestly say, hand on heart, that none of my work would have been possible without this person. They get none of the glory, work endlessly in the background and few of you would know them if I said their name. But this person works tirelessly, day and night, producing faultless research. They are always there when I need a quote or reference, they are always there when I need support.
But this person is in the middle of a mental health breakdown. Their DLA has been stopped through an admin error, their housing is unstable and this person is on the very edge. They are hungry and hopeless. They have no-one but us. I'm truly frightened that we will lose them if something isn't done soon.
Like me, this person needs to know we care. They need to know that what they've done is every bit as vital as those more in the public eye like myself. They need help and whilst I can't wave magic wands, I can use this blog and the great support and care you've always shown me to help them.
So for just the second time since I started this blog, I'm asking you to help. Please, DON'T give more than you can afford, but if you can donate any small amount towards a crisis fund for this person, you might just save a life. A precious, brave, wonderful life. I realise I'm not even telling you who they are (it would be too much for the person) and I'm asking you to trust me when I say how vital this is.
I can't lose them. We need this person so much and it would be a crime if she wasn't standing beside me when we finally win.
The only time I've EVER asked for your support was to produce Spartacus Report, and even then, I was loathe to take any personal support from the fund.
I won't take money from unions or think tanks and certainly not corporate monoliths or political organisations as I feel I would never be truly able to say what I really need to say again. Regularly, kind supporters message me privately and offer to pay a little money to me monthly to support my work, but though I must have spent thousands of pounds of my own money traipsing across the country to represent the sick and disabled, I'm happy to do it if I can. Sometimes, a nasty little troll pops up to say I'm only in it for the money and Dave and I laugh cynical laughs - If only they knew!!
But once, when I was in a truly desperate state, a friend (Fiona Nicholson, I am forever in your debt and will never forget your kindneess) rose up and helped me. I was in hospital after the intense work of Spartacus Report, nearly bankrupt, fighting my DLA appeal and my car blew up on the way to Cambridge when Dave tried to bring the kids for a visit. On the same day, my laptop got drowned in a sea of liquid feed and I was cut off. I moaned about it a bit on twitter, then went offline for the day. When I came back, nearly £1000 had been donated to fix the car and get a new laptop. It was the single most miraculous day of my life.
Not just the money, though it was incredible, but to know so many cared and wanted to help in any small way they could.
So with all of this in mind, you know I would never ask for your help unless the situation was desperate.
Well, today, I'm faced with a desperate situation. One of the people who works most closely with me is in a terrible mess. I can honestly say, hand on heart, that none of my work would have been possible without this person. They get none of the glory, work endlessly in the background and few of you would know them if I said their name. But this person works tirelessly, day and night, producing faultless research. They are always there when I need a quote or reference, they are always there when I need support.
But this person is in the middle of a mental health breakdown. Their DLA has been stopped through an admin error, their housing is unstable and this person is on the very edge. They are hungry and hopeless. They have no-one but us. I'm truly frightened that we will lose them if something isn't done soon.
Like me, this person needs to know we care. They need to know that what they've done is every bit as vital as those more in the public eye like myself. They need help and whilst I can't wave magic wands, I can use this blog and the great support and care you've always shown me to help them.
So for just the second time since I started this blog, I'm asking you to help. Please, DON'T give more than you can afford, but if you can donate any small amount towards a crisis fund for this person, you might just save a life. A precious, brave, wonderful life. I realise I'm not even telling you who they are (it would be too much for the person) and I'm asking you to trust me when I say how vital this is.
I can't lose them. We need this person so much and it would be a crime if she wasn't standing beside me when we finally win.
You can DONATE HERE
THANK YOU
Update : I'm astonished! We hit the target in just under 2 hours!!! Your generosity has inspired me more than you could ever know. Several people have said to me that they want to donate on Friday, so I'll keep the fund running until midnight on Friday. Crisis is as crisis does and I set the £1000 target with no idea how people would react. Anything still donated will see this person through until their DLA and housing problems are sorted out, so do please keep donating and a million thank yous xxxx
John Major cusses IDS
Bet you never guessed it'd be John Major riding one of those white chargers towards us eh?
"Iain Duncan Smith is trying to reform benefits. I truly wish him well. But it is enormously complicated and unless he is very lucky, which he may not be, or a genius, which the last time I looked wasunproven, he may get some of it wrong. I hope Iain is wise enough to listen to a wide range of opinion because some of his critics will be right. If he listens only to the bean-counters and to cheerleaders concerned only with abuse of the system then he will fail."
More in this Telegraph article, but I had to share that quote with you all.
I especially love the bit about IDS being a genius being "unproven". What a delicately crafted jibe.
Tuesday, 22 October 2013
Government Cheat. Again.
Imagine if just days after they were (almost) elected, the government had announced they were going to scrap state pensions. Instead, they were going to replace pensions with Personal Retirement Payments. BUT, in the process 20% of existing pensioners would lose their pensions altogether. That's one in five no longer eligible. Overnight, just like that.
Imagine pensioners fought the changes through parliament and the Lords and WON, but the governemnt just went ahead anyway.
But then, as if that wasn't bad enough, imagine that just as they announced their final plans, they'd snuck a new change in at the last minute without asking anyone. Imagine that not only would 1 in 5 pensioners lose their entire income straight away, but they were also going to raise the retirement age to 104!! A 60% change with no warning at all!
Imagine pensioners took legal action and forced them to consult on raising the retirement age so drastically and unrealistically, but even when EVERYONE opposed it, the government just said "Meh, Oh well, we're going to do it anyway"
Well, the country would think the government had finally tipped over the edge into delusion wouldn't they? The Daily Mail would have geriatric armies with pitchforks razing parlaiment to the ground!! I imagine there would be a vote of no confidence in the government by about midday.
Yet, this is EXACTLY what they've done to sick and disabled people.
Firstly, with no warning, nothing in either manifesto, they abolished Disability Living Allowance and replaced it with Personal Independence Payments, announcing a 1 in 5 cut in existing cases.
Sick and Disabled people fought the changes with everything they had, but the government just ignored them.
Just like raising the retirement age to 104 would be a 60% increase overnight, so the government have slashed the distance you can walk before qualifying for assistance with getting about from 50 mtrs to 20 mtrs. A 60% reduction!!! Few people will qualify now, just as few would qualify for a pension at 104. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/251631/pip-mobility-consultation-government-response.pdf
Yet no-one says a word. The media don't listen, the public don't get to hear about it and far from pitchforks at dawn, the Daily Mail actually lead the charge against us. I haven't actually see this huge announcement on the mainstream news at all.
I watched a programme hosted by Stephen Fry the other night on homophobia. It struck me how casually homophobic some nations were, how instituionalised the homophobia and therefore how practically impossible it was for homosexuals to be heard or to report crimes against them. They were dismissed as "attention seeking" "corrupting" and even "ill". They couldn't tell their real stories, and no-one would listen to them if they did.
I watch legions of sick and disabled people try to tell the public every day what is really going on here in the UK and I watch how casually they are ignored. How ingrained the belief that "We wouldn't do that here in the UK" or that we're just a special interest group making a lot of noise.
It chills me. Just like many pensioners, not all sick and disabled people can simply go and earn more money. Just like pensioners, they paid tax and national insurance believing if they became sick or disabled, they would be entitled to support.
And just like pensions, disability support used to enjoy great cross party and public support.
Who knows, maybe, just maybe no-one would listen to the pensioners either. Nothing would surprise me any more.
Imagine pensioners fought the changes through parliament and the Lords and WON, but the governemnt just went ahead anyway.
But then, as if that wasn't bad enough, imagine that just as they announced their final plans, they'd snuck a new change in at the last minute without asking anyone. Imagine that not only would 1 in 5 pensioners lose their entire income straight away, but they were also going to raise the retirement age to 104!! A 60% change with no warning at all!
Imagine pensioners took legal action and forced them to consult on raising the retirement age so drastically and unrealistically, but even when EVERYONE opposed it, the government just said "Meh, Oh well, we're going to do it anyway"
Well, the country would think the government had finally tipped over the edge into delusion wouldn't they? The Daily Mail would have geriatric armies with pitchforks razing parlaiment to the ground!! I imagine there would be a vote of no confidence in the government by about midday.
Yet, this is EXACTLY what they've done to sick and disabled people.
Firstly, with no warning, nothing in either manifesto, they abolished Disability Living Allowance and replaced it with Personal Independence Payments, announcing a 1 in 5 cut in existing cases.
Sick and Disabled people fought the changes with everything they had, but the government just ignored them.
Just like raising the retirement age to 104 would be a 60% increase overnight, so the government have slashed the distance you can walk before qualifying for assistance with getting about from 50 mtrs to 20 mtrs. A 60% reduction!!! Few people will qualify now, just as few would qualify for a pension at 104. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/251631/pip-mobility-consultation-government-response.pdf
Yet no-one says a word. The media don't listen, the public don't get to hear about it and far from pitchforks at dawn, the Daily Mail actually lead the charge against us. I haven't actually see this huge announcement on the mainstream news at all.
I watched a programme hosted by Stephen Fry the other night on homophobia. It struck me how casually homophobic some nations were, how instituionalised the homophobia and therefore how practically impossible it was for homosexuals to be heard or to report crimes against them. They were dismissed as "attention seeking" "corrupting" and even "ill". They couldn't tell their real stories, and no-one would listen to them if they did.
I watch legions of sick and disabled people try to tell the public every day what is really going on here in the UK and I watch how casually they are ignored. How ingrained the belief that "We wouldn't do that here in the UK" or that we're just a special interest group making a lot of noise.
It chills me. Just like many pensioners, not all sick and disabled people can simply go and earn more money. Just like pensioners, they paid tax and national insurance believing if they became sick or disabled, they would be entitled to support.
And just like pensions, disability support used to enjoy great cross party and public support.
Who knows, maybe, just maybe no-one would listen to the pensioners either. Nothing would surprise me any more.
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