I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this any more.

Jan 9, 2012

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I read an article in the Guardian last night. It had chilling echoes for me of a previous situation where a government decided they didn’t like something and would legislate against it, regardless of the actual facts of the situation.

Basically, what is going on is a government that caters to the rich (mainly by not bothering to collect tax from them) is attacking the most vulnerable. Ppl who rely on DLA (disability living allowance) are not “benefit scrounging scum” as the media would have it. They are ppl with illnesses, with disabilities. They are ppl who would love to work, but can’t as no government so far has done anything to really support flexible working policies, and no employer wants to take the risk. And if they do manage to earn a little, it endangers the benefits they rely on when they can’t work. They are ppl with children with problems, and nowhere to turn.

DLA is not an abused benefit. The rate of fraud is incredibly low – not surprising when you find out how difficult it is to claim. The difficulty, and perceived humiliation, of filling in a DLA form puts off families who could be entitled to it, and that in turn shuts off their access to other benefits they are entitled to. Is this really the world we want?

If, god forbid, you woke up tomorrow to a world in which you, your partner, or your child were suddenly disabled (it can happen – car accident, illness, disaster) you would expect that our enlightened society would support you, wouldn’t you? You could well be in for a nasty shock. You might find that charities in this Big Society are your only support, and they are getting less money from their supporters, who are similarly squeezed by the financial environment. And you might find that the welfare state you thought you had supported when you didn’t need it has been diminished beyond a hope of recovery, by a government that is happy to break rules, ignore the public and attack those least able to defend themselves.

If any of this sounds like something you don’t want to support, there are actions you can take. Tell your MP that you think it’s disgraceful that this consultation was shorter than the required period. That it’s disgusting that legislation was laid before parliament *before* the consultation ends. That it’s awful that the media is being allowed to go on about benefit fraud that barely happens (and certainly doesn’t cost the country anything like the tax deals that are made day in day out by HMRC with huge companies).

Read the Spartacus Report and blog it. Tweet links to it using the hashtag #SpartacusReport. Ask the blogging networks you’re in (I’m looking at you @MumsNetBloggers and you @NetMums to feature it). Share it on Facebook, but above all else, make a noise.

Because today the governement is coming for the disabled. And if we don’t speak out for them, who will be left to speak out for us?

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Comments

11 responses to “I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this any more.”

Crystal Jigsaw
9 January 2012
I filled out Amy’s DLA form last week and sent it off. I’d like to meet anyone who is calling genuine claimants “benefit scrounging scum” because they might just see another side to me. The form asks some ridiculous questions but people should also realise that they can seek help to fill it in. Once it’s filled in, everyone has a right to appeal should a decision not be made in their favour. At the end of the day, we are entitled to these benefits and should therefore make time to claim them, whether the form is difficult or not.
CJ
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1. Jax
  9 January 2012
  I think you are right, but I also think it’s ludicrous that the form is so difficult and humiliating. We should not be putting ppl already in dire straits through this kind of treatment, there’s nothing wrong with respecting ppl’s dignity.
  Reply
Chris at Thinly Spread
9 January 2012
Excellent piece Jax. Will tweet immediately. My Dad was a Remploy manager in the days when the state pretended to care. x
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1. Jax
  10 January 2012
  Thanks Chris. Am desperate to get this wider coverage into the blogging/ social media world, beyond those it immediately concerns.
  Reply
layla
9 January 2012
I agree, we have J’s DLA renewal in 2013 & I’m already dreading it.
(re your second paragraph – plenty of DLA recipients work – it isn’t an out of work or means tested benefit though it is often confused with ‘disability’ (ESA) which is for people who can’t work)
Reply
1. Jax
  10 January 2012
  You’re absolutely right Layla, I’ll edit something in.
  Reply
Scottish Mum
9 January 2012
Ladies
I’ve seen some poor craters who are not able to claim for themselves and there is no help for them to do it. Some can’t read or write, and don’t know anyone else who can. Others just don’t know about it and are too busy trying to find enough money to eat, or stop someone abusing them or their kids to be able to get things done.
We are privileged enough to be educated and be able to work things out for ourselves. Pre adoption and fostering, I had no idea this whole other world existed. I used to be the same as others and think enough was being done, but it wasn’t then, and it isn’t now, and is getting worse.
Lots of reasons that people can’t get it done, but the point is, that these people are being failed in ever increasing numbers, and where people cannot afford to put food on the table, crime will rise. The saying is that a society is always only 3 meals away from anarchy isn’t it? I can’t remember who wrote that.
I have to say that the only physical support we get is from charities. 3 adopted children who are entitled to “rights” under the law, but no money to fund those rights, although we had to go through hoops to get onto a social work team to be allowed to be referred to a charity for help. It took me nearly 5 years to get on the team and I fought hard. Other people don’t know how to. We can’t just go to a charity and let them assess the family situation.
The situation is bad enough as it is without it getting worse. But, those families without disabilities in the main, tend not to care as it doesn’t affect them. They would rather go off and campaign for Timbuktoo if it made the news headlines. Sharp and stabby, but it’s true.
There are some that support, but most just want us and our families and children to go away. I have many times heard the cry of why should people pay tax pounds for scroungers. Few scroungers get DLA and most who need it don’t get it as they are put off by the hoops we have to go through to get it for people in our families.
That doesn’t include the fact that a lot of disabled people have not got the ability to do it for themselves, or to ask for help, and lots of them are thrown out of their secure units onto the streets as part of “care in the community”. Yes the people working in those sectors, charity and councils do the best they can but they are underfunded and often understaffed.
Am I bitter, yes I am. We have a reasonable package in place now, but that is through fighting for it. Until my boy was excluded from school and there was a massive hoo ha over it we got no physical help at all.
This Government is not showing vulnerable groups any support and they seem to be slashing the support for groups who have a small support behind them. Funnily enough, they don’t seem to be stopping the support for the drug addicted as they can shout loud enough for themselves, or might cause problems in the community and affect the voting masses. Clever slashing.
I may regret this reply so I am sending it before I re-read it.
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1. Elaine Livingstone
  10 January 2012
  well said Scottish Mum, love the last paragraph about the drug addicted. People choose to drink to much/use heroin/ or whatever ( I know it is not as simple as that believe me I work for NHS) but at the time it was a life style choice, theses people were not born addicted to whatever, but my daughter DLA and carers allow till she was 14, my grandson had had it since he was 1, nothing they did caused their problems.
  I did find people objected to me not working and having all this money. believe me time you paid bus fares to hospital, taxi fares back at night from hospital, took her to Drs twice a week, hospital to varying departments umpteen times in a month I could not have held down a job with an employer they would not be be that understanding and flexible.
  I still worked I childminded for a living, didnt want to be totally dependant but had to be practical.
  Jax well done on highlighting this cause, I sympathise but I have used the system and no how hard it is and how complex the forms are and all the evidence you are required to provide
  Reply
dawny
10 January 2012
this terrifies me soo much that it m akes me to ill to take any action , I have loads i want to say but can’t xx
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mum of son
11 January 2012
aagro. yep i can see it from all side.. dysabilitys with childern medical help not given one son had dla. other well completly failed by education. socail services. agro. benifits same and to boot what can i say nicely about any part of the system. all i know is i trust very few now and cant even get help .even took youger son out of school to home ed.. and that was after them exculing older son years before and not helping re school issues .. then ended up with both kids away from me and practicaly no family because its not given us a chance. yep im not even feeling like i have anything left . when i should have 2 reasona ble kids with me. i may not be perfect but i realy didnt desreve what ive had. even down to fact that if my son was younger … they would of tryed to get both of them adoopted. and i see that wrongly done all the time kids taken when parents dont get help geting diagnoise . because dr and schools dont listen then report . failing parent cos you are fed up trying to get help. but even founding in record years latter that medical stuff should of been assesed prooperly.. but on other hand i see others that did need kids looked at and taken but are not. the whole system is at break down .
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kay foulds
15 January 2012
every claim is being made so difficult.im sick of the whole system.so many mistakes have been made with the benifits for my two autistic kids that welfare rights have to keep in regular contact to put things right.everything has to be copied,proof of posting etc.and the amount of paperwork that gets lost by them is incredible.many a time i would be accused of not filling in the right form or not posting something important that it nearly pushed me over the edge.also blue badge parking needs to be looked at as it is harming the very people it is designed to help.fining a disabled person because their blue badge is upside down is wicked.people see a new motorbility car and assume that all disabled are rich sooo not true(not finacially anyhoo)it costs me much more to care for them e.g my son eats and tears his clothes bedding pillows mattress daily no extra provision made for that tho.it would be so easy to ignore these things as fighting constantly for that which they are entitled can be draining
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