Pat's Petition Goes to Westminster - How You Can Help

Will Labour Offer Any Protection to Disabled People?

Pat’s Petition is going to Westminster to find out.

After weeks of waiting - sorting out the logistics of travel to London - Pat's Petition finally has a date for meeting with Liam Byrne MP, Labour's Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary. Wednesday 6th February will see five of us at Westminster.

This meeting could not be happening at a more crucial moment in the long, sad history of this persecution. Because there is so much visible distress and so much suffering is now happening in real time in the public arena – before the eyes of the nation – people are beginning to see through the spin and myths – and see the truth.

There were two very serious debates in Parliament last week. In the debate called by Michael Meacher on WCA and ATOS - MP after MP queued up to recite the litany of appalling cases that they had seen in their surgeries. Thank you Michael.

In the debate in the House of Lords, motion proposed by Baroness Hollis, Lord Freud showed once again that he does not care.

The Centre of Welfare reform also released a report this week, How the cuts affect disabled people PDF.

So Pat’s Petition is going to Westminster to talk to Labour. We are hopefully going to finalise arrangements for an Opposition Day debate calling for a Cumulative Impact Assessment. Someone has to measure and record this persecution. Looking the other way and saying it is all too difficult is no longer an option.

This night of a thousand cuts cannot carry on unchallenged. Disabled people, their carers, families and friends cannot take any more. The financial stress is overwhelming and the emotional stress is more than we can bear. The public are on our side now that the myths are exploding and they can actually see what is being done in their name.

So we are going to ask Liam what Labour will do to help us.

What will Labour promise us to protect us?

How you can help

It is vital you lobby your contacts across all Parties; stress how much you/your members need a Cumulative Impact Assessment undertaken.

Send us a supporting statement a.s.a.p. no later than February 1st of why you think so. 

This will be shared across social media platforms so more people can see your concerns.

We will also print them to take with us when we meet with Liam.

We look forward to your response.

Pat

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patspetition@gmail.com

Pat's Petition Taking WOW Signatures To Meeting With Liam Byrne

From CarerWatch:-

Before Christmas we mentioned that Liam Byrne had suggested meeting with him to talk about an Opposition Day debate to request a cumulative impact assessment. Arranging diaries hasn’t been the easiest of tasks, especially with the christmas holidays in the way. But we now have a date.

Five of us will be heading for Westminster on 6th February to meet with Liam Byrne 

We can feel the start of a change of mood as people awaken to the individual impacts of the changes. More groups are protesting, more people are using social media sites to air their fears and concerns. There has been an unanticipated emphasis on Welfare Reform as tbe Benefits Uprating Bill makes its way through Parliament.

The Bedroom Tax is beginning to worry tenants as their landlords get in touch with them.

People are more familiar with terms like ‘Personal Independence Payment’ and ‘Universal Credit’ if not with ‘Employment Support Allowance’ and its two groups. Their sponsorship of the Paralympics means that everyone has now heard of Atos. Local authorities are making public decisions and we are hearing about the difficult decisions to cut vital services.

We are seeing language change to include ‘strivers’ as well as ‘scroungers’ but we’re still not convinced that the media gets the full picture for disabled people, their carers and families. This is why we need a Cumulative Impact Assessment, and it is what we will take to our talk with Liam: issues that are important to you, the 62,703 people who signed Pat’s Petition and all the people who have since said they would have signed it if they’d understood.
 

Please keep contacting your MPs, details here. Send them details of how the changes are impacting on you now.

Sign the new WoW petition by Francesca Martinez. You can read more about the WoW group here

We must all keep on keeping on.

Pat

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Pat has also said she will be taking WOW petition's signatures with them to the meeting along with those of Pat's Petition. Showing how the strength of feeling is increasing.

Francesca Martinez Adds a Touch of Celebrity Glamour to the WOW Petition

The Fed Online - Martinez brings star quality to fresh assault on coalition’s ‘war on welfare’

Activists are hoping that a new petition – backed by a campaigning disabled comedian – could finally force the government to assess the overall impact of its programme of cuts and reforms to disability benefits and services.

The WOW (war on welfare) petition – which also calls for a free vote for MPs on repealing the Welfare Reform Act – was only launched on Tuesday this week, but by Thursday had already secured more than 5,000 names.
 
The launch on Twitter was fronted by disabled comedian Francesca Martinez, who has been prominent in speaking out against the cuts and has put her name to the petition.

The WOW petition is the latest attempt to shame the coalition into commissioning an assessment of the cumulative impact of its cuts on disabled people.

Read more at http://www.thefedonline.org.uk