The Dog Ate the DWP's Homework: Unhelpful response to the #WOWpetition

Guest Post from Funky Mango's Musings by Margo Milne @MargoJMilne

 I don't know if you're already aware of the WOW petition. It was started a little over 3 months ago by comedian Francesca Martinez, and is well on target to achieve 100,000 signatures by its closing date. That means it would considered for debate in the House of Commons.

[Download this poster and more at wowpetition.com/downloads/]

WOW stands for War on Welfare. Because frankly, that's how it does feel. Like this soulless government has declared war on those of us forced to claim welfare benefits.

Let's say you're on Disability Living Allowance, and when that gets changed over to Personal Indepencence Payment you lose out. Well OK, that's just one thing (apart from the blue badge, and Motability car, and disabled railcard, and so on that it passported it you to). Maybe you can manage without the DLA. Maybe.

But you're also on contributory Employment and Support Allowance, and you've been on it nearly a year. So that's about to stop.

And that's before we get anywhere near the changes to Council Tax Benefit, and to Housing Benefit (the Bedroom Tax).

Tens of thousands of sick disabled people are about to go under financially. And this government just doesn't give a damn. Oh, they always have a soundbite:

There's a lot of misleading stories about the impact of our welfare reforms on disabled people, which could lead to unnecessary scaremongering. Our reforms will make sure the billions we spend every year give more targeted support and better reflect today's understanding of disability. Hundreds of thousands of disabled adults and children will actually receive more support than now with the combined effect of benefit changes under universal credit.

Targeted. Some people receiving more support than now. Well, as someone pointed out to me today (thanks Eggy!) all the NHS funds don't get allocated to intensive care: support is required at all levels of need.

So, returning to the WOW petition, what it asks for (among some other things) is a cumulative impact assessment, not looking at the effect of each benefit "reform" (*spit*) separately, but how people will be affected in real life. Real people are complicated. Lots of us claim more than one benefit (partly because the system's so complex!)

When a government e-petition gets 10,000 signatures, the department responsible for it gives a reply. It's taken a while for the WOW petition's reply to turn up: I only just noticed it, and the petition has over 27,500 signatures.

To summarise the reply, it seems to be:

• We're not avoiding you.
• This is hard.
• The policies haven't all been decided yet.
• There are impact assessments for individual benefits or for all tax, benefit and expenditure changes across households, but nobody's ever done what you're asking for, which is in between.
• Did we mention this is hard?

My reply to that would be, with the greatest possible respect (and as civil servants they would know what an insult that is!) pop down to Ryman's, buy a new scientific calculator and get on with it. These are people's lives you're messing around with (at the command of your political masters), and there is a clear case for a cumulative impact assessment to be done.

If you haven't already signed the WOW petition, would you take a look and consider signing it? The more signatures on the petition, the more pressure sympathetic MPs like Michael Meacher can put on the DWP on our behalf.

Thanks!

Edit: I'm all for avoiding unnecessary government expenditure, so I'm sure it would be fine for the DWP to use this cumulative impact assessment, which Scope and Demos have just done. It calculates that those disabled people most severely affected by the cuts will lose £4,600 each year from what are already low incomes. As Richard Hawkes the chief executive of Scope says:

At the moment there’s no place for disabled people in the Chancellor’s aspiration nation.

Sadly, that seems to be very true
.

The reality of Discretionary Housing Payments & Bedroom Tax

From Ian S @cactusjack01 who lives in a Labour controlled council area-

"Following your claim received for the above, I am pleased to advise that an award of Discretionary Housing Payment has been made. The award is as follows:-
Discretionary Housing Payment (Rent)
From 01 Apr 2013 to 02 Jul 2013 an amount of £13.32 per week.
This award will be paid with your Housing Benefit payments.
Please be aware that payments from the discretionary housing fund are designed as a short term solution for applicants who are suffering financial hardship. Payments are not designed to enable applicants to remain in accommodation that they are unable to afford on the normal levels of housing benefit.
During the period of the award you should consider seeking cheaper alternative accommodation, or review your income and expenditure to enable you to afford your current accommodation without long term assistance from the fund.
If you make a further request for a payment from the fund at the end of the current award period the Benefit Service will consider what steps you have taken to help yourself financially or in seeking alternative accommodation during the period of the award.  If you have not sought to reduce your outgoings or looked into moving to cheaper accommodation this will affect the outcome of a further payment request.
Payments from the fund are cash limited, this means that once the fund is exhausted no further payments can be made.  Because of this you should not become reliant on payments as a long term solution to your housing and/or financial difficulties."

WOW's own Wayne Blackburn talked on the BBC about the reality of the Bedroom Tax & DHP too, that it really means either going hungry or moving from a house they have adapted for disabilities to an unsuitable and uncertain place. It will mean huge stress and physical pain, risk of homelessness and severe negative impacts upon health.

Wayne Blackburn and his wife live in a small, social housing bungalow in Nelson, Lancashire. Mr Blackburn suffers from conditions which severely limit his mobility and leave him in constant pain. Although their house is classified as a two bedroom property, the second bedroom is principally used to store mobility aids. The Blackburns stand to lose about £12 per week as a result of the benefit changes and Wayne says he fears whether they will be able to make ends meet.

WOW's Francesca Martinez on Cuts and Austerity at the People's Assembly Launch

Francesca Martinez speaking at the launch of the People's Assembly.

   

Caroline Lucas MP - journalist Owen Jones - comedian Mark Steel - Labour’s Katy Clark MP – comedian and disabled activist Francesca Martinez – Steve Turner (Unite) - Zita Holbourne (Black Activists Rising Against the Cuts).

The People’s Assembly – a new initiative backed by major trade unions such as Unite, Unison, NUT, PCS, the Green Party, Labour MPs, Coalition of Resistance and campaigning groups – hosted a press conference on Tuesday 26th March at Unite’s head office.

The People’s Assembly will be holding a 3,500-strong rally at Westminster Central Hall, 22nd June 2013, as well as meetings and rallies across the country. 

This new movement will be pushing the arguments against austerity currently missing from British politics, and fighting for all those people currently being hit by Government policies: whether low-paid workers, disabled people, unemployed people, the young, women, BME people and others.

Purple Day: Raising Awareness

By @EpilepsyHackney

I'm a female in my thirties and I’m a carer for an adult family member who has had Epilepsy for many years. Speaking to others over the years it seems not many people actually understand Epilepsy other than the name and the ‘shaking’, not the before, during, and after effects that a person with Epilepsy goes through. There are lots of fantastic organisations out there that are doing so much, but I think there is still a lack of public understanding/education about this common neurological disorder.

I began my Epilepsy Twitter account (with tutorial help from my neice/nephew) to learn from others and to help raise awareness at the same time, as well as supporting others by retweeting, as it’s nice to see on Twitter lots of other active accounts/groups/pages all over the world sharing tweets to help get the information regarding Epilepsy ‘out there’.  I’m glad I started my Twitter account just before worldwide Epilepsy awareness ‘Purple Day’, as this is the best time to raise the awareness . . . . . . Happy Purple Day everyone.

Purple Day: Epilepsy, Out of the blue

By Sarah Carson   @Sazzle262    Sazzle's blog

I was diagnosed with Epilepsy at 8 years old. I had no warning whatsoever and the seizures came out of the blue. One Sunday morning out of the blue my family had to witness me suffering a cluster of grand mal seizures that lasted 2 minutes per seizure. Unfortunately I suffered memory loss and remember the last comment before going into the seizure and the first memories of me coming out of one. As a result of having six seizures at one go I had paralysis down my left hand side that lasted approx 24 hours and was in hospital for a couple of weeks. 

Whilst in hospital medical practitioners ran tests on me; those included an EEG and a brain scan that revealed that I had borderline Epilepsy with a build-up of electricity on the left lobe of my brain. After numerous conversations with my family and neurologist I was told that Anti Epileptic drugs would be the way forward. I was advised that I could possibly grow out of my condition. 

The overwhelming sense of disappointment when I was diagnosed manifested into constant worry. It got to the point where I hid behind my condition till I went to Therapy a couple of years ago. People don't fully appreciate the concerns you have when you suffer from Epilepsy. Basic tasks such as making a cup of tea, ironing, and bathing alone cannot be done unaccompanied. As I have no warning signs there is always the possibility that should a shaking episode/fit occur then the end result could be disastrous. 

The first medication I was put on was Epilim at a low dosage of approx 200mg. This was the only medication I would remain on till I was 14 and came off medication entirely. My seizures were sporadic and with no warning I was on guard regularly. My confidence was the worst effected as I was unaware as to when and where a seizure would occur. The fear inside of me was overwhelming and I felt that no one fully understood me. My worry was that all my family and friends would treat me differently.

Fortunately my family have given me their undying support and have provided me with the stability I needed and encouraged me to do socialise as normal with children of my own age however to ensure that I was careful and took my medication regularly. When I was 17 years old my seizures returned frequently till I was 21 and remained till I was 23 years old. Like the previous pattern no warning signs were given, the medication however was altered and I went onto 200mg of Lamotrigine and 3000mg of Keppra. Since January 2009 I have been seizure free for just over four years however have remained on 1500mg of Keppra only. 

As a result of my Epilepsy I questioned my own abilities and worried constantly about my condition as I was not only worrying about my seizures however had the stress of coping with shaking episodes that my consultants believed could have started as a result of my increase in medication. 

After dealing with my Epilepsy for over 16 years I consulted neurology and was given the opportunity to trial Cognitive Behavioural therapy (CBT) that changed my entire thought process. CBT is something I would recommend to all on the basis they commit to the services offered. Slowly but surely I am in the process of getting better and are now in a position to understand my condition fully. 

I have been given the opportunity to seek additional advice through support networks and since creating my blog in January 2012 to raise awareness on Twitter I have had the pleasure of liaising with people like me who experience similar issues. 

Epilepsy is a condition that in my case wasn't hereditary. It was something that I personally believe I was born with however didn't surface till I was a small child. Doctors believe that the cause of my Epilepsy could be stress therefore I try my utmost to not put myself in stressful situations and try to maintain a positive outlook at all times. As hard as it may be channelling your frustration into exercise and hobbies is the best stress reliever and by extension can have a feeling towards your condition. 

My one word of encouragement is to focus on you and take one step as it comes. Never feel like you're alone as there is always someone to help. x

The “Bedroom Tax” Is A Disaster Waiting To Happen…

By Wayne Blackburn Crazy Blade

“Any society, any nation, is judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members — the last, the least, the littlest.”

Cardinal Roger Mahony

In a little over two months time, at the beginning of April 2013, the Coalition’s next phase of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 will kick in for thousands of social housing tenants like myself.  The under occupation tax, or the “Bedroom Tax” as it’s more widely known, will mean that those “under-occupying” a property will have to contribute a percentage of the rent from an already stretched budget - in other words, if you have, or could have by their definitions, a “spare” bedroom in your house then you will be expected to pay towards your Housing Benefit.

This will mean that social housing tenants on Housing Benefits, families on extremely tight budgets already, will have to pay 14% of eligible rent for one extra bedroom and 25% for two extra bedrooms.

Estimates believe that around 600,000 families will be affected by this change when it is implemented.

Lord Freud, the Coalition’s Welfare Minister and the man brought in to slash the Social Security bill, states that they are “putting the social sector on the same basis as benefit recipients in the private sector”.  Freud - who sparked fury this week with his comments on the Victoria Derbyshire show on BBC Radio 5 Live - owns an 8 bedroom country mansion as well as a £1.9million London townhouse.

Punishing The Worst Off… Again.

There can be little doubt that the Bedroom Tax, targeted at some of the least well off families in Britain, will have a profound effect on those who are already struggling under the austerity measures of this cruel and unwavering Coalition government.

Take my own situation, for example.  As a disabled man with severe mobility problems, I live in a small two bedroom Housing Association bungalow.  This is on no way a mansion, far from it.  It’s a small bungalow, with a living room, kitchen, adapted bathroom and one modestly sized bedroom and one small bedroom.  Myself and my wife do not have an abundance of furniture - indeed when we moved into here we had to get rid of a lot of things as they simply would not fit here.

The “spare” bedroom, as these changes will class it, is used to hold my wheelchair and other mobility and household aids I need for everyday life, as well as a pull out bed for when I have a particularly bad night with the pain I endure so as to try and not disturb my already struggling wife.

I’m sure you would agree that it’s hardly a “spare” bedroom, but moving from it is simply not an option as the space is absolutely needed.

I’ve already been contacted by my Housing Association - who have opposed this change from day one and campaigned heavily against it - to tell me that I will be affected from April, and I will probably be looking at around £10 per week that I will need to pay towards my rent.  To many I’m sure this sounds like a tiny amount, but it is a big chunk of an already very stretched budget.

Housing charities believe that as many as 95,000 people will not be able to afford this change.

It is absolutely disgraceful that the least well off are being hammered in this way by the Coalition government.  The Liberal Democrats in particular, who states an “end to poverty” as one of their core principles, shoulder a huge amount of blame for standing by and allowing this, and many of the despicable cuts, to happen to those with the least.

Those who didn’t cause the financial downturn or the Banking crisis, and yet are paying for it every single day. 

Links:

Lord Freud speaking with Victoria Derbyshire on BBC Radio 5 Live - http://audioboo.fm/boos/1155413#t=1m27s

The Mirror - Lord Freud lives in an eight-bedroom country mansion - http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bedroom-tax-tory-lord-freud-1545677?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

National Housing Federation - Bedroom Tax - http://www.housing.org.uk/policy/welfare_reform/bedroom_tax.aspx

A constituency meeting with my MP

I have always believed that in order to convince people you have to be inclusive, or as inclusive as possible. I have taken that approach to work and I try to bring it to campaigning. My MP is Theresa May and whilst I do not believe I will persuade her to vote against Tory Party policy I do believe that there is a small chance (OK very small chance) that something I say may in someway influence policy.

I saw her last Friday and before I saw her I sent her this e-mail (below) detailing the issue I wished to draw to her attention.

Each appointment is only 15 minutes so we didn't cover everything but she undertook to respond to my letter in full.

We did discuss some aspects: She didn't accept or deny that Esther McVey had lied but was going to look into it; I asked her how a moral person such as her could go into the lobbies to support individual elements of the Welfare Reform Bill when it is obvious from the DWP's response to the WOW petition that they have no idea of the cumulative, or even the combined, effect the governments policies are having on sick, disabled, vulnerable and working class people - she undertook to read the DWP's response to the WOWpetition and Pat's Petition; I pointed out that using their language I am a "striver" so asked her why a disabled "striver" was unable to find and keep a job in her "strivers" Britain (I am not seeking to differentiate myself from other disabled/ sick people here - in my opinion people with impairments are strivers just by getting on with life!). She would look into that!

My case is my case. I am different from everyone else. We all have stories. Doesn't matter who they are - go and tell your MP your story. Please. If you talk to them they know we're here!!

To the Right Honorable Theresa May MP,

Dear Theresa,

Before our Constituency Meeting on Friday 22nd March at 5pm I want to outline the issues I wish to discuss with you. They are as follows:

1. I am concerned about how easy it is for your government to announce facts or policies that could be interpreted as deliberately lying. Examples are :

• Esther McVey announcing the Govt follows the Social model of disability in her reponse to e-petition 20968 "Pat's Petition" when Lord Freud stated in Hansard (17th Jan 2012 Column 498)  that the welfare reform bill is based on the BioPsychoSocial model of disability - does she not realise they are different? Is she mistaken or lying?
• Before the Last Election you personally promoted "A Contract for Equality". Perhaps you might be able to give me a detailed review of how many of your aspirational policies contained within this document have been implemented and how many ignored.  I believe you "promised" to preserve DLA as a cash benefit on Page 11 of that document. Do you believe you have done so? 
• I know it is in vogue to blame Labour for the countries economic woes but I personally believe it stretches back to the Big Bang in 1986 and is primarily the fault of bankers and Hedge Fund managers compounded by poor regulation of the Financial Services by both Conservative and Labour Government's. I would be happy to debate this with you?
• David Cameron claimed in Parliament on the 13th March 2013 that there have been 1m new Private sector jobs created since the General Election. Can you please let me know the source for that claim please?

2/ I am concerned about how you can claim to be fair to disabled people and reward "strivers". I was disabled in 1991 and despite medical opinion being I should not try to work again I did. My eccentricities caused by my disabilities meant that I reached a glass ceiling in the UK so I went overseas to Abu Dhabi to progress and was CFO of a billion dollar business. When I returned from "striving" (the Abu Dhabi government Racially discriminated against me and the other European ex-pats by implementing a policy to replace us with Local Arab staff)  I have been unable to find a job with no help from Govt and despite paying National INSURANCE for 25 years working overseas for 2 years wiped my eligibility and I am deemed not to have contributed! How is that fair?

3/ I was responsible at age 24 and was in a company pension scheme. When BG finally decided that I was unfit to work they pensioned me off on an ill-health pension. It is a small pension but stops me getting any income based benefits. It is a pension. If it stops me getting benefits why can older people receive large pensions and still get state benefits. That suggests age and disability discrimination to me? How is that fair. I was responsible when younger but am not allowed to benefit from what I presume is a characteristic you would encourage?

4/ When I was disabled there were no Insurance policies widely marketed to protect me in the event of such an incident. National INSURANCE benefits have since been scaled back and I have been cut adrift. Why are there no transitionary arrangements to make the changes fair to people like me? After my accident in 1991 I was refused access to any Insurance policies marketed subsequently due to my pre-existing condition. How is this fair? Now you've dismantled the Welfare Safety Net what help do I get?

5/ The tax system gives benefits to certain types of disability; i.e. Blind Persons Allowance. Why do my disabilities not count? Yet again, invisible disabilities do not seem to be recognised - DLA, PIP, ESA etc.

6/ I am aware that Welfare Reform started under New Labour. You are aware that I resigned my Labour Party Membership over it. However, purely as an example are you aware that one Remploy worker has killed himself over the effect of your Governments' Policy on disabled people and I believe this is but the tip of the iceberg. The WOWpetition will be at Amnesty International's AGM having put forward a motion alleging Human Rights Abuses against disabled people and I personally have debated similarities between what your government is doing and Germany in the 1930's with Tim Farron on Twitter. You have not even allowed disabled people to choose who represents them and imposed Liz Sayce on us. It is believed by many knowledgeable people that the policies of your Government are in breach of their Human Rights Obligations. History will judge this Government. It will even judge the amazing decision of an Oxford magistrate to find a protester guilty of causing harassment, alarm and distress for stating that Cameron has Blood on his hands. Have the ConDem's banned "fair comment" in this country. History will judge you.

7/ I am currently not signed on the dole as there is a major disincentive to do so. I would be put in the situation of endless interviews with no hope of a job and the burden of failure hanging around my neck, no tangible help from Government/ Jobcentre, no benefit payments because I get a small ill health pension with the possibility of being forced to do Workfare slave-labour for no payment. I thought work was supposed to pay? 

8/ Other minority groups work differently to the way it was accepted you should work and laws have been brought in to protect them. I have not lost jobs because I can't do them. I have lost jobs because I am different. Why do I get no protection? Why do I get no hope? The last reasonable suggestion from the DWP was to apply for a job at LOCOG. As you are aware, LOCOG admitted at Tribunal that they failed to make reasonable adjustments for my interview with no consequences.

9/ Do you have any comment on Scope announcing yesterday following the budget that there is no place for the disabled in the chancellors aspiration society?

10/ David Cameron claimed in Parliament on the 13th March 2013 that there have been 1m new Private sector jobs created since the General Election. Can you please let me know the source for that claim please?

11/ Surely it is reasonable to expect that any Government in a civilised society would be aware of the combined and cumulative effects of its policies on a very vulnerable section of its electorate. Why do you feel it is ethical to pass through the lobbies when the authors of the policies on which you are voting have not taken the time to understand the effects of those policies on the most vulnerable in society? The DWP's response to the WOWpetition  achieving 10,000 signatures said as much!

Your Government is overseeing what I believe to be a deliberate policy to marginalise what is a large resource of very able but different people and are responsible for what I judge as a complete withdrawal of hope for disabled people. Rather than giving us equality of opportunity we are demonised by Government ministers and made to feel a burden. Do you agree that is wrong?

I look forward to discussing this with you on Friday at 5pm.

Yours sincerely,

Ian M Jones

Sent from my iPhone

From:-

http://edwinmandella.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/a-constituency-meeting-with-my-mp.html