tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67386509881669254932024-02-07T23:37:28.639+00:00WOW PetitionThe WOW Petition - 100,000 signatures captured.
Next #WOWdebate2014 to stop the War on WelfareEdwin Mandellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12594483686319134919noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-58338107826816796782014-07-05T14:58:00.002+01:002014-07-05T14:58:22.917+01:00What Should the Human Rights of Disabled People BE?Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). There are also "Shadow Reports" being compiled around the country by user led disabled people's organisation's that will outline how well they believe the Government is doing. The UNCRPD was ratified by the UK on the 8th June 2009 before the surge in online campaign groups like the WOWpetition and rather than consider how well the Government has done in implementing this Treaty, the WOWcampaign (or WOWpetition mk.ii!!) is asking what should the UK Bill of Rights for Sick and Disabled People be, knowing what we know now!<br />
What do you think? <br />
<br />
Tell us at <a href="http://edwinmandella.blogspot.co.uk/2014_07_01_archive.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://edwinmandella.blogspot.co.uk/2014_07_01_archive.html</a>Edwin Mandellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12594483686319134919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-54599941177302793082014-02-23T22:57:00.000+00:002014-02-23T22:59:27.373+00:00DPAC, Black Triangle & WOW Petition Joint Statement on the Bizarre ATOS Exit Strategy<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjnLrpjwpPFQPd5KMcYe6ebGWijWhlYV3mxT6rux6QakHoI6dJ2A8-D4KrqVNLvyY9zpagepUwckg6wfa0SBkujGsgSxnL0ye8u8UFvjuaDeu-vMxsDKwwBQ7cWRs-YnoQHBz7TSusGw/s1600/allies+sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjnLrpjwpPFQPd5KMcYe6ebGWijWhlYV3mxT6rux6QakHoI6dJ2A8-D4KrqVNLvyY9zpagepUwckg6wfa0SBkujGsgSxnL0ye8u8UFvjuaDeu-vMxsDKwwBQ7cWRs-YnoQHBz7TSusGw/s1600/allies+sm.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">DPAC, Black Triangle
& WOW Petition<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Joint Statement on the
Bizarre ATOS Exit Strategy</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Several
years of campaigning have paid off in making more and more people realise that
ATOS, the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) and Department for Work and Pensions
(DWP) policies imposed by the ConDems are completely toxic, inhuman and
abhorrent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">DPAC have
been leading campaigns against ATOS, the WCA and DWP since 2010 including:
visits to Trinton Square (shiny headquarters of ATOS), </span>with our local
DPAC groups repeatedly protesting outside their local assessment centres and
feeding in to the day of protest on the 19<sup>th</sup> of February. DPAC also <span style="line-height: 115%;">fed into the channel 4 program
Dispatches: ‘Britain on the Sick’ which revealed the horrendous system of
getting as many people removed from support as possible, has exposed the
devastation and misery and led the highly successful ATOS games in 2012 which
saw ATOS shares drop in value and an increase in media attention against them.
DPAC have occupied Caxton House (home of the DWP) and gathered outside the
entrance of the DWP on many occasions, most recently in the 7 days of action
‘Reclaiming our Futures’. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Our sister
group Black Triangle have fought tirelessly with us. Black Triangle has worked
with us for over 3 years fighting and exposing continuous wrong doing and
working on publicising regulations that can be used by GPs to prevent further
harm to thousands of disabled people under the WCA regime. Our allies at WOW
have successfully raised the issue of a cumulative impact assessment,
abolishing the WCA with the Wow petition, and secured a debate in Parliament on
February 27<sup>th</sup>. This month also saw a UK wide protest outside local
ATOS centres organised by local groups. We’ve all been clear that it is the WCA
itself that needs to be scrapped immediately. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">The bizarre
exit strategy ATOS have developed in identifying apparent physical threats on
Facebook despite the growing lists of real deaths caused by the WCA regime is
an outrageous insult to all those that have died and all those that have lost
family members through this regime. It is an insult to those left without their
homes, without money and needing to go to foodbanks. It is an insult to every
person who has suffered worsening physical and mental health through this inhuman
regime.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">ATOS
attempting to pull out of its contact represents only a partial victory. The
alphabet corporations (G4S, A4E, SERCO, CAPITA) are already lining up to take
over the multi-million profits and the mantle of the new Grim Reapers. The
misery imposed by this Government and the DWP will continue as long as its
heinous policies continue. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Goodbye to
ATOS -but the WCA must also end. The reign of terror by this unelected
Coalition Government which has awarded itself pay rises, cut taxes for those earning
over £150,000 while piling punishment, poverty, misery and premature death on
everyone else in its policies of rich against poor must end. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Make no
mistake- We will continue to demonstrate against ATOS, now delivering the
complete failure of PIP in which claims are being delayed by up to a year. We
will demonstrate against any other company that takes over the WCA contract. We
will continue to demand the immediate removal of the WCA, and the removal of
this Government. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">DPAC, Black Triangle and WOW demand:</span></b><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1.<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>That the WCA be ended with
immediate effect to be replaced with a rigorous and safe system that does not
cause avoidable harm to disabled people, those with chronic health issues,
terminal illnesses or long term health issues. It is the WCA - the assessment
itself - that is fundamentally flawed and must end now as called for by the
British Medical Association (BMA), the Royal College of Nursing and the 104,725
people who signed the WOW Petition.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2.<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>That the UK Government at
Westminster and the opposition follow the Scottish Government's pledge that
private for-profit companies are removed entirely from having anything to do
with the assessment of disabled people. This area of public policy belongs
firmly within the NHS and the public sector. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3.<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>That all
support and commend the initiative being led by Black Triangle in union with
DPAC and WOW to work together with the BMA to ensure that GPs are able to flag
up a substantial risk of harm to disabled people, </b><b>those with chronic health issues,
terminal illnesses or long term health issues</b><b> at the very outset of the WCA process.
The complete lack of any such mechanism to assess and flag up complex risk
under the current regime has given rise to countless tragedies which could
thereby have been avoided.</b><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>4.<span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></b><!--[endif]--><b>That the PIP contract be removed from ATOS with immediate effect-they
have shown errors beyond incompetence affecting thousands of disabled people,
leading to waits of up to a year and leaving people without income or food</b><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">We’ll
celebrate Atos’ realisation that the WCA contract has always been poisonous,
but we won’t rest or stay quiet. Atos’ absence from the WCA regime will not
allow us forget the evil we have endured:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Suicides</b> <b>(Atos, the Coalition and DWP all share responsibility)</b>
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/fear-of-fitness-to-work-tests-driving-disabled-patients-to-suicide-say-6-of-gps-8197432.html"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fear of fitness to work tests driving disabled patients to suicide, say 6% of GPs</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/03/tragedy-alice"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tragedy of Alice, How the Work Capability Assessment costs lives</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/10354376.Former_bodybuilder_who_can_barely_walk_contemplated_suicide_after_nurse_ruled_him_fit_to_work/?ref=twtrec"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Former bodybuilder from Willington who can barely walk contemplated suicide after nurse ruled him fit to work</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.gazetteherald.co.uk/news/10360733.Benefits_withdrawal_led_to_man___s_suicide/?ref=twtrec"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Benefits withdrawal led to man’s suicide</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/benefits-row-dad-takes-life-1875339"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Benefits row dad takes his own life and is found dead in his flat by his fiancee</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nottinghampost.com/Sneinton-man-overdoses-benefits-stopped/story-19906973-detail/story.html"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sneinton man overdoses after benefits stopped</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/heartbroken-dad-reveals-agony-decision-2343897"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heartbroken dad reveals agony as decision to axe his son's benefits is overturned.. weeks after his boy killed himself </span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/04/20/benefits_disabled-man-nicholas-barker-welfare-reform_n_3121688.html"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Benefit Cuts Caused Disabled Yorkshire Man Nicholas Barker To Take His Life, Rules Coroner </span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/local/back_problems_led_to_fatal_dose_1_437852"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back problems led to fatal dose</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/burnley/9550982.Benefits_man_found_hanged__inquest_heard/"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Benefits man found hanged, inquest heard</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://news.scotsman.com/arts/Author39s-suicide-39due-to-slash.6438473.jp"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Author's suicide 'due to slash in benefits'</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Woman-drowned-drain-upset-health-check/story-12927176-detail/story.html"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Woman who drowned in drain was upset about health check</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/norwich_man_killed_himself_over_back_to_work_fears_1_1358116"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Norwich man killed himself ‘over back-to-work fears’</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/inquest-hears-of-cumbrian-dad-s-health-benefits-worries-1.966288?referrerPath=news"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inquest hears of Cumbrian dad's health benefits worries</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk/news/fears-over-benefits-led-to-tragedy-1.1024319"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fears over benefits led to tragedy</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.gazetteherald.co.uk/news/10360733.Benefits_withdrawal_led_to_man___s_suicide/?ref=twtrec"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Benefits withdrawal led to man’s suicide</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/10842726.Unemployed_Gravesend_man_hanged_himself_after_sickness_benefits_were_cut/?ref=twtrec"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unemployed Gravesend man hanged himself after sickness benefits were cut</span></a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/05/grandad-shaun-pilkington-commits-suicide_n_4544969.html?utm_hp_ref=tw"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grandfather Shaun Pilkington Found Dead After Receiving Letter Saying Benefits Will Be Stopped </span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/10892787.Disabled_Kinver_man_killed_himself_after_being_left__almost_destitute__when_his_state_benefits_were_axed/?ref=twtrec"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Disabled Kinver man killed himself after being left "almost destitute" when his state benefits were axed</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sister-killed-disability-benefit-stopped/story-20170841-detail/story.html"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bristol woman 'killed herself after benefits were stopped'</span></a></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Decisions</b>
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://youtu.be/saAj67fdnio"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John McDonnell MP speaking up for Atos Healthcare victims</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJnNLajS1z0&feature=youtu.be"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BBC South East Today 13th December 2013 on the WCA</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/cancer-killed-husband-atos-took-2467964"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cancer killed my husband, but Atos took his dignity a long time before his death</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.islingtontribune.com/news/2013/oct/islington-council-passes-vote-no-confidence-disabled-assessing-company-atos"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Islington Council passes vote of no confidence in disabled assessing company Atos</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ian-carress-blasts-benefit-cuts-2345625"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grieving son blasts benefit cuts: My dad looked like a concentration camp prisoner before he died</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/09/12/amy-jones-cerebral-palsy-_n_3912949.html"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amy Jones, Woman With Cerebral Palsy, Given Prognosis By ATOS That Her Disability 'Expected To Improve' </span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/atos-fit-to-work-assessments-branded-farcical-2225751?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atos fit-to-work assessments branded 'farcical' as nearly half of people with progressive diseases like Parkinson's told they'll RECOVER</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jul/22/disabled-benefits-claimants-test-atos?CMP=twt_gu"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Disabled benefits claimants test: Atos reports found 'unacceptably poor'</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jul/27/disability-benefit-assessors-film"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atos assessors told to keep disability benefit approvals low, film suggests</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/linda-wootton-double-heart-lung-1912498#ixzz2UZgQt76y"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linda Wootton: Double heart and lung transplant dies nine days after she has benefits stopped</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2293974/Blind-eye-partially-deaf-facing-major-spinal-surgery-Thalidomide-mother-STILL-fit-work.html"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blind in one eye, partially deaf and facing major spinal surgery but Thalidomide mother is STILL found fit to work</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/health/atos-scandal-man-found-fit-1565456"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atos scandal: Man found fit to work despite peeling bones</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/04/gp-atos-work-capability-assessment"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This brutal new system': a GP's take on Atos and work capability assessments</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/atos-told-incontinent-woman-to-wear-nappy-8456447.html"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atos told incontinent woman to ‘wear nappy’</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/oct/03/work-woman-care"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Get ready for work: what woman who needs constant care was told</span></a></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">T<b>he appeal rate - c40% without support, up to 70% when claimant supported by trained advocate (CAB).</b>
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.cas.org.uk/system/files/publications/Unfit-for-Purpose.pdf"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.cas.org.uk/system/files/publications/Unfit-for-Purpose.pdf</span></a></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Quoting the targets from the trainer in the dispatches show – just 13% expected to keep ESA</b>
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkzHxXg0rfQ"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atos Secret Filming - Excerpt from Channel 4 Dispatches programme Britain on the Sick</span></a></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Atos have £3bn pounds in public contracts, yet pay no tax here.</b>
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/atos-and-g4s-pay-no-corporation-tax-despite-profiting-from-billions-pounds-worth-of-public-sector-contracts-as-auditors-warn-of-crisis-of-confidence-over-private-contractors-8935272.html"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atos and G4S pay no corporation tax despite profiting from billions pounds worth of public sector contracts, as auditors warn of ‘crisis of confidence’ over private contractors</span></a></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Whistleblowers</b> <b>Greg Wood</b>
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XLgg75stn4"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Claimants 'tricked' out of benefits, says Jobcentre whistleblower</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpP12AhIXWE"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whistleblower former Atos doctor talks to BBC News (May 2013)</span></a></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Joyce Drummond</b>
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/atos-assessor-forced-to-judge-disabled-fit-for-work-8168260.html"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ATOS assessor 'forced to judge disabled fit for work'</span></a></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">T<b>he complete failure around people presenting with MH Diagnosis.</b>
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b></b><a href="http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/roundup/articles/2013/12/22/96128-work-assessments-unfair-on-mentally-ill-says-court/"><b>Work assessments unfair on mentally ill, says court</b></a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.newstatesman.com/business/2013/08/secret-cuts-6-how-are-those-mental-health-problems-treated-atos"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How are those with mental health problems treated by Atos? </span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.katebelgrave.com/2013/02/why-cant-we-find-out-more-about-atos-mental-function-champions/">Why can’t we find out more about Atos mental function champions?</a> <b>Man having heart attack during assessment and getting marked as walking out</b></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/sick-benefits-claimant-heart-attack-3098219"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sick benefits claimant has HEART ATTACK during Jobcentre test - and Government axe his payments</span></a></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Claimant in wheelchair left upstairs in fire drill</b>
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b></b><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/disabled-man-abandoned-on-the-second-floor-of-building-during-atos-fire-alarm-evacuation-8376322.html"><b>Disabled man abandoned on the second floor of building during Atos fire alarm evacuation</b></a></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Claimants left out in the cold</b>
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/health/disabled-and-ill-left-in-cold-after-atos-blunder-1-6446948#.UwNlZ1nj4Y0.twitter"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Disabled and ill left in cold after Atos blunder - Derbyshire Times</span></a></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Police called on Welfare Advisors</b>
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b></b><a href="http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2013/06/21/police-called-after-welfare-experts-offer-advice-to-disabled-ahead-of-atos-sickness-benefit-assessments-99623-33506311/#.UcQgbo6ja_E.twitter"><b>Police called after welfare experts offer advice to disabled ahead of Atos sickness benefit assessments</b></a></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Atos claimed to be working with groups they weren't.</b>
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://disabilitynewsservice.com/2012/10/labour-calls-for-urgent-investigation-over-misleading-atos-bid-information/"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Labour calls for urgent investigation over ‘misleading’ Atos bid information</span></a></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>and</b>
<a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/atos-boss-accused-living-parallel-3087574?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed#.UuhOafhFD0o">Atos boss accused of 'living in a parallel universe' after claiming hated benefits assessor is popular with public - Mirror Online</a>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>
<b>Goodbye ATOS-We’ll be back….</b>
This statement is also supported in Solidarity by:
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inclusion London</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pat's Petition</span></li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111132651663342181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-86631174072431650672014-01-09T12:07:00.003+00:002014-01-11T12:26:33.617+00:00The WOW Debate Is A Go - Now We Need Your Help Again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7xzh2TuhzjI/Us6PyL1wcQI/AAAAAAAABNc/vkAP4-aY8fQ/s1600/WOW+Petition+02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7xzh2TuhzjI/Us6PyL1wcQI/AAAAAAAABNc/vkAP4-aY8fQ/s1600/WOW+Petition+02.JPG" height="168" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">December 12th, 2013 was, for many of us, a small moment of celebration as the WOW Petition ended with over 104,000 signatures and triggered the eligibility for consideration by the Back Bench Business Committee (BBBC). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a year of cajolling, persuading, writing to MPs, campaign groups, charities, anti austerity groups, and many others it had all paid off and, for at least a moment, we could relax and realise that we had completed the first part of what we had set out to achieve.Now, of course, the hard part comes.John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, graciously agreed to present the WOW Petition to the BBBC, which he did on both the 3rd and the 10th of December and, with his and others support, managed to secure in principle a full debate on the WOW Petition in the House of Commons in the New Year, at a date yet to be decided.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So this is, once again, where we need your help.For us to have any chance of success whatsoever, we must persuade MPs of our case and get them to support what we are trying to achieve. That’s no easy task, but it is vital that we try and this is how you can help us.</span></div>
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<strong style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Write to your MP.</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We need the support of as many MP's as possible going into this debate and to do this we must persuade them to support us, so please:</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Write to your MP </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We need the support of as many MP's as possible going into this debate and we need to persuade many to support us, so please: </span></span></div>
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<li><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 15.199999809265137px; outline: none 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Write to your local MP (you can find the details by using our </span></span><span style="background-color: yellow; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 15.199999809265137px;"> <a href="http://writempwow.appspot.com/mp/write" target="_blank">Write to your MP</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 15.199999809265137px;">tool)</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 15.199999809265137px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 15.199999809265137px;">and we've produced a couple of suggested template letters </span><u style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 15.199999809265137px;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"> </span><a href="http://wowpetition.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/draft-letter-to-mps-option-2.html" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.298039); background-color: yellow; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;" target="_blank">here</a> (</u><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 15.199999809265137px;">outline) and </span><u style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 15.199999809265137px;"><a href="http://wowpetition.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/analysis-of-wowpetition-for-mps-prior.html" style="background-color: yellow;" target="_blank">here</a> </u><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 15.199999809265137px;">(detailed) </span></li>
<li style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 15.199999809265137px;">Or if you'd prefer to e-mail your MP we've put together an automated tool to help you compile and send it</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 15.199999809265137px;"> </span><a href="http://wowdebate3.appspot.com/mp/write" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.298039); background-color: yellow; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 15.199999809265137px; outline: none 0px;" target="_blank">here</a>.</li>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.399999618530273px;">Our advice would be to do as much or as little as you feel able to and comfortable with. A cut and paste letter/ e-mail (Option 1) may be the option that suits you best and allows you to personalise your letter/ e-mail to your MP. Our automated tool is a quick and easy way to effectively let your MP know about the #WOWdebate2014 and your feeling about it. If like myself, you wish to make it more personal then by all means please do. We have included briefing notes on earlier blogs so please use them if you wish. I will be writing a shorter letter and then arranging to meet with my MP to discuss it in more detail, but that is what I'm comfortable with.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.399999618530273px;"><b>Continue to Spread the Word </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.399999618530273px;">Whilst signatures may now be closed, every little bit of support can still make a difference to the Campaign. By promoting #WOWpetition on Twitter and Facebook - we'll be using <i>Hashtag </i>#WOWdebate2014 in the run up to the actual day - we can show how much support there is out there. Let family and friends know what we're doing and how they can help us.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; outline: none 0px;">Other Suggestions?</strong>Let us know! I’m sure there’s ideas we haven’t thought of - we’re only human, after all - so please feel free to get in touch with us. We’re on the above links or you can email us at info@wowpetition.com</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To all of our supporters - thank you for everything you’ve done to get us this far and we look forward to a successful 2014. Happy New Year to you all.</span></div>
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Wayne Blackburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09635462083325666756noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-26483235014681229502014-01-03T11:28:00.002+00:002014-01-03T11:28:25.491+00:00Analysis of WOWpetition for MP's Prior to the #WOWdebate2014<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
The WOWpetition calls for</div>
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1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span>A Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) of all cuts and changes affecting sick & disabled people, their families and carers, and a free vote on repeal of the Welfare Reform Act.</h2>
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The response received from the DWP upon the WOWpetition reaching 10,000 signatures, stated that the Government had not done a Cumulative Impact Assessment of the effects of the Welfare Reform Bill 2012 because “it is very difficult to do accurately and external organisations have not produced this either.” However, since posting this response, 2 external agencies, “DEMOS” and the “Centre for Welfare Reform” have separately produced relevant CIA’s.</div>
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DEMOS’s analysis showed a cumulative loss of income for disabled people of £28.3 billion over the 5 years to 2018. Referring to this analysis, Richard Hawkes, Chief Executive of disability charity Scope said: “At the moment there’s no place for disabled people in the Chancellor’s aspiration nation. In 2013 disabled people are already struggling to pay the bills. Living costs are spiralling. Income is flat-lining. We know many are getting in debt, just to pay for essentials. What’s the Government’s response? The same group of disabled people face not just one or two cuts to their support, but in some cases three, four, five or even six cuts. It paints a frightening picture of the financial struggles affecting disabled people in 2013. On top of this the Government is suggesting capping the welfare bill in the June spending review – having already slashed billions.”</div>
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Dr Simon Duffy of the Centre for Welfare Reform, on behalf of the Campaign for a Fair Society, produced analysis that suggested the cuts to benefits and services fell disproportionately on minority groups. The extreme unfairness of this policy is demonstrated if we compare the burden of cuts born annually by most citizens (£467 per person) to the burden on people in poverty (£2,195: 5 x rest of population), the burden on disabled people (£4,410: 9 x rest of population) and the Burden on people with severest disabilities (£8,832: 19 x rest of population).</div>
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We believe that the Government either needs to demonstrate that the CIA’s produced are not accurate and produce its own CIA or explain why the austerity measures have been targeted at people, who WOWpetition believe, the Government thought would not fight back.</div>
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2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span>An immediate end to the Work Capability Assessment, as voted for by the British Medical Association. Consultation between the Depts of Health & Education to improve support into work for sick & disabled people, and an end to forced work under threat of sanctions for people on disability benefits.</h2>
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The Work Capability Assessment judges the Capability for work or work related activity of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants. We believe the current test is totally discredited, with the Prime Minister saying in October 2013 that its provider, Atos, had "to improve the quality of decision-making" in the face of sustained criticism of both the efficacy and effectiveness of what, WOWpetition believe, is not a tool meant to enable disabled people and help them to achieve what they feel capable of but instead a blunt instrument to reduce the social security bill. We do not believe it is right that in the 21st Century an experimental process has been imposed on sick and disabled people with in some cases fatal consequences. Over 10,000 people have died within 6 weeks of being compelled to submit to what has been described as a “dehumanizing, brutal and aggressive quasi-medical assessment”.</div>
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WOWpetition believes that any method for assessing the financial support given, and the life opportunities presented to sick and disabled people needs to be based upon 3 questions: “What do you want to do?” “What stops you from doing that?” “What adjustments can be made to enable you?” Any process that seeks to enable disabled people and give them equality of opportunity, needs to address not just the “supply side” issues of “what can you do” but also needs to address “demand side” prejudices and ensure society provides the opportunities to people facing significant barriers to mainstream employment opportunities, in a fair way that gives people with impairments equality of opportunity. Additionally, any individual trying to enhance their experience should not be penalised/ restricted, as they already face difficulty with employment.</div>
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More than anything, WOWpetition wants a system based upon trust. The evidence clearly shows that at approximately 0.7%, Benefit fraud is non-systemic and the overwhelming feeling of grassroots Disabled Peoples Organisation’s, expressed at a summit organised by WOWpetition in London on the 25th October 2013, was that sick and disabled people are sick of being treated as guilty until proven innocent and that the system needs to embody trust, not persecution.</div>
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Irrespective of their ability to work, sick & disabled people should be able to rely upon financial support from society that would allow them to experience a good standard of living.</div>
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3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span>An Independent, Committee-Based Inquiry into Welfare Reform, covering but not limited to: (1) Care home admission rises, Daycare Centre’s, access to education for people with learning difficulties, universal mental health treatments, Remploy closures; (2) DWP media links, the ATOS contract, IT implementation of Universal Credit; (3) Human rights abuses against disabled people, excess claimant deaths & the disregard of medical evidence in decision making by ATOS, DWP & the Tribunal Service.</h2>
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WOWpetition cannot understand how in the Worlds 6th richest country (by GDP – IMF 2012) the situation can have been allowed to occur where, despite the UK ratifying the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2009, what is arguably “retrogressive legislation” has been introduced, without being effectively challenged pre-implementation.</div>
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At its AGM on April 14 2013, Amnesty International UK passed a resolution on the Human Rights of sick and disabled people in the UK. The resolution (A5) read:</div>
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“This AGM calls for urgent action to halt the abrogation of the human rights of sick and disabled people by the ruling Coalition government and its associated corporate contractors.”</div>
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It is WOWpetition’s belief that The WRA 2012 was “rushed” through Parliament with the House of Commons using the procedural tool of “financial privilege” to curtail debate and over-turn the amendments tabled by the House of Lords. We believe The House of Lords had taken very relevant advice from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, with the effect that the Human Rights and Equality issues pertinent to the WRA 2012 have been largely ignored. Some overlooked amendments have since been the subject of successful legal challenges, and the Minister for Disabled People has been criticized in open court for failing to consider the effect her policies have on equality of opportunity.</div>
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WOWpetition call for the UK to comply with the spirit of its Treaty Obligations and, in line with “Article 4 – General Obligations” of the UNCRPD, strive to achieve full realization of the rights so included in that document without prejudice. As an example of what we would argue is the non-compliance of the UK with this Treaty, we are dismayed that an apparent working definition of “Equality of Opportunity” appears to be, that employers may choose to favour a disabled candidate over a non-disabled candidate. This, we believe, is not what was intended by “Article 3 – General Principles” of the UNCRPD.</div>
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In order for lessons to be learnt and safeguards put in place to ensure persons with disabilities are never again to face what we believe is a coordinated onslaught on our human rights and right to life, we call for an independent Committee based enquiry into Welfare Reform.</div>
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Most worrying are the comments attributed to the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson on Nov 28th 2013, in which he says “It is surely relevant to a conversation about equality that as many as 16% of our species have an IQ below 85, while about 2% have an IQ above 130.”</div>
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Is a person’s worth or right of equality to be linked to his measured IQ? Is economic potential the accepted measure of somebody’s value and equality? This comment is not acceptable.</div>
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Conclusion</h1>
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WOWpetition suggests that sick and disabled people are the target of a sustained attack on their human rights and standard of living as it is believed they will not fight back. We agree with Richard Hawkes of Scope who said “At the moment there’s no place for disabled people in the Chancellor’s aspiration nation.” WOWpetition seeks a society where disabled people (through birth, trauma or illness) are given true equality of opportunity and valued appropriately, based upon their intrinsic humanity.</div>
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On the 10th July 2013 an Opposition Day Debate on “Disabled people” called for a Cumulative Impact Assessment of the changes made by Government that affect disabled people. We argue that the debate called for by the WOWpetition is significantly different to this debate, based on:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Following this debate, The Centre for Welfare Reform has also done what is “very difficult to do accurately” and produced a Cumulative Impact Assessments. This, and the Demos one previously done, demonstrate how this government’s austerity measures have been unfairly targeted at sick and disabled people. The House needs to debate why disabled people are seen as easy targets by this government or the DWP needs to challenge the findings.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>It is widely reported that both the new Universal Credit Payment (UC) and the Personal Independence Payments (PIP) are in trouble. WOWpetition believe the UK government should take the time to carefully consider the effect the transition to these potentially flawed procedures would have on sick and disabled people and if it is prepared to inflict more excess deaths on these communities.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>The DWP publication “Fulfilling Potential – The Next Steps” is put forward by Esther McVey MP as a remedy for the exclusion and barriers to society facing disabled people. WOWPetition believes this document is flawed and based upon Esther McVey’s inability to distinguish between the Social Model of Disability and the Bio-psychosocial Model of Disability which, we believe, she seems to think are the same thing. How to enable disabled people to fulfill their potential should be debated in conjunction with relevant meaningful published statistics to identify how best to deliver meaningful Equality of Opportunity to sick and disabled people. How long do we have to wait until sick and disabled are given meaningful Equality of Opportunity, which is a requirement under “Article 3 – The General Principles” of the “UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities“.</div>
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WOWpetition therefore asks all MP's that no matter their political position they demonstrate that they are prepared to engage and debate the issue affecting Sick and Disabled People by attending the Main Chamber debate of the WOWpetition in the New Year.</div>
Edwin Mandellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12594483686319134919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-66986490778027046782013-12-23T09:15:00.003+00:002013-12-23T14:30:59.927+00:00Draft letter to MPs - Option 2<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am writing as your constituent to ask you to represent my views in Parliament.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I signed and supported a government e-petition, the WOW petition, which passed the 100,000 signature mark, and on the 10th December 2013 was granted a full chamber debate by the Back B</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ench Business Committee in the New Year. This in itself is a historic event as it is the first time in the history of this country that disabled people have secured a Main Chamber debate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The petition calls for a cumulative impact assessment of welfare reform as it affects sick and disabled people and carers, and an end to the Work Capability Assessment, as demanded by the British Medical Association.</span></div>
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<i>Please add a personal message here to illustrate how this Government's Policies are either directly affecting you, your family, people you know or society and why you believe the Government should properly debate their policies, the effect they are having and the hardship they are causing to specifically targeted groups with UK society. </i></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know you are very busy, but please allow me to present some evidence to support the need for these measures.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Welfare Reform Act 2012 was promoted as the biggest shake up in welfare for 60 years, so it was extraordinary that no assessment was carried out on how it would affect the most vulnerable people in society. I believe the government now needs to take stock, and face the fact that sick and disabled people have been caused great distress and hardship by measure such as the bedroom tax, the twenty per cent cut in the budget for Disability Living Allowance, the closure of the Independent Living Fund to new applicants, and many more measures. The think tank Demos has calculated that disabled people, already more likely to be living in poverty, will lose around £28 billion over five years. This hardly seems to be sharing the burden of austerity fairly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for the Work Capability Assessments, these have been a disaster. The British Medical Association last year called for them to be scrapped with immediate effect. Parkinson’s UK’s research found that almost half of people with a progressive illness, when assessed, are told they will get better and placed in the Work Related Activity Group. This means they are required to prepare for work, and if they are unable to do what is required of them can be sanctioned leaving them with no income. Please remember these are people with Parkinsons Disease and other progressive illnesses.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As my representative in Parliament I am requesting that you attend and speak at this debate so that your constituents and I can understand your views on Government Policy towards sick and disabled people.</span></div>
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Edwin Mandellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12594483686319134919noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-28458082353090403422013-12-22T10:08:00.005+00:002014-01-10T19:04:37.678+00:00Analysis of the WOWpetition for MP's prior to WOWdebate2014<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px;">
Dear _____________</div>
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As a constituent of yours I noted that at the Backbench Business Committee meeting of the 10th December 2013 e-petition 43154, The WOWpetition, was granted a Chamber debate in the House of Commons in the New Year 2014. This was in fact a historic decision, as it is the first time in the history of this country that disabled people have secured a Chamber debate.</div>
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<i>Please add a personal message here to illustrate how this Government's Policies are either directly affecting you, your family, people you know or society and why you believe the Government should properly debate their policies, the effect they are having and the hardship they are causing to specifically targeted groups with UK society. </i></div>
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As your constituent I ask you to attend this debate in the House of Commons in 2014 so that your constituents and I can understand your views as to whether austerity is being fairly imposed on all elements of society, as we have been told that "we are all in this together". Please confirm with me that you will be attending this debate, when its timing is announced, in the New Year.</div>
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The Leader of the House, Andrew Lansley MP is aware of the WOWpetition referring to it as "That Petition" in the House on the 5th December in response to a question. If you are not yet aware of this petition it is outlined in depth, to give you the information you need to consider the issues, by the following sections and is still available to read on the e-petitions website (e-petition 43154). </div>
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The WOWpetition calls for</div>
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1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span>A Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) of all cuts and changes affecting sick & disabled people, their families and carers, and a free vote on repeal of the Welfare Reform Act.</h2>
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The response received from the DWP upon the WOWpetition reaching 10,000 signatures, stated that the Government had not done a Cumulative Impact Assessment of the effects of the Welfare Reform Bill 2012 because “it is very difficult to do accurately and external organisations have not produced this either.” However, since posting this response, 2 external agencies, “DEMOS” and the “Centre for Welfare Reform” have separately produced relevant CIA’s.</div>
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DEMOS’s analysis showed a cumulative loss of income for disabled people of £28.3 billion over the 5 years to 2018. Referring to this analysis, Richard Hawkes, Chief Executive of disability charity Scope said: “At the moment there’s no place for disabled people in the Chancellor’s aspiration nation. In 2013 disabled people are already struggling to pay the bills. Living costs are spiralling. Income is flat-lining. We know many are getting in debt, just to pay for essentials. What’s the Government’s response? The same group of disabled people face not just one or two cuts to their support, but in some cases three, four, five or even six cuts. It paints a frightening picture of the financial struggles affecting disabled people in 2013. On top of this the Government is suggesting capping the welfare bill in the June spending review – having already slashed billions.”</div>
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Dr Simon Duffy of the Centre for Welfare Reform, on behalf of the Campaign for a Fair Society, produced analysis that suggested the cuts to benefits and services fell disproportionately on minority groups. The extreme unfairness of this policy is demonstrated if we compare the burden of cuts born annually by most citizens (£467 per person) to the burden on people in poverty (£2,195: 5 x rest of population), the burden on disabled people (£4,410: 9 x rest of population) and the Burden on people with severest disabilities (£8,832: 19 x rest of population).</div>
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We believe that the Government either needs to demonstrate that the CIA’s produced are not accurate and produce its own CIA or explain why the austerity measures have been targeted at people, who WOWpetition believe, the Government thought would not fight back.</div>
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2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span>An immediate end to the Work Capability Assessment, as voted for by the British Medical Association. Consultation between the Depts of Health & Education to improve support into work for sick & disabled people, and an end to forced work under threat of sanctions for people on disability benefits.</h2>
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The Work Capability Assessment judges the Capability for work or work related activity of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants. We believe the current test is totally discredited, with the Prime Minister saying in October 2013 that its provider, Atos, had "to improve the quality of decision-making" in the face of sustained criticism of both the efficacy and effectiveness of what, WOWpetition believe, is not a tool meant to enable disabled people and help them to achieve what they feel capable of but instead a blunt instrument to reduce the social security bill. We do not believe it is right that in the 21st Century an experimental process has been imposed on sick and disabled people with in some cases fatal consequences. Over 10,000 people have died within 6 weeks of being compelled to submit to what has been described as a “dehumanizing, brutal and aggressive quasi-medical assessment”.</div>
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WOWpetition believes that any method for assessing the financial support given, and the life opportunities presented to sick and disabled people needs to be based upon 3 questions: “What do you want to do?” “What stops you from doing that?” “What adjustments can be made to enable you?” Any process that seeks to enable disabled people and give them equality of opportunity, needs to address not just the “supply side” issues of “what can you do” but also needs to address “demand side” prejudices and ensure society provides the opportunities to people facing significant barriers to mainstream employment opportunities, in a fair way that gives people with impairments equality of opportunity. Additionally, any individual trying to enhance their experience should not be penalised/ restricted, as they already face difficulty with employment.</div>
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More than anything, WOWpetition wants a system based upon trust. The evidence clearly shows that at approximately 0.7%, Benefit fraud is non-systemic and the overwhelming feeling of grassroots Disabled Peoples Organisation’s, expressed at a summit organised by WOWpetition in London on the 25th October 2013, was that sick and disabled people are sick of being treated as guilty until proven innocent and that the system needs to embody trust, not persecution.</div>
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Irrespective of their ability to work, sick & disabled people should be able to rely upon financial support from society that would allow them to experience a good standard of living.</div>
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3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span>An Independent, Committee-Based Inquiry into Welfare Reform, covering but not limited to: (1) Care home admission rises, Daycare Centre’s, access to education for people with learning difficulties, universal mental health treatments, Remploy closures; (2) DWP media links, the ATOS contract, IT implementation of Universal Credit; (3) Human rights abuses against disabled people, excess claimant deaths & the disregard of medical evidence in decision making by ATOS, DWP & the Tribunal Service.</h2>
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WOWpetition cannot understand how in the Worlds 6th richest country (by GDP – IMF 2012) the situation can have been allowed to occur where, despite the UK ratifying the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2009, what is arguably “retrogressive legislation” has been introduced, without being effectively challenged pre-implementation.</div>
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At its AGM on April 14 2013, Amnesty International UK passed a resolution on the Human Rights of sick and disabled people in the UK. The resolution (A5) read:</div>
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“This AGM calls for urgent action to halt the abrogation of the human rights of sick and disabled people by the ruling Coalition government and its associated corporate contractors.”</div>
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It is WOWpetition’s belief that The WRA 2012 was “rushed” through Parliament with the House of Commons using the procedural tool of “financial privilege” to curtail debate and over-turn the amendments tabled by the House of Lords. We believe The House of Lords had taken very relevant advice from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, with the effect that the Human Rights and Equality issues pertinent to the WRA 2012 have been largely ignored. Some overlooked amendments have since been the subject of successful legal challenges, and the Minister for Disabled People has been criticized in open court for failing to consider the effect her policies have on equality of opportunity.</div>
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WOWpetition call for the UK to comply with the spirit of its Treaty Obligations and, in line with “Article 4 – General Obligations” of the UNCRPD, strive to achieve full realization of the rights so included in that document without prejudice. As an example of what we would argue is the non-compliance of the UK with this Treaty, we are dismayed that an apparent working definition of “Equality of Opportunity” appears to be, that employers may choose to favour a disabled candidate over a non-disabled candidate. This, we believe, is not what was intended by “Article 3 – General Principles” of the UNCRPD.</div>
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In order for lessons to be learnt and safeguards put in place to ensure persons with disabilities are never again to face what we believe is a coordinated onslaught on our human rights and right to life, we call for an independent Committee based enquiry into Welfare Reform.</div>
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Most worrying are the comments attributed to the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson on Nov 28th 2013, in which he says “It is surely relevant to a conversation about equality that as many as 16% of our species have an IQ below 85, while about 2% have an IQ above 130.”</div>
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Is a person’s worth or right of equality to be linked to his measured IQ? Is economic potential the accepted measure of somebody’s value and equality? This comment is not acceptable.</div>
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Conclusion</h1>
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WOWpetition suggests that sick and disabled people are the target of a sustained attack on their human rights and standard of living as it is believed they will not fight back. We agree with Richard Hawkes of Scope who said “At the moment there’s no place for disabled people in the Chancellor’s aspiration nation.” WOWpetition seeks a society where disabled people (through birth, trauma or illness) are given true equality of opportunity and valued appropriately, based upon their intrinsic humanity.</div>
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On the 10th July 2013 an Opposition Day Debate on “Disabled people” called for a Cumulative Impact Assessment of the changes made by Government that affect disabled people. We argue that the debate called for by the WOWpetition is significantly different to this debate, based on:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Following this debate, The Centre for Welfare Reform has also done what is “very difficult to do accurately” and produced a Cumulative Impact Assessments. This, and the Demos one previously done, demonstrate how this government’s austerity measures have been unfairly targeted at sick and disabled people. The House needs to debate why disabled people are seen as easy targets by this government or the DWP needs to challenge the findings.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>It is widely reported that both the new Universal Credit Payment (UC) and the Personal Independence Payments (PIP) are in trouble. WOWpetition believe the UK government should take the time to carefully consider the effect the transition to these potentially flawed procedures would have on sick and disabled people and if it is prepared to inflict more excess deaths on these communities.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>The DWP publication “Fulfilling Potential – The Next Steps” is put forward by Esther McVey MP as a remedy for the exclusion and barriers to society facing disabled people. WOWPetition believes this document is flawed and based upon Esther McVey’s inability to distinguish between the Social Model of Disability and the Bio-psychosocial Model of Disability which, we believe, she seems to think are the same thing. How to enable disabled people to fulfill their potential should be debated in conjunction with relevant meaningful published statistics to identify how best to deliver meaningful Equality of Opportunity to sick and disabled people. How long do we have to wait until sick and disabled are given meaningful Equality of Opportunity, which is a requirement under “Article 3 – The General Principles” of the “UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities“.</div>
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WOWpetition therefore asks all MP's that no matter their political position they demonstrate that they are prepared to engage and debate the issue affecting Sick and Disabled People by attending the Main Chamber debate of the WOWpetition in the New Year.</div>
Edwin Mandellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12594483686319134919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-54065392854691961132013-12-12T14:23:00.002+00:002013-12-12T14:23:35.059+00:00Backbench Business Committee 10Dec2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Edwin Mandellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12594483686319134919noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-63618928973966417572013-12-10T16:51:00.005+00:002013-12-10T16:51:42.868+00:00#WOWDebate2014 moves a step closer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://twitter.com/CommonsBBCom/status/410449133171134464">https://twitter.com/CommonsBBCom/status/410449133171134464</a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111132651663342181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-15399857819143902192013-12-10T16:14:00.002+00:002013-12-10T16:14:08.276+00:00Stand up and fight for the society we want to live in<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stand up and fight for the society we want to live in- WOW Petition by Just Bring The Choc <a href="https://twitter.com/RenataBplus3">@RenataBplus3</a> </span><br />
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An excerpt:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You see, despite the government’s reassurances that they are protecting the most vulnerable in society with the current welfare cuts, it’s simply not the case.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No one is immune to illness or accidents. At some point our body is going to stop working as efficiently, or we’ll accidentally break ourselves. As things stand the government are planning to make cuts to services that disabled people rely on to maintain independent lives, without ever having assessed the cumulative impact of these cuts to the people concerned. One example of this is a fund called the Independent Living Fund (ILF) that ensures that severely disabled people can live independent lives in the community rather than being forced to be moved into residential care. The government tried to take this away fund completely. 5 disabled people challenged the decision in the Court of Appeals and the decision was over-turned on the basis that the government had not taken into consideration duties outlined in the Equality Act. This victory meant that those who are currently receiving ILF will continue to receive it, but as the government has slammed the doors shut on anyone else being able to apply for it, it leaves severely disabled adults vulnerable to local council’s decisions about how best to allocate their resources, and to resulting cuts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These are not benefit fraudsters, they’re not work shy, they’re just human and disability happened to them, in the same way it could happen to you, or your parents, or your siblings or your children. This is something that the whole of Britain should be up in arms about, but most people don’t even know it’s going on as they are being told so many times that it’s the benefit fraudsters who are being punished by the cuts and people genuinely in need are being protected. That’s about as honest as an MP’s expenses claim form I’m afraid, but it’s a rhetoric that means people can sleep comfortably at night so most people choose to accept it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- See more at: <a href="http://www.justbringthechocolate.com/advocacy/stand-and-fight-wow-petition/">http://www.justbringthechocolate.com/advocacy/stand-and-fight-wow-petition/</a></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111132651663342181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-83124864206085472352013-12-05T14:45:00.001+00:002013-12-05T14:45:06.586+00:00We Need to Get Cross Party Support - but its a steep learning curve!!!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rather than bask in the glow of getting 100,000 signatures the workload seems to have trebled!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All WOW hands are on deck at the moment trying to find ways to encourage cross-party support for a debate of the WOWpetition in the Main Chamber of the House of Commons. The reason this is important is that a debate in the Main Chamber has more status than the alternative of a debate at Westminster Hall and importantly if there is to be a vote on the WOWpetition that can only happen if the debate is in the Main Chamber.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are trying to use the Change website to encourage people to approach their MP's directly and this is the message put out to the people that have signed the Change Petition so far:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4f4f; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">House of Commons Back Bench Business Committee: Allocate a Full Main Chamber Debate to the WOWpetition (e-petition 43154)' on Change.org</span></h4>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Firstly, Thank You for signing this petition and calling for the WOWpetition to be granted a full debate in the Main Chamber of the House of Commons. As I am sure you have also publicised this petition and asked friends and family to sign it as well, I would also like to Thank You for that! I hope that you have also already signed the </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><i><u><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></u></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><i><u><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">www.WOWpetition.com</span></u></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"> but if you haven't please do so now, or at any time right up to it closing on the 12th December 2013. </span></span><div>
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Having already done this for us, I would now be grateful if you would consider contacting your own MP directly and asking them to support John McDonnell MP/ Ian Mearns MP/ Ian Lavery MP/ Caroline Lucas MP and many more in their efforts to secure a full debate in the Main Chamber at the House of Commons of the very important issues highlighted by the WOWpetition.com, which WOW, and many others, believe deserve to be properly debated and voted upon. You can do this quickly and easily either: by e-mail using </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><i><u><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">https://www.writetothem.com/ </span></u></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">which allows you to send them a personal message by e-mail; </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">or a more personal approach facilitated by</span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><i><u> </u></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><i><u><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></u></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><i><u><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">http://findyourmp.parliament.uk/ </span></u></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">where you can often find information of your MP's office addresses, phone numbers and Constituency Surgeries (via their websites) enabling you to: ring their office and talk to the MP's staff about this; arrange to attend a constituency surgery (if time permits) to present your request in person; or write down the address so that you can send a letter to your MP. Whilst it is very desirable and some "SPAM" filters have even made it compulsory to write using your own words, WOWpetition have produced a Template which you could use to base your own personal letters upon (but please personalise it as much as you are able to): </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><i><u><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">http://wowpetition.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/example-letter-to-mp-for-main-chamber.html. </span></u></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">However, due to the British Postal System it is imperative that any letter is in the post by first thing tomorrow (Friday 6th December 2013). There is also very helpful information on this website on how you can contact your MP and make your voice heard. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><i><u><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">http://philiplewis.wordpress.com/2013/12/04/if-you-have-signed-the-wowpetition-contact-your-mp-now/</span></u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Remember, you are not necessarily asking your MP to support the WOWpetition but instead requesting that they support a full main chamber debate of the important issues raised by the WOWpetition, as WOWpetition deserves that!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Thank you again, </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Onwards and Upwards, </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">The WOWpetition</span></span></div>
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Edwin Mandellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12594483686319134919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-9500615184123150202013-12-04T17:04:00.001+00:002013-12-05T19:10:05.943+00:00Example Letter To MP For Main Chamber WOW Debate<div class="MsoNormal">
Please write a paper letter and send to your MP, only email if you already have a good relationship with them and they habitually read and reply to your emails.<br />
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Best of all use this and the briefing note of the <a href="http://wowpetition.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/wowpetition-contact-your-mp-we-need.html">previous post</a> and visit your MP in person and ask that they support a DEBATE in the MAIN CHAMBER.<br />
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They do not have to agree with WOW, what you are asking them is to agree to a democratic debate, on the record, of mortally serious issues of government policy that directly affect YOU, which is a basic democratic right.<br />
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Please do so as soon as you are able, this is TIME CRITICAL.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear …..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am writing as a constituent to ask you to represent my
views in Parliament.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I signed and supported a government e-petition, the WOW petition, which
recently passed the 100,000 signature mark, meaning that it can be considered
for a debate in Parliament. I would like you in the interests of democracy to
do whatever you can to make this debate happen <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">in the Main Chamber</span>, and allow the voices of sick
and disabled people and carers to be heard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The petition calls for a cumulative impact assessment of
welfare reform as it affects sick and disabled people and carers, and an end to
the Work Capability Assessment, as demanded by the British Medical Association.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know you are very busy, but please allow me to present
some evidence to support the need for these measures. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Welfare Reform Act 2012 was promoted as the biggest
shake up in welfare for 60 years, so it was extraordinary that no assessment
was carried out on how it would affect the most vulnerable people in society. I
believe the government now needs to take stock, and face the fact that sick and
disabled people have been caused great distress and hardship by measure such as
the bedroom tax, the twenty per cent cut in the budget for Disability Living
Allowance, the closure of the Independent Living Fund to new applicants, and many
more measures. The think tank Demos has calculated that disabled people,
already more likely to be living in poverty, will lose around £28 billion over
five years. This hardly seems to be sharing the burden of austerity fairly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for the Work Capability Assessments, these have been a
disaster. The British Medical Association last year called for them to be
scrapped with immediate effect. Parkinson’s UK’s research found that almost
half of people with a progressive illness, when assessed, are told they will
get better and placed in the Work Related Activity Group. This means they are
required to prepare for work, and if they are unable to do what is required of
them can be sanctioned leaving them with no income. Please remember these are
people with Parkinsons Disease and other progressive illnesses.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I believe that the least Parliament can do is to debate
these issues in the Main Chamber, and would be very grateful if you, as my MP
would ensure that this debate takes place. Please notify John McDonnell MP's office of your support as soon as possible so he may inform the Backbench Business Committee that the debate has wide cross party support.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year,</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111132651663342181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-43642482031833681882013-12-03T21:15:00.001+00:002013-12-04T21:24:53.938+00:00WOWpetition - Contact your MP - We need your help.<h2 class="date-header" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; min-height: 0px; position: relative;">
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Today at the House of Commons Backbench Business Committee John McDonnell MP, Ian Mearns MP and Ian Lavery MP secured a backbench business committee debate of the WOWpetition.</div>
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<i>Huzzah</i></div>
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The issue is that the debate may either be held in Westminster Hall or the Main Chamber of Parliament and the key factor in this decision is the amount of cross party support that the WOWpetition receives.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Therefore, WOW needs you.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="color: black; line-height: normal;">(if you need to identify who your MP is and how to contact him use </span><a href="http://www.theyworkforyou.com/" style="color: #1155cc; line-height: normal;" target="_blank">http://www.theyworkforyou.com/</a><span style="color: black; line-height: normal;"> ?)</span></span></span><br />
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<b>Please contact your MP by e-mail, letter or phone before next Tuesday and ask him to support a Main Chamber debate on the important issues contained in the WOWpetition (e-petition 43154).</b></div>
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You are not asking your MP to support the WOWpetition but instead asking him to recognise that the important issues it addresses are deserving of a full debate in the Main Chamber.</div>
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We have secured a Backbench Business Committee debate of the WOWpetition. Lets make sure it is a full debate in the Main Chamber.</div>
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If you wish to contact your MP and discuss the WOWpetition in his surgery we have prepared a briefing document you can base your discussion around. Please do not copy and paste this in it's entirety into an e-mail to your MP as it is likely to be intercepted by the spam filters and disappear into the Ethernet. It is best to either print it off and use it as the basis for a face to face discussion with him or use it to harvest ideas for your own individual message to your MP.</div>
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WOWpetition Briefing on the Need for a Backbench Business Committee Debate of e-petition 43154.<o:p></o:p></h1>
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On Saturday 30th November 2013 Government e-petition 43154, also known as the WOWpetition, was signed for the 100,000 time and qualifies to be considered for a debate by the Back Bench Business Committee. John McDonnell MP has agreed to make representations to the Backbench Business Committee in support of a debate of the WOWpetition.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The WOWpetition calls for<o:p></o:p></div>
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1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span>A Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) of all cuts and changes affecting sick & disabled people, their families and carers, and a free vote on repeal of the Welfare Reform Act.<o:p></o:p></h2>
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The response received from the DWP upon the WOWpetition reaching 10,000 signatures, stated that the Government had not done a Cumulative Impact Assessment of the effects of the Welfare Reform Bill 2012 because “it is very difficult to do accurately and external organisations have not produced this either.” However, since posting this response, 2 external agencies, “DEMOS” and the “Centre for Welfare Reform” have separately produced relevant CIA’s.<o:p></o:p></div>
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DEMOS’s analysis showed a cumulative loss of income for disabled people of £28.3 billion over the 5 years to 2018. Referring to this analysis, Richard Hawkes, Chief Executive of disability charity Scope said: “At the moment there’s no place for disabled people in the Chancellor’s aspiration nation. In 2013 disabled people are already struggling to pay the bills. Living costs are spiralling. Income is flat-lining. We know many are getting in debt, just to pay for essentials. What’s the Government’s response? The same group of disabled people face not just one or two cuts to their support, but in some cases three, four, five or even six cuts. It paints a frightening picture of the financial struggles affecting disabled people in 2013. On top of this the Government is suggesting capping the welfare bill in the June spending review – having already slashed billions.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dr Simon Duffy of the Centre for Welfare Reform, on behalf of the Campaign for a Fair Society, produced analysis that suggested the cuts to benefits and services fell disproportionately on minority groups. The extreme unfairness of this policy is demonstrated if we compare the burden of cuts born annually by most citizens (£467 per person) to the burden on people in poverty (£2,195: 5 x rest of population), the burden on disabled people (£4,410: 9 x rest of population) and the Burden on people with severest disabilities (£8,832: 19 x rest of population).<o:p></o:p></div>
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We believe that the Government either needs to demonstrate that the CIA’s produced are not accurate and produce its own CIA or explain why the austerity measures have been targeted at people, who WOWpetition believe, the Government thought would not fight back.<o:p></o:p></div>
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2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span>An immediate end to the Work Capability Assessment, as voted for by the British Medical Association. Consultation between the Depts of Health & Education to improve support into work for sick & disabled people, and an end to forced work under threat of sanctions for people on disability benefits.<o:p></o:p></h2>
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The Work Capability Assessment judges the Capability for work or work related activity of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants. We believe the current test is totally discredited, with the Prime Minister saying in October 2013 that its provider, Atos, had "to improve the quality of decision-making" in the face of sustained criticism of both the efficacy and effectiveness of what, WOWpetition believe, is not a tool meant to enable disabled people and help them to achieve what they feel capable of but instead a blunt instrument to reduce the social security bill. We do not believe it is right that in the 21st Century an experimental process has been imposed on sick and disabled people with in some cases fatal consequences. Over 10,000 people have died within 6 weeks of being compelled to submit to what has been described as a “dehumanizing, brutal and aggressive quasi-medical assessment”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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WOWpetition believes that any method for assessing the financial support given, and the life opportunities presented to sick and disabled people needs to be based upon 3 questions: “What do you want to do?” “What stops you from doing that?” “What adjustments can be made to enable you?” Any process that seeks to enable disabled people and give them equality of opportunity, needs to address not just the “supply side” issues of “what can you do” but also needs to address “demand side” prejudices and ensure society provides the opportunities to people facing significant barriers to mainstream employment opportunities, in a fair way that gives people with impairments equality of opportunity. Additionally, any individual trying to enhance their experience should not be penalised/ restricted, as they already face difficulty with employment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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More than anything, WOWpetition wants a system based upon trust. The evidence clearly shows that at approximately 0.7%, Benefit fraud is non-systemic and the overwhelming feeling of grassroots Disabled Peoples Organisation’s, expressed at a summit organised by WOWpetition in London on the 25th October 2013, was that sick and disabled people are sick of being treated as guilty until proven innocent and that the system needs to embody trust, not persecution.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Irrespective of their ability to work, sick & disabled people should be able to rely upon financial support from society that would allow them to experience a good standard of living.<o:p></o:p></div>
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3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span>An Independent, Committee-Based Inquiry into Welfare Reform, covering but not limited to: (1) Care home admission rises, Daycare Centre’s, access to education for people with learning difficulties, universal mental health treatments, Remploy closures; (2) DWP media links, the ATOS contract, IT implementation of Universal Credit; (3) Human rights abuses against disabled people, excess claimant deaths & the disregard of medical evidence in decision making by ATOS, DWP & the Tribunal Service.<o:p></o:p></h2>
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WOWpetition cannot understand how in the Worlds 6th richest country (by GDP – IMF 2012) the situation can have been allowed to occur where, despite the UK ratifying the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2009, what is arguably “retrogressive legislation” has been introduced, without being effectively challenged pre-implementation.<o:p></o:p></div>
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At its AGM on April 14 2013, Amnesty International UK passed a resolution on the Human Rights of sick and disabled people in the UK. The resolution (A5) read:<o:p></o:p></div>
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“This AGM calls for urgent action to halt the abrogation of the human rights of sick and disabled people by the ruling Coalition government and its associated corporate contractors.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is WOWpetition’s belief that The WRA 2012 was “rushed” through Parliament with the House of Commons using the procedural tool of “financial privilege” to curtail debate and over-turn the amendments tabled by the House of Lords. We believe The House of Lords had taken very relevant advice from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, with the effect that the Human Rights and Equality issues pertinent to the WRA 2012 have been largely ignored. Some overlooked amendments have since been the subject of successful legal challenges, and the Minister for Disabled People has been criticized in open court for failing to consider the effect her policies have on equality of opportunity.<o:p></o:p></div>
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WOWpetition call for the UK to comply with the spirit of its Treaty Obligations and, in line with “Article 4 – General Obligations” of the UNCRPD, strive to achieve full realization of the rights so included in that document without prejudice. As an example of what we would argue is the non-compliance of the UK with this Treaty, we are dismayed that an apparent working definition of “Equality of Opportunity” appears to be, that employers may choose to favour a disabled candidate over a non-disabled candidate. This, we believe, is not what was intended by “Article 3 – General Principles” of the UNCRPD.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In order for lessons to be learnt and safeguards put in place to ensure persons with disabilities are never again to face what we believe is a coordinated onslaught on our human rights and right to life, we call for an independent Committee based enquiry into Welfare Reform.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Most worrying are the comments attributed to the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson on Nov 28th 2013, in which he says “It is surely relevant to a conversation about equality that as many as 16% of our species have an IQ below 85, while about 2% have an IQ above 130.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Is a person’s worth or right of equality to be linked to his measured IQ? Is economic potential the accepted measure of somebody’s value and equality? This comment is not acceptable.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Conclusion<o:p></o:p></h1>
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WOWpetition suggests that sick and disabled people are the target of a sustained attack on their human rights and standard of living as it is believed they will not fight back. We agree with Richard Hawkes of Scope who said “At the moment there’s no place for disabled people in the Chancellor’s aspiration nation.” WOWpetition seeks a society where disabled people (through birth, trauma or illness) are given true equality of opportunity and valued appropriately, based upon their intrinsic humanity.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On the 10th July 2013 an Opposition Day Debate on “Disabled people” called for a Cumulative Impact Assessment of the changes made by Government that affect disabled people. We argue that the debate called for by the WOWpetition is significantly different to this debate, based on:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Following this debate, two independent organisations have done what is “very difficult to do accurately” and produced Cumulative Impact Assessments. These demonstrate how this government’s austerity measures have unfairly targeted sick and disabled people. The House needs to debate why disabled people are seen as easy targets by this government or the DWP needs to challenge the findings.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>It is widely reported that both the new Universal Credit Payment (UC) and the Personal Independence Payments (PIP) are in trouble. WOWpetition believe the UK government should take the time to carefully consider the effect the transition to these potentially flawed procedures would have on sick and disabled people and if it is prepared to inflict more excess deaths on these communities.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span>Paul Maynard MP, who referred to WOWpetition as “extremists” using the protection of Parliamentary Privilege, made reference in this Opposition Day Debate to the DWP publication “Fulfilling Potential – The Next Steps” and implied it was a remedy for the exclusion and barriers to society facing disabled people. WOWPetition believes this document is flawed and based upon Esther McVey’s inability to distinguish between the Social Model of Disability and the Bio-psychosocial Model of Disability which, we believe, she seems to think are the same thing. This document should be debated in conjunction with relevant meaningful published statistics to identify whether it really is a tool in leading to meaningful Equality of Opportunity for sick and disabled people and how long it is to be before sick and disabled are given this meaningful Equality of Opportunity, defined appropriately. This is a requirement under “Article 3 – The General Principles” of the “UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities“.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As outlined earlier, WOWpetition calls for much more than a Cumulative Impact Assessment and to refuse a debate dismisses and trivializes the other very real concerns of the Sick and Disabled Community.<o:p></o:p></div>
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WOWpetition therefore ask you to support a Main Hall Backbench Business Committee debate of the important issues contained in their e-petition 43154 and engage with our plea for a New Deal for Sick and Disabled People based upon their needs, abilities and ambitions.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Edwin Mandellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12594483686319134919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-6273178019778963012013-11-30T20:59:00.002+00:002013-11-30T20:59:33.686+00:00The WoW Petition Reaches 100,000 SignaturesSICK AND DISABLED PEOPLE HOLD IAIN DUNCAN SMITH TO ACCOUNT<br />
DISABLED PEOPLE’S PETITION GAINS 100,000 SIGNATURES.<br />
<br />
A government e-petition, <a href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154" target="_blank">http://epetitions.direct.gov.<wbr></wbr>uk/petitions/43154</a>
written by sick and disabled people and carers today gained over
100,000 signatures, meaning it can trigger a Parliamentary debate.<br />
<br />
Francesca Martinez, who has been championing the petition, says:<br />
“This is a hugely important issue because many disabled and sick people
cannot go out and protest against these devastating policies. It is
vital that those of us who can, join together to ensure these basic
rights aren’t eroded away. With 83% of disabilities acquired, anyone can
find themselves with an impairment, or as a carer, and we must make
sure that people are adequately supported when in challenging times.
This is what a civilised society does. Instead of demonising those on
welfare, we should be proud to create a society that provides for
everyone regardless of health or ability. We will never forget the many
tragic deaths already caused by this government and we will continue to
fight in the hope that we can protect those in need from despair,
poverty and death. We’d like to thank everyone who signed and shared the
petition, and we look forward to the next phase of Parliamentary
debate.”<br />
<br />
Rick B one of the originators of the petition says:<br />
“In July 2012 I almost died because of how the government treated me,
many have not been as fortunate. Another founder of the campaign, John
Dyer, sadly passed away in November before we reached 100,000
signatures. So we are resolute to take this democratic mandate and
pursue the cause of making justice for sick and disabled people and
carers a reality.”<br />
<br />
Michelle Maher another WOW originator says:<br />
“I became involved because of my cousin who had been living with
Parkinson's for five years, with osteoarthritis and diabetes. Her claim
for DLA took eighteen months to settle and she was in sheltered
accommodation when she had to attend a tribunal. She was frightened,
stressed and confused by the process. Inhumane.”<br />
<br />
The petition was promoted through social media by people directly
affected by welfare reform, many housebound or bedbound. Getting
signatures was difficult at first, with the public unaware of a growing
national scandal.<br />
<br />
Recently however, public awareness has grown due to stories like this;<br />
<br />
A dying grandmother faced the stress of moving home due to the bedroom tax, <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bedroom-tax-charges-means-sick-2789221" target="_blank">http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/<wbr></wbr>uk-news/bedroom-tax-charges-<wbr></wbr>means-sick-2789221</a><br />
<br />
Macmillan Cancer Care revealed that due to benefit problems, a terminally ill cancer patient was offered a foodbank voucher, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24785115" target="_blank">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-<wbr></wbr>24785115</a><br />
<br />
Parkinson’s UK revealed that almost half of people with a progressive
incurable illness are told they’ll recover, saying ‘A system which tells
people who have had to give up work because of a debilitating
progressive condition that they'll recover, is farcical and simply
defies belief’<br />
‘On top of this, many have their benefit removed after a year as an added 'incentive' to find employment. <a href="http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/news/27-august-2013/fit-work-test-tells-people-parkinsons%C2%A0theyll-recover" target="_blank">http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/<wbr></wbr>news/27-august-2013/fit-work-<wbr></wbr>test-tells-people-parkinsons%<wbr></wbr>C2%A0theyll-recover</a><br />
<br />
It is time for the Secretary of State to be held to account.<br />
<br />
The petition, (dubbed the WOW petition as it was set up to resist the War On Welfare) calls for<br />
<br />
‘A Cumulative Impact Assessment of all cuts and changes affecting sick
& disabled people, their families and carers, and a free vote on
repeal of the Welfare Reform Act.<br />
<br />
An immediate end to the Work Capability Assessment, as voted for by the British Medical Association.’<br />
<br />
The Welfare Reform Act 2012 <a href="http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-1/welfarereform.html" target="_blank">http://services.parliament.uk/<wbr></wbr>bills/2010-1/welfarereform.<wbr></wbr>html</a><br />
was proclaimed as ‘the biggest shake up in welfare for sixty years’ and
Iain Duncan Smith personally described the changes as ‘aggressive’.<br />
<br />
So it came as a shock to learn that for the people most affected by
these changes, sick and disabled people and carers, no cumulative impact
assessment had been carried out. The Secretary of State had no
knowledge or understanding of, and apparently no interest in, how their
lives were about to be turned upside down.<br />
<br />
In a similar show of disregard for the welfare of sick and disabled
people, the government has ignored calls from the medical profession to
scrap the Work Capability Assessments (WCA) used to decide whether
someone can receive Employment Support Allowance (ESA).<br />
<br />
At their British Medical Association conference in June 2012, GPs called
for the WCA to be scrapped ‘with immediate effect and be replaced with a
rigorous and safe system that does not cause unavoidable harm to some
of the weakest and vulnerable in society’. <a href="http://bma.org.uk/news-views-analysis/news/2012/june/scrap-work-capability-assessment-doctors-demand" target="_blank">http://bma.org.uk/news-views-<wbr></wbr>analysis/news/2012/june/scrap-<wbr></wbr>work-capability-assessment-<wbr></wbr>doctors-demand</a><br />
<br />
The WCA process has been blamed for the deaths and suicides of people
caught up in it, many of whom are denied the support they desperately
need. According to the DWP’s own figures,<br />
<br />
‘between January 2011 and November 2011, some 10,600 claims ended and a
date of death was recorded within six weeks of the claim end.’ <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/223050/incap_decd_recips_0712.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/<wbr></wbr>uploads/system/uploads/<wbr></wbr>attachment_data/file/223050/<wbr></wbr>incap_decd_recips_0712.pdf</a><br />
<br />
More recent figures on the deaths of claimants denied ESA cannot be
obtained. The DWP decided to stop publishing them, and a Freedom of
Information request was denied. Following this denial a number of people
made similar requests, which were then described as ‘vexatious’.<br />
<br />
Misinformation has abounded on these issues. The government, indeed the
Prime Minister himself, has frequently and wrongly claimed that disabled
people are exempt from the bedroom tax. <a href="http://blogs.channel4.com/factcheck/factcheck-cameron-wrong-again-on-bedroom-tax-detail" target="_blank">http://blogs.channel4.com/<wbr></wbr>factcheck/factcheck-cameron-<wbr></wbr>wrong-again-on-bedroom-tax-<wbr></wbr>detail</a><br />
<br />
Grant Shapps claimed that ‘nearly a million people’ dropped their claims
before facing a WCA, the implication being that their claims were not
legitimate. This was completely untrue and he was rebuked by the UK
Statistics Authority. <a href="http://disabilitynewsservice.com/2013/05/tory-boss-rebuked-over-partys-latest-misuse-of-benefit-figures/" target="_blank">http://disabilitynewsservice.<wbr></wbr>com/2013/05/tory-boss-rebuked-<wbr></wbr>over-partys-latest-misuse-of-<wbr></wbr>benefit-figures/</a><br />
<br />
In its own analysis of welfare reform, think tank Demos calculated that
sick and disabled people will lose £28 billion in five years. <a href="http://www.demos.co.uk/press_releases/destinationunknownapril2013" target="_blank">http://www.demos.co.uk/press_<wbr></wbr>releases/<wbr></wbr>destinationunknownapril2013</a><br />
This contradicts David Cameron’s promise to disabled people, ‘we will always help you,we will always stand by you’<br />
<br />
In April 2013 Amnesty International condemned the government’s attack on
the human rights of sick and disabled people. This went largely
unreported. <a href="http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/18320" target="_blank">http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/<wbr></wbr>node/18320</a><br />
<br />
In September 2013 the Dean of St Paul’s Rev David Ison presided over a
ceremony in Parliament Square to remember the thousands of people who
have died due to welfare reform. You can watch a brief video of the
event here.<br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/75673397">http://vimeo.com/75673397</a><br />
<br />
<br />
The petition is still open until the 12th December 2013. <a href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154">http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Thank you to everyone for signing, supporting and sharing. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-55356865531918709192013-11-25T04:17:00.000+00:002013-11-25T04:17:53.570+00:00Open Letter From WOW Campaign Calling For Iain Duncan Smith's Resignation<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The WOW Petition have become increasingly concerned with the rhetoric coming from Iain Duncan Smith and that concern has given way to no small amount of fear for the future of ill and disabled people. In light of the proposals attributed to Iain Duncan Smith in The Guardian today <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/nov/23/iain-duncan-smith-wrag-benefit-cuts">http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/nov/23/iain-duncan-smith-wrag-benefit-cuts</a> we have written to Rachel Reeves, Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions, and Kate Green, Shadow Minister for Disabled People, to express our deep concerns. This is the content of that letter: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you will be well aware, Social Security claimants have faced a torrent of changes since this Coalition took office in May 2010, and no group more so than ill and disabled people who have borne the brunt of this concerted attack on benefits. The limiting of contributory based Employment Support Allowance (ESA) to one year, the change from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to Personal Independence Payments (PIP), the Bedroom Tax, changes to Council Tax support, the benefits uprating being limited to 1% (which, contrary to government promises, does in fact affect disabled people) and more have had a cumulative effect on the lives of ill and disabled claimants.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We now read that Iain Duncan Smith is planning another “radical” change to ESA by disbanding the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) which covers over half a million people. These are clamaints who are currently deemed unable to work due to illness or disability but may be able to sometime in the future. The article does not make clear what Mr. Smith would intend to happen to these claimants, and we are hugely concerned that they would be expected to claim Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) whilst not being ready to reenter the workplace due to their illnesses. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This proposal would leave many vulnerable people “in limbo” as they are caught between out of work benefits and their illnesses and leave them without the support they so desperately need at that time. It would also mean that people who should be concentrating on their health will have the added stress and anxiety of dealing with a system that is stacked heavily against them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are also extremely worried that this is coming across more and more as a targeted attack on the most vulnerable in our society and that this government is going too far in its’ perceived persecution of ill and disabled people. Iain Duncan Smith, in particular, has become a figure of genuine and heartfelt concern and we are concerned as a community over the rhetoric being used by him and his department. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We would point you to searching “IDS” on Twitter and read some of the comments, especially after this article. Many of them are fuelled by fear of what Mr. Duncan Smith has shown himself to be capable of and we are frightened of what he will do next. Many people have questioned his motives and I would concur with their concerns. I would perhaps go further and question if he should be in such a position of power given his track record. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you will know, the WOW Petition is calling for, amongst other things, a Cumulative Impact Assessment of all the cuts and changes affecting sick and disabled people, and we believe strongly that this is even more important given that Mr. Duncan Smith proposed further dangerous changes.
We believe that questions must be asked of Iain Duncan Smith. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We believe his proposal is dangerous and will cause misery and hardship for thousands of ill and disabled people, at a time when we are already struggling. We believe that questions need to be asked of the Department for Work and Pensions. We believe strongly that Iain Duncan Smith does not command any respect of those he should be representing, not persecuting, and we believe that Labour should call for his immediate resignation. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I truly hope that you can look to protect ill and disabled people and join the WOW Petition in our calls. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111132651663342181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-88286505838972869712013-11-15T15:52:00.002+00:002013-11-15T15:59:22.648+00:00Paul Rutherford Reports On His Day In Westminster for the Bedroom Tax Debate<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Is Democracy Dead And
Gone?</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was cold
and dark as I stood on the misty platform of our request stop train station
here in Clunderwen, west Wales early on the morning of November 12, 2013.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wondered if
I was doing the right thing. Was I wasting my time going up to London to take
part in a Lobby and demonstration in Westminster?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What would the
day achieve anyway? I'd already done the maths: it was unlikely that this
Opposition Day Debate and vote on repealing the Bedroom Tax could be won by the
Labour Party who had called it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So why was I
going?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, first, I
had known about this debate for around two weeks before it was formally
announced, and had been [probably], the first person to tweet about it – to an
often disbelieving world! [Yes, I hear a trumpet blowing too!]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Second, thanks
to Ros Wynne-Jones of the Daily Mirror, my family situation had, during the
previous week, been featured in the paper to help highlight this invidious and
loathsome piece of legislation. And the Mirror had offered to pay for my
ticket, for which I was very grateful, because there was no way I could have
afforded it otherwise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Third, I
wanted to meet other anti-Bedroom Tax campaigners, many of whom, like myself,
are disabled and, or, carers. They do a fantastic job in highlighting the
unfairness of this legislation at every opportunity. [You know who you are]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My final
reason for going was to watch the debate in Parliament and see for myself how
well and reasoned the arguments on both sides would be made. At the end of the
day, I do enjoy a good debate!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was met at
Paddington by our solicitor, Mike Spencer from the Child Poverty Action Group
[CPAG], who was coming to Westminster with me. This was the first time we had
met each other after many, many phone conversations and emails. So that was
good.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It didn't take
long to get to our destination and in through the seriously tight security
zone. Questions were raised about the possible contents of my oxygen tank, but
I was finally allowed to take it through with me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were then
mistakenly directed to the wrong room, a trek through the maze of Westminster
and back again which tired me. I was glad to get into the meeting and listen to
the discussions taking place, although my train's arrival time and our
misdirection meant that we missed hearing what MPs Rachael Reeves and Kate
Green had to say.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few people
knew who I was and introduced themselves, but feeble excuse as it is, I was so
full of painkillers and quite out of breath that I barely managed to recognise
their names, despite having shared 'tweets'. Because of this, I won't mention
anyone by name in case I inadvertently forget you and I am sorry about that.
But I was very happy to be amongst so many like-minded people with different
backgrounds and views, yet with one united purpose: to fight the Bedroom Tax.
Thank you all. You have my greatest respect.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know
where everyone in that packed room came from, but I know many had made journeys
as long or longer, as hard or harder than mine from all over the country just
to be there. It was truly inspirational.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the
meeting closed, it was good to chat for a while with fellow protesters before
we went outside to demonstrate and tell the public why we were there. It felt
good to be part of a group at last, after being something of a lone protester
back home in Pembrokeshire since April this year. And it was good to see a
Cornish flag there too!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was a
little bomb alert then in the Parliament building, which meant we were moved on
by the police. But all ended well and we continued demonstrating and speaking a
little further down the road where we were filmed and photographed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then it was
time for the debate, so we headed back through the security area into the
Parliament buildings and on towards the public gallery.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rachael Reeves
was speaking as we took our seats, surrounded by many fellow protesters.
Immediately, I was struck by the noise. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How was she
managing to be heard? How could anyone be actually listening to her? It was
disconcerting to say the least. Perhaps they would calm down soon?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This however
was the House of Commons.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had always
believed that here, in this place of government, where our elected
representatives meet and policies which affect <b>all</b> our lives are made,
they would have the highest standards of debate.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The reality
shocked me to my core. I knew I wasn't alone in feeling like this as I looked
around the public gallery. It was absolutely shameful to witness. I was
horrified.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I soon had to
force myself not to leave in absolute disgust. I was close to tears witnessing
the events unfolding down there below me on the floor of the 'House'.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Put quite
simply and, I must emphasise, non-politically, the behaviour of the few Members
of Parliament on the Government benches was simply disgraceful.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Their
behaviour was perhaps the biggest insult to every disabled person, to every
carer, to every chronically sick person, and yes, insulting to every 'hard
working family' in the country, many of whom are also affected by Bedroom Tax.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was NO
debate: there was no dialogue on the Bedroom Tax on Tuesday 12 November 2013.
At least not in the House of Commons. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It saddens me
so much and I wish it were not true, but it is. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I repeat:
there was no debate.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What there was
instead showed me the reality, the truth of the political process that we have
here in the United Kingdom. Serious reform of some sort is needed if there is
to be any hope for the future of all citizens of our country and especially
perhaps, our children.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Does a person
who sits and openly laughs at another Member of the 'House' telling of a
constituent's suicide and comforting the bereaved son really deserve their seat
in the Commons?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I believe not.
Not under <b>any</b> circumstances.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is honestly
very difficult indeed for me to write this even now, two days later.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am certainly
no emotional 'softie'. I have been called ruthless many times in my life,
possibly deservedly so, but I was very nearly in tears witnessing what I had
travelled so far to see.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time after
time, Labour politicians told heartbreaking stories of how some of their most
vulnerable constituents had been so needlessly affected by the Bedroom Tax.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On virtually
every occasion, there was derision from the Coalition MPs. When they spoke,
they constantly refused to acknowledge what they were hearing, instead arrogantly
and disrespectfully quoting party rhetoric with little regard for context.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'It is all
Labour's fault.'</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was no
acceptance of Labour Members' attempts to bring reasoned argument to this
alleged debate.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everything
that the 'Opposition' Members said was ignored or simply shouted down.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the
level that our once respected, often emulated political process has sunk to. It
is<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>extremely worrying.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let nobody,
nobody at all, of any political persuasion be in any doubt whatsoever: the
current Government do not care one iota for you. Not in the slightest.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That was
evident on Tuesday.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If they can
laugh at suicide. If they can ignore disabled people's problems. If they can
shout down evidence of broken families, of children being made homeless, of increasing
poverty, then they are unable to accept responsibility for their own actions in
implementing policies that harm. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Policies that
harm everyone. Policies that divide our society. Policies that kill. Policies
like the Bedroom Tax. Policies like Welfare Reform. Policies such as
privatising the NHS. Policies that affect every one of us.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, we <b>are</b>
all in this together. We are <b>all</b> at the mercy of these monstrous egos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After
witnessing this on Tuesday, I can promise one thing, one truth: you, whoever
you are, you are not safe. Nobody is safe from these bullying, arrogant,
self-serving excuses for politicians.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They do not
care for the British people at all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amongst all
this hatred, derision and scorn, I found myself looking again and again at a
lone figure sitting calmly on the Opposition front bench. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was Kate
Green, Labour's spokesperson for disability. She knew I was probably watching.
Someone had told her I was there. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I knew she
would mention how my family and others had been affected by Bedroom Tax in her
closing speech.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am glad I
had to leave for my train home before Kate's speech because I don't know if I
could have coped with hearing my own story being heckled and denigrated in the
same vile way so many others had been during the four hours I had sat there.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My journey
home was long. I ran out of oxygen. My mind was trying to deal with the events
I had seen that day. I got home exhausted, both physically and mentally. I am
still very tired.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday,
Kate Green emailed me. Amongst other things, she apologised for what I had
witnessed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That was the
point when I finally broke down and cried. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kate Green
knew exactly what myself and the others had experienced in that gallery. She
cared. I think she knew the effect it would have on me and those others of us
who were there. For that, I thank her on behalf of all of us.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a nation,
as a society, we <b>must</b> somehow rid ourselves of the divisions that have
been intentionally created and fostered by this Government. We <b>must</b> look
at each other with fresh eyes. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It <b>isn't</b>
Labour's fault. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We disabled
are not causing any harm. We are not draining the economy. Our carers are <b>saving</b>
the government billions of pounds each year. Yet we are blamed by them for
costing too much in benefits.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The people I
saw behaving like overgrown schoolchildren on Tuesday <b>are</b> afraid of us.
They are afraid of all of us: able and disabled alike. They need to keep us
divided and fighting between ourselves. With a united society, they have no
power.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>We</b> must
not behave like them. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>They</b>
owe us an apology.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is
something you can do to help right now: </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Please sign
the </span><a href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">WOWpetition</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111132651663342181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-55302613130544813832013-11-13T14:45:00.002+00:002013-11-14T18:40:59.273+00:00Thursday is Mass Tweet Day Sign wowpetition.com #OneMonthto100k<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Thursday 14th Nov is Mass Tweet day on </span><a class="tweet-url hashtag" href="https://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23WOWpetition" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="#WOWpetition">#WOWpetition</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">!!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To mark our four week countdown the theme will be "One Month to 100k"</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So please join us to mark this momentous occasion by tweeting including :-</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a class="tweet-url hashtag" href="https://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23OneMonthto100k" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="#OneMonthto100k">#OneMonthto100k</a> and the link <a href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a> - use <a class="tweet-url hashtag" href="https://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23WOWpetition" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="#WOWpetition">#WOWpetition</a> only if you have room. Tweet any message you choose.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Times for the MT are 9 - 10am 12 - 1pm and <b>7 - 8pm</b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please join us to make this, what might be our last MT, a memorable one!</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tomorrow is the start of the week 4 countdown so <b><a class="tweet-url hashtag" href="https://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23WOW4" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="#WOW4">#WOW4</a> </b>replaces <a class="tweet-url hashtag" href="https://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23WOW5" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="#WOW5">#WOW5</a></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you……</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; line-height: normal;">- <u>Include the #OneMonthto100k hashtag in EVERY tweet you send</u>. We've got #WOWpetition trending lots of time in the past, but this one will be more likely to make members of the public curious if they see it on the trending list. Therefore, it will also be important to <u>include the link to the petition site</u> -<u><a href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154">http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a></u> - so people can simply click on it to sign. </span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Sign and Share</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span><a href="http://wowpetition.com/" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">http://wowpetition.com</a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span><a class="tweet-url hashtag" href="https://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23OneMonthto100k" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="#OneMonthto100k">#OneMonthto100k</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Example Tweets:-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FINAL COUNTDOWN: One month to go; 20,000 signatures needed for sick & disabled people. Can we do it?<a class="" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a> <a class="" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23OneMonthto100k"><s>#</s>OneMonthto100k</a><br /><br />Over 80,000 people have already said "No!" to govt disability policy. Now we only have <a class="" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23OneMonthto100k"><s>#</s>OneMonthto100k</a> Sign here! <a class="" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a><br /><br />One month. 20,000 signatures needed in support of sick & disabled people. Let's get to 100,000! <a class="" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a> <a class="" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23OneMonthto100k"><s>#</s>OneMonthto100k</a><br /><br />Just one month left for 100,000 people to say "No!" to unjust disability benefit changes: <a class="" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a> <a class="" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23OneMonthto100k"><s>#</s>OneMonthto100k</a><a class="" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154"></a><br /><br />Sick & disabled people need 100,000 signatures against unjust cuts. One month & 20k to go! PLS sign: <a class="" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a> <a class="" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23OneMonthto100k"><s>#</s>OneMonthto100k</a><br /><br />UK govt cuts mean £2bn is being taken out of care budgets by local authorities! To say "No! sign: <a class="" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a> #OneMonthto100k<br /><br />Govt chose to raise some disability benefits less than inflation, while prices keep going up. Sign: <a class="" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a> <a class="" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23OneMonthto100k"><s>#</s>OneMonthto100k</a><br /><br />78% of disabled people said their health had got worse as a result of the stress caused by unjust ‘fitness to work’ tests. #OneMonthto100k<br /><br />Half a million people are expected to lose out on vital support as the Government scraps Disability Living Allowance (DLA). #OneMonthto100k<br /><br />87% of welfare advisors say the frequency of disability benefit reassessments has a negative impact on people's health. <a class="" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23OneMonthto100k"><s>#</s>OneMonthto100k</a><br /><br />450,000 disabled people could lose out under new Universal Credit. Many disabled people will get significantly less help. #OneMonthto100k<br /><br />84% of disabled ppl say losing DLA would isolate them & leave them struggling to manage their health: <a class="" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a> <a class="" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23OneMonthto100k"><s>#</s>OneMonthto100k</a><br /><br />9 in 10 disabled people fear losing Disability Living Allowance would hit their health. Say "No!": <a class="" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a> <a class="" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23OneMonthto100k"><s>#</s>OneMonthto100k</a><br /><br />65% of disabled people in work stated that they would no longer be able to work without DLA. Sign: <a class="" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a> #OneMonthto100k<br /><br />Three in ten disabled people say that without DLA their carer would no longer be able to work. Sign: <a class="" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a> <a class="" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23OneMonthto100k"><s>#</s>OneMonthto100k</a><br /><br />75% disabled ppl say losing DLA wld leave them needing more social care support from local councils. <a class="" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a> <a class="" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23OneMonthto100k"><s>#</s>OneMonthto100k</a><br /><br />At least 39 in 40 people losing out on govt's new disability benefit = genuine & medically assessed! <a class="" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a> <a class="" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23OneMonthto100k"><s>#</s>OneMonthto100k</a><br /><br />Government statistics show 0.3% fraud for incapacity benefits - yet they're cutting DLA by *20%*!! <a class="" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a> <a class="" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23OneMonthto100k"><s>#</s>OneMonthto100k</a><br /><br />Government figures show that their own mistakes cost more than disability benefit fraud! <a class="" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a> #OneMonthto100k<br /><br />Figures show that disabled people are twice as likely to live in poverty as other UK citizens. Sign: <a class="" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a> <a class="" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23OneMonthto100k"><s>#</s>OneMonthto100k</a><br /><br />Figures show over half of disabled people in the UK could be living in poverty. <a class="" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a> #OneMonthto100k<br /><br />UK govt cuts mean disability benefit claimants will be up to £9bn worse off between 2010 and 2015. <a class="" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a> <a class="" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23OneMonthto100k"><s>#</s>OneMonthto100k</a><br /><br />The govt are cutting disability benefits by *40x* the amount of fraud! To say "No!", sign: <a class="" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a> #OneMonthto100k</span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111132651663342181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-34270710439095519512013-11-11T09:30:00.000+00:002013-11-11T21:21:53.194+00:00Tweet LibDem & Tory MP's to End #BedroomTax<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;">Please tweet LibDem & Tory MP's ahead of Tuesday's bedroom tax debate using Paul's open letter & any other powers of persuasion you have at your disposal! We have information that privately many coalition politicians are despairing at the disaster that is bedroom tax. So persuade them to do the right thing.<br /><br /><a href="http://wowpetition.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/open-letter-from-paul-rutherford-to-mps.html">http://wowpetition.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/open-letter-from-paul-rutherford-to-mps.html</a><br /> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;">Lists of LibDem & Tory Mp's on Twitter:-<br /><a href="https://twitter.com/tweetminster/libdems/members">https://twitter.com/tweetminster/libdems/members</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/tweetminster/conservatives/members">https://twitter.com/tweetminster/conservatives/members</a></span>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Open Letter From Paul Rutherford On The 'Bedroom Tax' Debate</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
Dear Members
of Parliament,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
I'm sorry I
feel that I must write this today, but watching what is happening in this
country makes me despair. It makes me upset and it absolutely appals me. And I
am by no means alone in feeling this way.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
What is
happening to our society when ordinary people are being used as political pawns
in what seems to be a 'rich man's game' over which they have absolutely no
control?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
Of paramount
importance in the coming week, on Tuesday 12<sup>th</sup> November, is Labour's
Opposition Day Debate: 'Abolition of the Bedroom Tax'.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
The 'Bedroom
Tax' [as popularly known], may have begun as an idea by which it was thought
some Social Housing could be freed up in order to positively affect
'overcrowding'. The very same idea was mooted by Margaret Thatcher's government
back in the 1980s but dismissed as not only unworkable but also potentially
politically damaging.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
The 'Bedroom
Tax' is causing so much worry, misery and hardship among many thousands of
those affected. It has also directly contributed to suicide.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
The 'Bedroom
Tax' has without doubt hurt many of your own Constituents. I am sure that you
have heard personal examples of the absolute unfairness of this policy at your
own surgeries.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
On a personal
level, my family's 'Bedroom Tax' experience has been one of struggle and fear. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
My wife and I
care for one of her grandchildren, Warren Todd, who has profound and multiple
disabilities, requiring 24 hour care and supervision. We live in a
purpose-built, heavily adapted bungalow. Over £20,000 worth of further
adaptations were added in September, thanks to a Welsh Assembly grant. We have
carers to help with Warren and despite needing a room for them to sleep in and
to store his equipment, we are considered to be underoccupying.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
You can watch
a short film made by the BBC about our case here:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/egaGcgQ37qM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
After a long
battle and a series of appeals, we were finally granted a Discretionary Housing
Payment to cover the Housing Benefit we have lost: for a year.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
To many, £14 a
week may seem like a pittance. To us it is a lot. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
What perhaps
staggers us most, is that there is absolutely no recognition by the government
that we actually save the Public Purse a minimum of £250,000 a year by caring for
Warren. We don't seek praise, just help in difficult circumstances.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
The amount
effectively saved by kinship carers such as ourselves is assessed by some
charities as well over a billion pounds a year. Carers need real understanding,
compassion and help from those in power so that they can continue to help save
the government such a huge amount of money.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
Why then are
people such as us, the chronically sick, the disabled and their carers forced
into ever more penury by the imposition of 'Bedroom Tax' and indeed, other
changes to Social Security?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
There are plenty of 'fit' people adversely and unfairly
affected by the 'Bedroom Tax' as well, and I hope they have been represented
elsewhere.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
What is so
morally wrong with requiring space to store often bulky medical and other
disability-related equipment that the government sees fit to penalise people
for it?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
What is so
morally wrong with making sure that the vulnerable are looked after properly in
a fair society?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
How is it
possible that people who are elected to serve their constituents are prepared
to allow the most vulnerable and needy of them to be treated in such an
inhumane way?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
We see the
government fighting to protect bankers' huge bonuses and arguing to keep meal
allowances while simultaneously reducing social security for those most
vulnerable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
That is not
demonstrative of austerity in action. Politicians ought to be seen as role
models, as caring individuals who put the people of this country first. That,
unfortunately does not appear to be the case for many.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
To me, it
seems that the rich and comfortable are motivated by bonuses but the poor and
vulnerable are expected to be motivated by sanctions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
I find this so
very hard to understand.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
I would,
therefore, respectfully ask you to consider the real human impact of the
'Bedroom Tax'. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
I ask you to
consider fully what you, as an individual, ought to be doing to truly help
those who truly need your help, but in many cases, do not know where to turn.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
This single
issue is perhaps now one on which the next Parliament will be decided. To vote
in support of the 'Bedroom Tax' will be seen by millions as a vote against the
welfare and dignity of this country's most vulnerable people.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
Please vote to
repeal this legislation before it is too late.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
Stand up for
the vulnerable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
Thank you.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
Paul
Rutherford</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
Film of our
story from BBC1's 'Saints and Scroungers' [30/10/2013] is here:<br />
<a href="http://t.co/VBAV57vMLV" style="line-height: 150%;">http://t.co/VBAV57vMLV</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
Details of our
legal challenge may be seen here:<br />
<a href="http://cpag.org.uk/content/bedroom-tax-rutherford" style="line-height: 150%;">http://cpag.org.uk/content/bedroom-tax-rutherford</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
A recent Daily
Mirror article [6/11/2013] is here:<br />
<a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bedroom-tax-discriminates-against-disabled-2679229" style="line-height: 150%;">http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bedroom-tax-discriminates-against-disabled-2679229</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111132651663342181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-2221511108992986342013-11-09T17:35:00.001+00:002013-11-09T18:35:03.139+00:00Open Letter From Paul Rutherford to MP's On Bedroom Tax Vote<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The 'Bedroom Tax' Debate</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
Dear Members
of Parliament,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
I'm sorry I
feel that I must write this today, but watching what is happening in this
country makes me despair. It makes me upset and it absolutely appals me. And I
am by no means alone in feeling this way.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
What is
happening to our society when ordinary people are being used as political pawns
in what seems to be a 'rich man's game' over which they have absolutely no
control?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
Of paramount
importance in the coming week, on Tuesday 12<sup>th</sup> November, is Labour's
Opposition Day Debate: 'Abolition of the Bedroom Tax'.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
The 'Bedroom
Tax' [as popularly known], may have begun as an idea by which it was thought
some Social Housing could be freed up in order to positively affect
'overcrowding'. The very same idea was mooted by Margaret Thatcher's government
back in the 1980s but dismissed as not only unworkable but also potentially
politically damaging.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
The 'Bedroom
Tax' is causing so much worry, misery and hardship among many thousands of
those affected. It has also directly contributed to suicide.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
The 'Bedroom
Tax' has without doubt hurt many of your own Constituents. I am sure that you
have heard personal examples of the absolute unfairness of this policy at your
own surgeries.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
On a personal
level, my family's 'Bedroom Tax' experience has been one of struggle and fear. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
My wife and I
care for one of her grandchildren, Warren Todd, who has profound and multiple
disabilities, requiring 24 hour care and supervision. We live in a
purpose-built, heavily adapted bungalow. Over £20,000 worth of further
adaptations were added in September, thanks to a Welsh Assembly grant. We have
carers to help with Warren and despite needing a room for them to sleep in and
to store his equipment, we are considered to be underoccupying.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
You can watch
a short film made by the BBC about our case here:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/egaGcgQ37qM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
After a long
battle and a series of appeals, we were finally granted a Discretionary Housing
Payment to cover the Housing Benefit we have lost: for a year.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
To many, £14 a
week may seem like a pittance. To us it is a lot. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
What perhaps
staggers us most, is that there is absolutely no recognition by the government
that we actually save the Public Purse a minimum of £250,000 a year by caring for
Warren. We don't seek praise, just help in difficult circumstances.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
The amount
effectively saved by kinship carers such as ourselves is assessed by some
charities as well over a billion pounds a year. Carers need real understanding,
compassion and help from those in power so that they can continue to help save
the government such a huge amount of money.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
Why then are
people such as us, the chronically sick, the disabled and their carers forced
into ever more penury by the imposition of 'Bedroom Tax' and indeed, other
changes to Social Security?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
There are plenty of 'fit' people adversely and unfairly
affected by the 'Bedroom Tax' as well, and I hope they have been represented
elsewhere.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
What is so
morally wrong with requiring space to store often bulky medical and other
disability-related equipment that the government sees fit to penalise people
for it?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
What is so
morally wrong with making sure that the vulnerable are looked after properly in
a fair society?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
How is it
possible that people who are elected to serve their constituents are prepared
to allow the most vulnerable and needy of them to be treated in such an
inhumane way?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
We see the
government fighting to protect bankers' huge bonuses and arguing to keep meal
allowances while simultaneously reducing social security for those most
vulnerable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
That is not
demonstrative of austerity in action. Politicians ought to be seen as role
models, as caring individuals who put the people of this country first. That,
unfortunately does not appear to be the case for many.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
To me, it
seems that the rich and comfortable are motivated by bonuses but the poor and
vulnerable are expected to be motivated by sanctions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
I find this so
very hard to understand.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
I would,
therefore, respectfully ask you to consider the real human impact of the
'Bedroom Tax'. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
I ask you to
consider fully what you, as an individual, ought to be doing to truly help
those who truly need your help, but in many cases, do not know where to turn.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
This single
issue is perhaps now one on which the next Parliament will be decided. To vote
in support of the 'Bedroom Tax' will be seen by millions as a vote against the
welfare and dignity of this country's most vulnerable people.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
Please vote to
repeal this legislation before it is too late.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
Stand up for
the vulnerable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
Thank you.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
Paul
Rutherford</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
Film of our
story from BBC1's 'Saints and Scroungers' [30/10/2013] is here:<br />
<a href="http://t.co/VBAV57vMLV" style="line-height: 150%;">http://t.co/VBAV57vMLV</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
Details of our
legal challenge may be seen here:<br />
<a href="http://cpag.org.uk/content/bedroom-tax-rutherford" style="line-height: 150%;">http://cpag.org.uk/content/bedroom-tax-rutherford</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 5.65pt;">
A recent Daily
Mirror article [6/11/2013] is here:<br />
<a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bedroom-tax-discriminates-against-disabled-2679229" style="line-height: 150%;">http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bedroom-tax-discriminates-against-disabled-2679229</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111132651663342181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-11355682875114339692013-11-08T13:23:00.002+00:002013-11-08T13:26:15.892+00:00Kenny's Review of the PIP AssessmentWOW Campaigner <a href="https://twitter.com/kennyblong">Kenny Blong</a> underwent a PIP Assessment recently, this is his review of what it was like:-<br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">
This week I had my assessment for PIP, and as there isn't really much information available about what exactly goes on in the assessment, I thought i would write up a brief review to help others who are expecting an assessment in the future.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; min-height: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">
First thing you need to know, is that this assessment is not like the Work Capability Assessment for Employment and Support Allowance. This assessment is not directed around work or work limitations, this is basically to see how your disability affects you on a day-to-day basis, taking into account both your "good days" and your "bad days".</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; min-height: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">
PIP is made of two parts, the Daily Living component and the Mobility component. We'll start with the Mobility component as its the shortest part of the assessment; This part is basically describing what your mobility limitations are, if you have any. This includes walking (not mobilising as it is in ESA assessments). Now the assessor for me, very rarely used the word "pain" when asking her questions, but I advise that you do. Describe how long you can walk, stand etc, before you start to experience pain and emphasise exactly how much pain you often experience doing these activities.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; min-height: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">
This then brings me on to the Daily Living component, which takes up the bigger portion of the assessment. Your assessor will ask questions on topics such as:</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; min-height: 16px;">
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>can you cook a meal or do you need help;</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>can you bathe/shower yourself or do you need help with it;</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>can you go out on your own or do you need someone to go with you;</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>can you dress yourself or do you need assistance from someone;</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>can you take your medication or do you need prompting or help from someone.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; min-height: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">
When answering these questions, always describe what assistance you need on both your good days and your bad days, whether you are asked to or not. That way, the assessor knows if you do need help, just maybe not all the time (e.g if you have a fluctuating medical condition)</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; min-height: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">
You may be asked about any aids or adaptations you may have and use in your home. You need to describe these in detail and exactly how beneficial these are to you. If you are not asked about them, remember to include them in the above topics.</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; min-height: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">
If you are on strong medication that causes side effects, make sure that these are brought up with your assessor, along with how they can affect you. If you need extra assistance from someone because of these side effects, make sure you explain this to your assessor.</div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">
All in all, the assessment will go on for about an hour, so there is plenty of time to make sure everything is included, so do not rush! I wish you all luck with your assessments and I hope you all get the assistance that you deserve and are entitled to.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111132651663342181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-29285482404559677672013-11-04T00:18:00.001+00:002013-11-04T00:23:07.375+00:00In Actual Fact Counter Propaganda This Week <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Two events coming up - we need you!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Event 1: [<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/594622547262022/?ref=22">Join the Facebook Event Page</a>] Tuesday 5 November is the People’s Assembly national day of action against austerity, tweeting on </span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/burnausterity" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">#burnausterity</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">. Alongside the many events of the day, we want to raise awareness of In Actual Fact and enourage people to use it to back their anti-austerity campaigns.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">We’d love you to tweet on and off throughout that day from the In Actual Fact site, adding the #burnausterity hashtag at t</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; line-height: 18px;">he end of tweets (you might have to modify some tweets to squeeze it into the character limit).<br /><br />Please also send out more general tweets, including the #burnausterity hashtag and directing people to In Actual Fact: the counter-propaganda site, giving actual facts about benefits and public services cuts.<br /><br />Event 2: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/199215220262475/?ref=22"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">[</span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Join the Facebook Event Page</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">] </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">Wednesday 6 November 9.00pm, BBC will broadcast ‘Britain on the Fiddle’ (</span><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03hhvsr" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03hhvsr</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">) (the first in a series of three). This is a chance to show In Actual Fact working to counter propaganda. We need you to join us, mass-tweeting on the </span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/britainonthefiddle" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">#britainonthefiddle</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"> hashtag (you might have to modify some tweets to squeeze it into the character limit).</span></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />We’ll be tweeting throughout the hour of the programme and for the hour after, answering every single lie with relevant tweets from the IAF site. We’re also planning to use tweets to respond directly to misinformation and bile put out by other people on the #britainonthefiddle thread.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; line-height: 18px;">And of course direct people to sign <a href="http://wowpetition.com/">WOWpetition.com</a>!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; line-height: 18px;">Mass Tweet Tips:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; line-height: 18px;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">1. Go to </span><a href="http://inactualfact.org.uk/facts/" style="color: #591954; line-height: 21px; text-decoration: none;">http://inactualfact.org.uk/facts/</a><br style="line-height: 21px;" /><br style="line-height: 21px;" /><span style="line-height: 21px;">2. Have a look around and find a fact you want to share.</span><br style="line-height: 21px;" /><br style="line-height: 21px;" /><span style="line-height: 21px;">3. Click on the share twitter symbol.</span><br style="line-height: 21px;" /><br style="line-height: 21px;" /><span style="line-height: 21px;">4. Review & click 'Tweet'</span><br style="line-height: 21px;" /><br style="line-height: 21px;" /><span style="line-height: 21px;">5. Repeat!</span><br style="line-height: 21px;" /><br style="line-height: 21px;" /><span style="line-height: 21px;">6. If you want to, submit your own facts together with their source by clicking Submit Fact on the bottom bar or going to </span><a href="http://inactualfact.org.uk/submit-fact/" style="color: #591954; line-height: 21px; text-decoration: none;">http://inactualfact.org.uk/submit-fact/</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
NB. Retweets DO NOT COUNT towards #hashtag trends! So if you want to RT anything, it would be so helpful if you could copy the text into a new tweet and add 'RT' to the front. Thank you so much for your support.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111132651663342181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-45144323355028796482013-11-02T13:03:00.001+00:002013-11-02T13:03:35.583+00:00Disability Doesn't DiscriminateHow often have I said "Disability doesn't discriminate"?<br />
<br />
Some of you know I have been terribly upset and worried this week
because my sister has been unwell and in hospital. Thank you for your
support through this, frankly it's been awful and without my family,
friends and "virtual" friends I don't know how I'd have coped. We've
been waiting for the diagnosis, it's come.<br />
<br />
Let me start at the beginning.<br />
<br />
My sister is healthy, has decided to take early retirement from the DWP
(yes, stop booing) because of the tremendous stress she is under. So
with just one year to go she decided to bring to an end nearly 30 years
of work for the DWP. My sister was really looking forward to finishing
because she has a new grandson,her first, just 8 weeks old. My sister
already has a swimming session booked in with him, has changed her car
to accommodate all the paraphernalia that goes with having a baby these
days. My sister was looking forward to the retirement she and her
husband have worked hard for. The round Europe in a camper van type
holiday. The round the world trip etc etc.<br />
<br />
So. My sister was getting ready to board a plane for Vietnam on
Wedsnesday. She "fell" - she cracked her head open and has four staples
in it. She started to "fit" - she had eight "episodes" in an hour and
continued to have episodes every hour or so, she still is. I knew
immediately from what she said that it was Epilepsy, however the
hospital have done many, many tests - a lumber puncture, taken bloods,
monitored her for 24 hours, a CT scan etc etc (thank god for our NHS),
all this time she has been losing consciousness, at one time the crash
team were called and my brother in law stood by thinking he was about
to lose his wife. Finally today at 6pm, the consultant came, finally
today the diagnosis came...."you have epilepsy". Let me tell you being
at the receiving end of that statement is horrendous. The clock stops.
Time stops. Then it hits you. The enormity of that diagnosis. <br />
The enormity for my sister. She won't be able to drive her new car to
pick up her new grandson. She won't be able to go swimming with him (on
her own), she won't be able to ride her scooter round Europe..... the
ramifications are enormous.<br />
<br />
So. My oft spoken and written words "disability doesn't discriminate"
are proven true again. It didn't discriminate against me, it didn't
discriminate against my sister.<br />
<br />
What if it doesn't discriminate against you? What if your comfortable
lifestyle is all of a sudden hit by disability? Maybe you'll realise
then that you should have signed <a href="http://wowpetition.com/" rel="nofollow">http://wowpetition.com</a> ......<br />
<br />
I'm not writing this to make mileage from my sister, or to make a
dramatic difference to the signatures, I'm writing this to show you it
happens, it really does happen. There are four of us, four siblings. Two
have diabetes, two have epilepsy. What are the odds of that happening?<br />
<br />
Please protect your future and the futures of those you love, sh*t
happens - believe me, it does, and when the sh*t hits the fan wouldn't
you like to think the state will be there to provide for you? Think
again!!<br />
<br />
Please sign & share <a href="http://wowpetition.com/" rel="nofollow">http://wowpetition.com</a> NOW, TODAY!<br />
<br />
There are just 40 days till the petition closes. 40 days for us to make a fairer, better, safer future for all of us.<br />
<br />
My sister is aware I am writing this and fully supports me with all I
and all the WOW team, followers and supporters are doing to make WOW petition
a success. In fact just two weeks ago, to help me in my "traipsing"
around the country for WOW, trying to raise awareness and signatures, my
sister drove me to Bangor so I could help @<a class="tweet-url username" data-screen-name="TenPercent" href="https://twitter.com/TenPercent" rel="nofollow">TenPercent</a>. Most of my family have met Rick. All my family support WOW petition. All of my family know the urgency to succeed and the need/importance to sign <a href="http://wowpetition.com/" rel="nofollow">http://wowpetition.com</a> ......because all of my family know DISABILITY DOESN'T DISCRIMINATE.......<br />
<br />
Written and reproduced with permission from Jane <a href="https://twitter.com/WOWpetitionchat" target="_blank">@WOWpetitionchat </a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-19502826097724471702013-10-18T16:12:00.000+01:002013-10-18T16:12:33.080+01:00Lost by Penny Mead<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Lost</u> </span></b><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">by <a href="http://pennymead.blogspot.co.uk/">Penny Mead</a></span></b></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I feel lost.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Does that sound strange? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It does even to me but after a few weeks of wondering how I felt and why I felt this way I have decided the primary feeling is one of being lost.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So why do I feel this way? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You may ask, or you may not but I am going to try to explain it anyway.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many of you will know that the DWP and their partners in crime ATOS awarded me my ESA support group a few weeks back and have promised to leave me alone now until 2016.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A time for celebration? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A huge relief?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An easing of the stress?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes yes and yes, all of these things but more, an underlying unsettled feeling too, a niggling not quite right feeling, not unhappy by any means but not quite happy either.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why do I still have the dread? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because others are still going through the trauma</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Others are still facing an uncertain future</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Others are still dying whilst awaiting an appeal</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I am no saint, I can be as selfish as the next person I'm sure,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I can feel smug because the fight for me for the moment is over.......</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NO, no you see I can't and there is the source of my discontent, my restlessness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I tried to ignore the stories, the articles, the tweets, I stayed off twitter and Facebook, I wanted to bask in the relief that it was no longer desperate in my own situation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I covered my ears and my eyes, sang over the cries of others and walked away from 'the troubles'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At least I attempted to but you see that is not me, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">it is not who I am or how I think, feel or behave.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My own health took a turn for the worse with the arrival of ear infections that just wouldn't respond to treatment, this in turn led to the withdrawal of funding for the new medication I was supposed to be trying to slow progression of this disease down.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This then meant trips to the doctors practically weekly for the past few months and I tried really hard to concentrate just on that for the moment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It wasn't being selfish to look towards my own health and my needs during this time was it?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NO, no of course it wasn't and yet still this unsettled feeling persisted.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gradually I allowed the reports to filter back in to my consciousness,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gradually I heard again the cries of others fighting for their benefits and their lives.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gradually I saw again the pictures of those that meant sick/disabled harm.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And gradually I again felt the rage, the fear, the hopelessness and the fight return.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You see I can't be all cosy and smug in my safe little world while many many others are in fear, in pain and dying at the hands of this cruel government.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't smile and pretend all is well with me while friends are going through the stress I went through.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't turn my back and walk away not even for a while</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's not me, it's not in my heart to ignore the battle being faced by others.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every time I see/hear the latest figures, the latest fiction put out by this government I am consumed with anger. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every time I talk to someone going through this unfair system I am consumed with grief for them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every death touches me</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every wrong decision enrages me</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every lie told infuriates me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How can I sit back and not feel, not do, not fight and not care?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How can I celebrate my small victory when so many others are still fighting?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Simple......I can't</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not because I am some sort of activist, not because I enjoy the fight, not because I want attention or any back patting etc....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because I am human and I care</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you? </span><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111132651663342181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-55311826877362929052013-10-10T18:16:00.000+01:002013-10-10T18:16:20.450+01:00Yes, I have a mental health disorder. No, that doesn't mean I'm crazy.<br />
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">
Following a car crash 21 years ago I have severe cognitive impairments, including ‘behavioural episodes’ and a slight limp. Yesterday I would have said my mental health was fine.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px;">
What is ‘Mental Health’? A definition may include:</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 12px;">
‘An <i>individual's ability to enjoy life, and create a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience.’</i></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 12px;">
How is my mental health? Answer: Sub- optimal!</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 12px;">
Do I enjoy life? I enjoy aspects of it, specifically my family and some tasks I do, but big picture? I feel that I no longer fit in. Is fitting in important? If you don’t fit in you either don’t get the job or you don’t keep it for long! I have worked since my accident. I have flown to the top, but I got to the level where I couldn’t disguise that I didn’t fit in! Then there’s always an excuse for why your job has gone!</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 12px;">
But you have your family? Yes, I do. </div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 12px;">
Imagine<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12px;"> </span>how it feels to lose your temper at the drop of a hat over something totally unimportant. Your overwhelming guilt whilst you can still remember the incident. The incredulity of your family 10 minutes later when you are acting normally and asking them what’s wrong, because you have forgotten about it.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 12px;">
Have I achieved psychological resilience, which is a measure of an individual's tendency to cope with stress and adversity? This coping may result in the individual ‘bouncing back’ to a previous state of normal functioning, or simply not showing negative effects. My impairments can cause me to lose my temper quickly, but because of my cognitive memory impairment I forget and ‘bounce back’.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 12px;">
The answer therefore is ‘Yes’ and ‘No’!</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 12px;">
Mental health is a relative concept. The parameters for being ‘normal’ are defined by society and anyone who doesn’t fit in is different. Autistic people, brain injury survivors and many others are different so how is their mental health measured?</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 12px;">
My brain no longer works in the way it used to. I no longer fit in. I am condemned to a life of either being labelled strange behind my back or having to explain my disability and the effects it has to anybody I interact with.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 12px;">
I personally believe many people are being purged from both employment and society because they’re not ‘normal’.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 12px;">
As actress/comedienne Francesca Martinez says, “What the hell is normal?”</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 12px;">
I am as good as you.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 12px;">
<b>About the writer</b></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 12px;">
Ian Jones is a Head Injured, Chartered Management Accountant who, following a Road Traffic Accident in 1991 (they were still called RTAs then!), made a ‘remarkable’ recovery from a very severe head injury, ending up 16 years later as Chief Financial Officer of a billion dollar leasing business until they twigged he was different! He was involved with the WOW Petition from before the start of it (when it wasn’t even called the WOW Petition!), because he felt he needed to start shouting about what is being done to disabled people in the name of fairness.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 12px;">
Being head injured, he doesn’t feel he belongs anywhere. He is not really either physically or mentally disabled in most peoples’ judgment. He would love to fit into the category Francesca Martinez, WOW Petition’s Celebrity spokesperson, puts herself into, ‘wobbly’. However, as he is<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 12px;"> </span>much more and much less than that, he fits into a special category simply called ‘weird’. Rather than being angry he is disabled, he is angry that a lot of charities for disabled people are useless and are not fighting to the death against Welfare Reform (When did Social Security become Welfare?). This only leaves activists like WOW Petition to fight to the death (but that would be just what this Government wants!).</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 12px;">
The WOW Petition is not exclusive (anybody can become disabled!), it is not a clique and anybody can join in and do what they can to help. We are not experts, but talented amateurs fighting for something we passionately believe in. In fact, we are all invested in this fight because too many disabled people appear to have no place in the society this Government is so keen to build. We HAVE to reengineer that model and make it fair!</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 12px;">
If you want to help, or even understand why we are not benefit scroungers, or understand why to many of us, getting out of bed, getting dressed and going out of the house defines us as the ultimate ‘strivers’, then go to our website www.wowpetition.com read about us, sign the Government e-petition and tell your friends.</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 12px;">
Ian’s blog, <b>‘Diary of an Unemployed Head Injured DDT’</b> is at <a href="http://edwinmandella.blogspot.co.uk/">http://edwinmandella.blogspot.co.uk</a> and he can be found on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/edwinmandella">@edwinmandella</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111132651663342181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-78901701172033867072013-10-10T06:36:00.000+01:002013-10-10T06:36:32.177+01:00The Unspoken Illness - We Need to Talk About Mental Health Each year on the 10th October organisations and charities from around the globe take part in World Mental Health Day to raise awareness of mental health issues.<br />
<br />
WoW Petition will be joining the discussion. You can follow us on twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/WOWpetition" target="_blank">@WOWpetition</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/WOWpetitionchat" target="_blank">@WOWpetitionchat</a> and on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WoWpetition?hc_location=stream" target="_blank">facebook</a><br />
<br />
We urge you to sign<br />
<a href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154" target="_blank">http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154</a><br />
to demand that no one with a mental illness should suffer hardship and distress as a result of welfare reforms. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154" target="_blank">WoW Petition</a> <b>calls for an independent, committee-based inquiry into welfare reform including "universal mental health treatments.</b>" What does this mean? The answer is simple. We believe that no one experiencing a mental health condition, illness or mental distress should be denied access to the support, care and treatment that they deserve and need. <br />
<br />
Mental health problems are widespread in the UK: <br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Mental illness accounts for half of all illness in the under 65s. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>According to the World Health Organisation, one in four of us will have a mental illness at some point in our lifetime.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>One in six people are currently affected by a mental illness.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>6,000,000 people have depression or crippling anxiety conditions.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>700,000 children have problem behaviours, anxiety or depression.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>One third of all families include someone who is currently mentally ill.</li>
</ul>
<br />
The human impact of mental illness :<br />
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<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>Suicide is the most common cause of death in men up to the age of 35.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Around 4,400 people end their own lives in England each year. That's one death every two hours. At least 10 times that number attempt suicide. Around 90% of suicide victims suffer from a psychiatric disorder at the time of their death.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Mental illness has the same effect on life-expectancy as smoking, and more than obesity.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Mental illness is generally more debilitating than most chronic physical conditions. On average, a person with depression is at least 50% more disabled than someone with angina, arthritis, asthma or diabetes. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Mental pain is as real as physical pain, and it is often more severe. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The UK has one of the highest rates of self harm in Europe at 400 per 100,000 population. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>People with serious mental illnesses die on average 20 years earlier than the rest of the population.</li>
</ul>
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</div>
<br />
Neglecting mental health blights millions of lives, and yet, despite the huge cost to the economy and our society, <b>three-quarters of people with common mental heath conditions are not receiving any treatment, therapy or support</b>. <br />
<br />
Lack of funding and cuts:<br />
<br />
For the first time in a decade there has been a cut in the total spending on mental health with a reduction of £150 million, including cuts in crisis services and out-reach programmes. This at a time of austerity when cuts to the welfare system further compound mental health problems. In many parts of the country, crisis care teams are under-resourced, understaffed and overstretched.<br />
<br />
<i>Mind chief executive Paul Farmer. "The current economic climate,
unemployment and benefits cuts are likely to be having an impact, but we
know too that people in a mental health crisis aren't always getting
the help and support they need from the services there to support them."</i><br />
<br />
<i>"Good services can make a huge difference to whether someone recovers
from a mental health crisis, yet we often hear from people who have
been turned away because they 'aren't suicidal enough' or who have been
made to wait for hours to be assessed and offered help." </i><br />
<br />
<i>
</i><i>"When people in crisis don't get the help they need, the consequences can be catastrophic."</i><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>In 2012 the number of suicides among mental health patients rose from 1,175 to 1,333. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Suicides are three times higher among unemployed people.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<a href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154" target="_blank">WoW Petition</a> <b>calls for an Independent, Committee-Based Inquiry into Welfare Reform, covering "excess claimant deaths</b>".<br />
<br />
We don't know how many people with mental illness have died after
being judged fit-to-work following a work capability
assessment or were appealing a fit-to-work decision because the
Department of Work and Pensions say that they don't hold this
information. As stories of suicides and deaths linked to the assessment
appear in the media we can be sure that people have died as a
consequence. The tick-box assessment is completely inadequate in recognising the many difficulties and limitations endured by mentally ill people. The stress and fear surrounding the assessment can be unbearable for many, making symptoms much worse. Medical evidence is disregarded and failure to collect supportive documentation at the start of the process means that people with learning disabilities, autism and psychotic illness especially, are discriminated against by the system. The High Court has ruled that the assessment for employment and support allowance breaches equalities laws but the government are appealing this judgement.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154" target="_blank">WoW Petition</a> <b>calls for an immediate end to the Work Capability Assessment as voted for by the BMA & RCN</b>. <br />
<br />
Mental health services are not regarded as a priority. The government have given local NHS service commissioners £400 million to complete the roll out of improving access to psychological therapies. By 2014 the programme should have been treating 900,000 people suffering with anxiety and depression but the budgets have not always been used for their intended purpose. 50% of these people receiving treatment would be expected to recover. Mental illness can make existing physical illness worse and it can cause physical symptoms. Physical healthcare caused by mental illness costs the NHS at least £10 billion. Not only does therapy help recovery and improves quality of life but economically it would be cost-effective to invest more on psychological therapies now saving on costs for other health services later.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Despite the widespread prevalence of mental illness within the UK, mental health services only receive 13% of NHS health expenditure.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Anxiety conditions such as social phobia, agoraphobia, PTSD, OCD, panic disorder and generalised anxiety account for half of mental illness. They can be debilitating and disabling and if not treated they frequently become lifelong. Recovery is made much more difficult the longer these conditions are left to persist untreated. There is no right to therapies within the NHS which NICE recommend as an effictive form of treatment for such conditions.<br />
<br />
People are often afraid to admit they have a problem due to the stigma attached with having a mental illness and do not seek help when symptoms first appear. They need to get help as soon as possible to prevent their symptoms from escalating to crisis point but when they go to see their GP they may not get the referral to the local mental health services that they require.<br />
<br />
GPs themselves are often not adequately trained in mental illness and the patient comes away with nothing more than a prescription. There can be very long waiting times for psychological and talking therapies and counselling and sometimes no local services to help at all.<br />
<br />
Mind Charity revealed that one in five people had been waiting over a year to receive treatment and one in ten over two years. They say: <br />
<br />
<i>"Waiting times can have a devastating impact on a person's life. They can exacerbate mental illness and cause relationships to break down, jobs to be lost, people to be isolated and, in extreme cases, lead to suicide attempts. But far too many people are still waiting far too long to receive treatment.</i>"<br />
<br />
Employment:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Mental illness accounts for nearly half of all people on sickness benefits.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>People with severe mental health problems have a lower employment rate than any other disabled group and yet they are more likely to want to work. 90% say they'd like to have employment compared to people with 52% of disabled people generally. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>However, only 21% of people with a disabling mental health condition are in paid employment compared with 47% of all people with other disabilities. This is even less for people with a severe mental illness. Just 9% are working full time and 19% part-time.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li> 70% of those with a common mental disorder who are unemployed and
seeking work and have been unemployed for over a year or more are
unlikely to return to work.</li>
</ul>
<br />
People with mental illness judged unfit to work in the short to medium term have not been excluded from the Work Programme. The scheme is mandatory and failure to participate can lead to mentally ill people being stripped of their benefits.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>93% of disabled people put onto the Work Programme are not
finding long-term work. Just 6.8% of new ESA claimants with a general range of disabilities referred to the scheme in the
latest three months have found employment. </li>
</ul>
<br />
The public are not so sympathetic. 75% said people who were ‘mentally disabled’ (judged fit) should be made to work unpaid for their benefits.<br />
<br />
<i><i>Mind chief executive Paul Farmer. </i>“Pressuring people into working, under the threat of losing their
benefits, often serves to exacerbate their mental health problems,
pushing them even further from the job market. Currently there’s still too little
specialised support available and too much focus on sanctions and
conditionality. People with mental health problems face significant
barriers to finding and staying in work, such as stigma from employers,
and often dealing with an invisible and fluctuating condition. The
Government should be ensuring they provide tailored support to help
people find appropriate employment.” </i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154" target="_blank">WoW Petition</a> is opposed to workfare for people claiming social security benefits. <b><a href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154" target="_blank">WoW Petition </a>calls for "an end to forced work under threat of sanctions for people on disability benefits"</b>.<br />
<br />
Stigma and discrimination:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Fewer than 4 in 10 employers say that they would consider employing someone with a history of mental illness compared with 6 out of 10 who would consider giving work to someone with a physical disability.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Public attitudes towards mentally ill people have hardened.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>More than half of the UK public said if they were employers they would not offer people with a history of depression a job, even if they were the best candidate. </li>
</ul>
<br />
However, we probably each already know and work with someone suffering from a mental health problem, only because of stigma and discrimination, we don't know that they have an illness. <br />
<br />
The media have shaped our attitudes towards mental illness and particularly our misinformed view that 'mental patients' are prone to violence. The stark reality is that sufferers are significantly more likely to harm themselves than other people and be the victims of crime and abuse. <br />
<br />
Supermarkets Asda and Tesco recently had to remove offensive "mental patient" fancy dress costumes from their stores after a public outcry. <br />
<br />
People with mental health problems are often too afraid to seek help or even to say they are unwell because of fear of being harshly judged and misunderstood. Sensational headlines can only make people more fearful of opening up, less likely to talk about their concerns and get the support they need. Stigma blights lives.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Nearly nine out of ten people (87%) with mental health problems say that have been affected by stigma and discrimination. </li>
</ul>
<br />
Stigma can affect all aspects of daily life. Work, education, going shopping and leisure activities, friendships, socialising, talking to other people, and getting support. People feel that they get a negative reaction and are blamed for their illness. That they will be seen as weak if they can't 'pull up their socks' or 'pull themselves together'. Asking a person with depression to 'cheer up' is like asking someone with a heart condition to make themselves better.<br />
<br />
Stigma creates isolation and loneliness as people withdraw from social contact, which lowers their self-esteem and confidence. Two thirds of people with mental health problems live alone, four times more than the general population. Few people send get well messages as they do when someone is ill with a physical condition. The general message is that if you have a mental illness you suffer in secret, hidden away from the world and you don't talk about it. When someone asks how you are, few would venture to say that they're feeling down or anxious or depressed. <br />
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It's time that people with mental health issues were treated fairly. People with mental health problems can and do recover to lead rewarding and fulfilling lives. Not everybody can and will be cured, but equality and accessibility to treatment and support to enjoy life's potential should be the same experience for everybody. <br />
<br />
Attitudes to mental health need to change.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><a href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43154">Please support our campaign by signing WoW Petition</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
<a href="http://www.who.int/mental_health/world-mental-health-day/en/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.who.int/mental_health/world-mental-health-day/en/index.html</a><br />
<a href="http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/special/cepsp26.pdf" target="_blank">http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/special/cepsp26.pdf</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/content/assets/PDF/publications/fundamental_facts_2007.pdf?view=Standard" target="_blank">http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/content/assets/PDF/publications/fundamental_facts_2007.pdf?view=Standard</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nmhdu.org.uk/silo/files/nmhdu-factfile-6.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.nmhdu.org.uk/silo/files/nmhdu-factfile-6.pdf</a><br />
<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/212266/hwwb-mental-health-and-work.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/212266/hwwb-mental-health-and-work.pdf</a><br />
<a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/public-accounts-committee/news/contract-management-of-medical-services/" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/public-accounts-committee/news/contract-management-of-medical-services/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.samaritans.org/sites/default/files/kcfinder/files/research/Samaritans%20Suicide%20Statistics%20Report%202013.pdf">http://www.samaritans.org/sites/default/files/kcfinder/files/research/Samaritans%20Suicide%20Statistics%20Report%202013.pdf</a><br />
<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10074192/Judges-rule-back-to-work-assessments-unfair-to-mentally-ill.html" target="_blank">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10074192/Judges-rule-back-to-work-assessments-unfair-to-mentally-ill.html</a><br />
<a href="http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/sites/default/files/Stigma%20Shout.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/sites/default/files/Stigma%20Shout.pdf</a><br />
<a href="http://mentalhealthcop.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/vssummary.pdf" target="_blank">http://mentalhealthcop.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/vssummary.pdf</a><br />
<a href="http://www.newstatesman.com/economics/2013/10/disabled-and-work-programme-cold-calling-companies-8-16-hours-week">http://www.newstatesman.com/economics/2013/10/disabled-and-work-programme-cold-calling-companies-8-16-hours-week</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mind.org.uk/assets/0001/0027/Mind_We_need_to_talk_Report.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.mind.org.uk/assets/0001/0027/Mind_We_need_to_talk_Report.pdf</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23163724" target="_blank">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23163724</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6738650988166925493.post-36214625003299198562013-10-05T18:05:00.000+01:002013-10-05T18:05:38.811+01:00Urgent Appeal for Information: People in the ESA Work Related Activity Group<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: "Liberation Sans"; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "DejaVu Sans";">Urgent Appeal for Information<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: "Liberation Sans"; font-size: 15.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "DejaVu Sans";">People in the ESA Work Related Activity Group<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Liberation Sans"; mso-fareast-font-family: "DejaVu Sans";">We are looking for people who are currently:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Liberation Sans"; mso-fareast-font-family: "DejaVu Sans";">1) in the ESA Work
Related Activity Group (WRAG)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Liberation Sans"; mso-fareast-font-family: "DejaVu Sans";">2) People and taking part in in the Work Programme while in the
ESA WRAG<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Liberation Sans"; mso-fareast-font-family: "DejaVu Sans";">3) People who have been or are being Sanctioned while in the ESA
WRAG<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Liberation Sans"; mso-fareast-font-family: "DejaVu Sans";">4) People who have been threatened or warned of being Sanctioned
while in the ESA WRAG<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Liberation Sans"; mso-fareast-font-family: "DejaVu Sans";">We are looking for people in those groups who would be willing
to send us copies of letters they have received from the DWP and Work Programme
providers about ESA Work Related Activity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Liberation Sans"; mso-fareast-font-family: "DejaVu Sans";">We want to use these letters and include them in a file of
information we are currently gathering about the ESA Work Related Activity
Group. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Liberation Sans"; mso-fareast-font-family: "DejaVu Sans";">If you wish we can blank out your name and any identifying
information from the letters before including them, but we would prefer if we
could include your name. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Liberation Sans"; mso-fareast-font-family: "DejaVu Sans";">This information will be used for one specific purpose only and
will not be published widely. We respect personal confidentiality at all times.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Liberation Sans"; mso-fareast-font-family: "DejaVu Sans";">If you want to send us information or wish to discuss it further
with us, please get in contact via email to: </span><a href="mailto:dpacresearch@gmail.com"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Liberation Sans"; mso-fareast-font-family: "DejaVu Sans"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">dpacresearch@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Liberation Sans"; mso-fareast-font-family: "DejaVu Sans";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Liberation Sans"; mso-fareast-font-family: "DejaVu Sans";">Thank you<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Liberation Sans"; mso-fareast-font-family: "DejaVu Sans";">The DPAC Research Team</span></u><span style="font-family: "Liberation Sans"; mso-fareast-font-family: "DejaVu Sans";"> </span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17111132651663342181noreply@blogger.com0