[OccupySheffield] Please help call for a pause in welfare reform

Tue Jan 10 22:30:20 GMT 2012

STOP 'DIS-ABLING PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why, why, why, is it, that the status quo remains - to place such a
subordinating label before 'people' as an all-prevailing over generalising
term????

I personally am FED UP (to put it mildly) of being described as inherently
'vulnerable...

If 'PEOPLE' (and yes we're people first) can't be seen as strong, able and
capable of waging a wave of opposition where, the nasty government we live
under, wouldn't no what hit them - then what?

Last May's "hardest hit" rally was inspirational and certainly set the tone
for strong unrelenting opposition to this seemingly illegally rushed
legislation...

We all knew it was coming and in the pipeline and, they'll get away with it
the way they get away with so many other covert manoeuvres - because people
think that by being armchair activists, it will change the course of things
and we'll win?

NO CHANCE!  Why aren't there Uncut actions to draw attention to and
challenge this; why aren't 'people' with additional needs out there in their
thousands, swarming parliament - demanding the right of "due process" rather
than some mamby-pamby, softly softly online thing, where people don't have
to leave home and their comfort zones to block their own livelihoods?

Okay, I've heard there's something happening down in London tomorrow, but
only heard of it the other day and I predict it will be yet another few
hundred down there with banners, stressing how vulnerable and weak we are -
pushing the pitty button; i.e. a half-baked effort, where the damn coalition
won't bat an eye lid!!!!!!

Come on 'PEOPLE' 'STOP 'DIS-ABLING YOURSELVES!  

We MUST DO BETTER AND TURN UP THE HEAT - if we're to make a 'real
difference' and don't expect that some well-meaning organisation will do it
for you/us...

Its high time, 'people' with additional needs speak up for themselves and
stop thinking others will do it for them!!!!!!!!

I passionately am of the position that, I'm a mother and woman first before
being visually impaired and, my teenaged son, is a thriving young lad,
before his hearing impairment/partial sight - and yes, we are 'able' to
fight tooth and nail for what is rightfully ours...

I reaeaeally think its a bit too late to just: tell a friend or more to the
point, your MP - they don't give a shit because it won't affect them!

In solidarity AND STRENGTH

Dawn   

From: Rick B [mailto:soisthesun at gmail.com] 
Sent: 10 January 2012 13:26
To: occupysheffield at email-lists.org
Subject: [OccupySheffield] Please help call for a pause in welfare reform

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Going To Work - from the TUC <contact at goingtowork.org.uk>
Date: Mon, Jan 9, 2012 at 5:08 PM
Subject: Please help call for a pause in welfare reform

Error! Filename not specified.

Dear Reasonable People,

I received this email from 'Going To Work', a TUC spin-off, and thought I'd
share it with the Occupy movement and its supporters.

Thanks

Rick B

The Welfare Reform Bill is currently in the final stages of its way through
Parliament, and Peers are debating its Report Stage in the House of Lords
this week.

We're very concerned about many of its implications, especially on disabled
people, large numbers of whom face a reduction in benefits as the universal
benefit Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is replaced by the more
conditional benefit system of Personal Independence Payments (PIP).

DLA is currently available to disabled children and adults to help them meet
the extra costs associated with having a disability. It's not work or
contribution dependent, and it comes at different levels, to take into
account assessed needs for ongoing help with care and mobility. Under the
new system, DLA recipients will have to claim again for PIP, and given that
the government have stated they want to make savings by focussing the
benefit on those who need it most, it's a fair bet many who were found to
need assistance under the lower levels of DLA payment will no longer be
given assistance.

Also, increasing the initial qualifying period from 3 to 6 months will see
many people face extra months of hardship before they get assistance. Many
current DLA recipients will face a further blow if they're denied access to
PIP, as DLA is a qualifying benefit, which means that being assessed to
receive it then means you are eligible for other assistance. Losing DLA will
see people getting those other benefits withdrawn.

With such severe cuts for thousands of vulnerable people, you'd think the
government would be scrupulous about understanding the impact of the
reforms. But the consultation for the Bill has been rushed through, run for
two weeks shorter than usual, and with the legislation presented to
Parliament before the consultation was even finished.

A group of disabled activists have come together online to research the
reforms. They've used Freedom of Information powers to get a copy of the
consultation results, and conducted a thorough crowdsourced analysis of the
previously unreleased documents.

The "Responsible Reform
<http://action.goingtowork.org.uk/page/m/1f11b32b/3ab86ca6/5443bda4/54075870
/3338166724/VEsH/> " report that they have written and produced tells a
remarkable story, with 74% of organisations and individuals responding to
the consultation opposed to the overall plans, with even higher margins
against on specific measures, such as 98% opposing the extension of the
period people have to wait to receive benefits.

This tells a rather different story to the government's claims of support
from the consultation responses. With only days to go now, Peers need to
know what respondents, from charities working with disabled people through
to Mayor of London Boris Johnson have said about the danger of these
reforms.

What can you do?

You can find the report online here
<http://action.goingtowork.org.uk/page/m/1f11b32b/3ab86ca6/5443bda4/54075871
/3338166724/VEsE/> . Please have a look at it (there's a helpful summary at
the beginning, as there's a lot of material in there) and help get this
important information used as widely as possible, by taking any or all of
these actions online:

1 Tell your friends

Please tweet about the report, or spread the message to friends. The hashtag
#SpartacusReport has been trending today, so please use that if you can to
keep it in the public eye online. If you want to share the text of this
email, you can
<http://action.goingtowork.org.uk/page/m/1f11b32b/3ab86ca6/5443bda4/5407587e
/3338166724/VEsF/> find it online here.

2 Tell the House of Lords

Please help spread word of this important report to Peers. Use the
<http://action.goingtowork.org.uk/page/m/1f11b32b/3ab86ca6/5443bda4/5407587f
/3338166724/VEsC/> They Work For You site to find a member of the House of
Lords to email - If you can only write to one, please focus on the Liberal
Democrat or Crossbench Peers, who are more likely to change their vote over
this issue. Getting a message to them Thursday's report stage will help
ensure they don't go into the debate without knowing the concerns of
thousands of disabled people from all over the country.

3 Add your name

And please if you've not yet signed up, add your name to
<http://action.goingtowork.org.uk/page/m/1f11b32b/3ab86ca6/5443bda4/5407587c
/3338166724/VEsD/> Pat Onions' petition to Number 10 for a pause in these
hurried reforms - it's reached over 10,000 signatures now, but needs more to
be recognised by government. Rushing this legislation through at a time of
spending cuts and economic difficulties for vulnerable people is creating a
perfect storm for many disabled people. A pause to ensure reform is carried
out more fairly and effectively is desperately needed.

Going To Work is a project of the Trades Union Congress (TUC)

You can unsubscribe from our email updates at any time, just go to: 
http://action.goingtowork.org.uk/unsubscribe
<http://action.goingtowork.org.uk/page/m/1f11b32b/3ab86ca6/5443bda4/5407587d
/3338166724/VEsA/> 

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