Disabled People Against Cuts – protest April 18th

Disabled people Against Cuts

April 18th meet for 1.30 pm McDonalds Leicester Square.

Let us have text contact details if definitely coming. Access needs if any too.

Action will be around benefit cuts, care funding and Loss of Remploy jobs.

this affects older people too so bring your grannies and grandads too.

Contact mail@dpac.uk.net

Press release

Photo opportunity. Meet Leicester Square McDonalds, 1.30pm

DISABLED PEOPLE REFUSE TO SIT BACK AND BE SLOWLY KILLED

Already three-quarters of disabled people live in poverty yet the Condems seem determined to push people even further into destitution. It seems that this is a means of punishing them for daring to be or become disabled – something that can happen to anyone at anytime. This is part of the new economy and Condem society of Britain.

Linda Burnip co-founder of DPAC says  “If cuts to benefits don’t kill you slowly by leaving you starving or freezing to death in winter then massive cuts to care and support funding should finish off those Maria Miller, the so-called minister for disabled people, calls “unsustainable” a bit faster. “

Campaigners say disabled people are being unfairly picked on because they are seen as an easy target by millionaire politicians and the ex-banker Lord Freud in particular.

Disability benefits designed to pay the extra costs of disability and originally awarded for a lifetime term are being reassessed. Many who were certified by medically qualified and independent doctors are losing their meagre incomes to politically appointed and performance incentivised ATOS assessors.

Huge increases to hate crimes, cuts in housing benefits, cuts in public services, the closure of the Independent Living Fund, job losses in the public sector, closure of Remploy factories when unemployment is at a record high the list of attacks is endless.

Debbie Jolly another co-founder of DPAC says: “Disabled people will be descending on London again to tell all politicians we’ve had enough. We are fed up with being vilified as scroungers by successive governments, we are sick of hearing about disabled people who have died from neglect and lack of services or who have committed suicide because services and benefits were withdrawn from them. Debbie from Leicester says: “Disabled people will be descending on London again to tell all politicians we’ve had enough. We are fed up with being vilified as scroungers by successive governments, we are sick of hearing about disabled people who have died from neglect and lack of services or who have committed suicide because services and benefits were withdrawn from them. We are angry at the constant attacks by this government  because we are seen as an easy target .We want to make sure politicians know we will not accept these attacks on our lives any longer. “

ENDS

Contact-  Linda 0771 492 7533 or Adam 07801058235

Notes to editors:

Data from Family Resources Survey and the National Equalities Panel found that:

• 75% of disabled women and 70% of disabled men are already at the bottom end of Britain’s income distribution scale living in poverty.

• A tenth of disabled woman have incomes below £31 per week and a tenth of disabled men have incomes below £59 per week including earned income and benefits.

• Under the coalition government’s economy drive disabled people are set to lose at least £140 per month through direct cuts to disability benefits (initially devised to pay the extra costs of being disabled) alone.

• The Condems are removing DLA saying that the number of claimants must be reduced by half a million.

• Employment Support Allowance and work capability assessments have been criticised by CAB, disability charities and Disabled People’s Organisations. ATOS healthcare failures are costing £50 million in additional appeal tribunal costs.

• Housing Benefits for all tenants will be reduced. From October 2011 for those 2 million disabled people living in private rented accommodation and from 2013 for anyone living in social housing which is deemed too large for their needs

• Added to that funding from the Independent Living Fund for care and support has now ceased to all new claimants and any additional needs cannot be met by them

Extra costs of disability to individuals

A Rowntree report (2004) found that the weekly income of disabled people who are solely dependent on benefits is approximately £200 below the amount required for them to ensure an acceptable, equitable quality of life’

However, even if receiving maximum benefits, disabled people still experience a substantial shortfall in income. The income of disabled people solely dependent on benefits, irrespective of the type or level of their need, is approximately £200 less than the weekly amount required for them to ensure a minimum standard of living.

Source: Disabled people’s costs of living: ‘More than you would think’ (2004) by Noel Smith, Sue Middleton, Kate Ashton-Brooks, Lynne Cox and Barbara Dobson with Lorna Reith, is published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (ISBN 1 85935 236 7,

Employment

The employment rates of disabled people are around 48% compared with around 78% of non-disabled people Source Labour Force Survey, Quarter 2,2010

 Only 20% of those with mental health problems are in employment- Source- Labour Force Survey, Jan-March 2009.

*****************************************************************

. Please click here to sign Pat’s Petition  which calls on the government to –

“Stop and review the cuts to benefits and services which are falling disproportionately on disabled people, their carers and families”

Once you have signed share it with all your contacts asking them to sign and pass on too.

WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

.

Commission Report Published | Dilnot Commission

The Commission on Funding of Care and Support has presented its findings to the Government in its report Fairer Care Funding, published on 4th July 2011. The letter to the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Health sent with the report is available for you to read below.

letter to the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Health (PDF: 149KB)

The independent commission, set up by the Government last July, was asked to recommend a fair and sustainable funding system for adult social care in England.

Commission Report Published | Dilnot Commission

• Fairer Care Funding – Report (PDF: 2,343KB)
• Fairer Care Funding – Easy Read (PDF: 4,556KB)
• Fairer Care Funding Pamphlet (PDF: 2,666KB)
• Volume II Evidence and Analysis (PDF: 3,254KB)
• Volume III Supporting Documents (PDF: 3,821KB
• Presentation of Report Recommendations (PDF: 160KB)

READ IN FULL

MP Disability Dialogue – RADAR

Radar believes that it is vital that MPs hear directly from disabled people about the issues that affect them. That is why from 12 May until the end of June Radar will be encouraging disabled people to meet with their MP and find out how their MP can help them. This will follow from the Hardest Hit Day on the 11 May when disabled people will gather in London to protest against the cuts that are hitting disabled people hardest (www.hardesthit.org.uk).

 

The Dialogue provides an extra opportunity for disabled people to meet with their MP. The aim of this scheme is to:

–         encourage disabled constituents and local disability organisations to engage in the democratic process and feel more confident about meeting their MPs;

–         give MPs of all parties increased confidence to communicate with, and effectively represent, their constituents living with a disability or health condition.

 

Please find attached a flyer in two formats (incl Easy Read). This information is also available on our website: http://www.radar.org.uk/radarwebsite/tabid/124/default.aspx.

MP Disability Dialogue – flyer                 

MP Disability Dialogue – flyerEasyRead 

If you have any questions, please email campaigns@radar.org.uk

Marije Davidson

Public Affairs Manager

Care cuts row deepens as cases head for court

Families of disabled children facing cuts to respite care are launching a High Court challenge against Lancashire County Council’s budget-slashing plans.

Parents of several children likely to be affected by LCC’s social care spending cuts are claiming the moves breach the Disability Discrimination Act.

At least one of eight respite centres in the county looks set to be closed within a year as part of County Hall’s plans to save £179m over the next three years.

One of the families behind the legal challenge has a 10-year-old boy who has autism and cerebral palsy.

The youngster, who cannot be named for legal reasons, needs one-to-one care round the clock from his parents, older sister and grandmother.

READ IN FULL HERE

Inquiry into Migration from Incapacity Benefits to Employment and Support Allowance

Release from Work and Pensions Committee Select Committee Announcement

NEW INQUIRY

Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) replaced incapacity benefits for people making new claims from October 2008. To be eligible for ESA, a person must usually undergo a Work Capability Assessment (WCA).

The introduction of ESA in 2008 was initially limited to new claimants. Existing incapacity benefit claimants are now being reassessed under the Work Capability Assessment. The process will last until 2014 with around 1.5 million people being reassessed.

Reassessment commenced on 11 October 2010 with a trial in Aberdeen and Burnley. At the end of February, Jobcentre Plus began a limited introductory phase, and will move to full national reassessment of incapacity benefit claimants from April 2011.

The Work and Pensions Committee has decided to conduct an inquiry into the ESA migration, including the Work Capability Assessment. In particular, it will focus on the following issues:

We need an election on the cuts

Letter in the Guardian   24th Feb 2011 supported by  Carer Watch

The government’s implementation of welfare reform is destroying the covenant of care between disabled people and the welfare state (Report, 23 February). The most vulnerable people in our country are being subjected to cruelty. The work capability assessment is not fit for purpose. It is denying employment support allowance to those whom the 2007 Welfare Reform Act deemed it not reasonable to require to work.  

The assessment lacks public and medical accountability. Criteria about what constitutes an “illness” and a “disability” have been increasingly narrowed over the years into a set of descriptors that fail to recognise the complex problems and needs of those who are mentally ill, or who have intermittent illnesses or communicative conditions. 

We want a system that is flexible and supportive of disabled people and which helps people into good, appropriate jobs with decent wages. One that values and supports those who are unable to work, and that insures us all against the misfortunes of illness and disability.

Jon Cruddas MP Labour, Dagenham & Rainham,

Neil Coyle Director of policy, Disability Alliance,

Anna Healy Labour, House of Lords,

Gavin Hayes General secretary, Compass,

Professor Jonathan Rutherford Middlesex University,

Professor Peter Beresford Brunel University,

Steve Griffiths Researcher and Consultant,

Rhydian Fôn James The Broken of Britain,

Frances Kelly, Rosemary O’Neill Carerwatch,

Alison Wiles, Anna Kennedy, Carole Rutherford co-founders, Act Now – Autism Campaigners Together

The Welfare Reform Bill And Disability – By Rhydian Fon James

The Welfare Reform Bill (Bill 154) was unveiled by David Cameron yesterday, after being introduced in the House of Commons on Wednesday, 16th of February 2011. The Bill is quite controversial, and will provoke varying reactions depending on your political leanings. The Broken of Britain will not get involved in the general provisions of the Bill – as a non-party political group this is beyond our mandate, whatever individual members of the group may say in a personal capacity. However, provisions that affect disabled people are, most certainly, our business. Below is an analysis of the Bill and disability.

Part 1 of the Bill contains provisions and confers regulation-making powers for the new Universal Credit. Universal credit will be paid to people both in and out of work, replacing working tax credit, child tax credit, housing benefit, council tax benefit, IS, income- based JSA and income-related ESA. The stated aim of universal credit is to smooth the transition into work by reducing the support a person receives at a consistent rate as their earnings increase. The financial support provided by universal credit will be underpinned by responsibilities which claimants may be required to meet.

read in full here

Carers Allowance will NOT move to Universal Credit – confirmation later

Update – Carers Allowance will not be transferred to Universal Credit

Early reports this morning are indicating that those people in receipt of Carers Allowance will NOT be transferred to the new Universal Credit. Confirmation will come later this morning from David Cameron and Iain Duncan Smith.

It is also understood ministers have decided not to put carer’s allowance, worth £55 a week, into the new universal credit system, after carers’ organisations said it would increase means-testing and complexity.

see in full here

Urgent action needed now – ‘Support families: Don’t cut care’‏

Thank you very much for signing up to our “Support families: Don’t cut care” campaign toolkit.

 

We need you to lobby your council’s budget setting meeting, write to local politicians, join up with other groups and campaign to support funding and services for families that need support with caring.

 

This February and early March, councils across the UK will be meeting to decide their budgets for the coming year. With funding from Government cut, many councils will look to cut care services to make savings.

 

The campaign toolkit includes useful tips:

• How to make the case for care
• Sample questions
• Flyers, templates for letters to councillors, your MP, the media and petitions
• A ‘Who’s, Who guide to the council
• How to use social media

Carers UK will continue to campaign and lobby but we need you to be our eyes and ears of what is happening for carers in your area. We need you to tell us about the positive things happening locally as well as your stories about the effects that the cuts or changes to local services are having on your community. Please let us know the impact of your campaigning by using the feedback form, by e-mailing us directly at info@carersuk.org or nargis.khan@carersuk.org , or by calling us on 0207 3784999.

 

Thank you

 

Nargis Khan

Carers UK   .

.

 Support Families Don’t Cut Care campaign toolkit

.

Does she take sugar syndrome ?

Guest post received from Pat Onions –  a blind full time carer

I was in a shop this afternoon buying groceries and a lottery ticket. Trying to decide if it was Thursday or Friday, and pack shopping at the same time, the assistant commented… ” Must be lovely to be retired where it doesn’t matter what day it is”. “Oh I’m not retired…far too young” said I.  “That’s even better when you have enough money that you don’t have to work” came back her reply. I packed the shopping and left David to pay. David, normally the quiet one, said loudly…” My wife is blind”. From somewhere in the now lengthy queue came a retort…” She doesn’t look it.” David, turned his wheelchair and gave our standard reply,” and you don’t look stupid but looks are deceptive.”

Just another normal day in the Onions lives.

I am actually a very young (?) looking 58 year old but the way the Government keeps moving the retirement age I think I have a very long time to wait.

Society is as much to blame. The international symbol for disability is a person in a wheelchair. That is the stereotype of disabilities. I suppose I should have a guide dog, or long white cane and dark glasses. I don’t. We have 2 Border Collies whose walks are physio for David. I have a folding white symbol cane which sighted people have no idea what it is for. If I wear dark glasses I bump into everything instead of just most things.

I think the experts, and how we love them, tell us…