Mumsnet Talk

Hello to all you #frothers
Thought I'd take the liberty of starting us a nice new thread as the other is getting rather full.

Morning!

Morning.
Cant say good because it doesnt feel it at the moment

Morning.

Morning. Re the blog. I can't promise to get involved as will be going back to work soon and my freedom will be ending but please let me know if you want to use any of my posts MmeL

Can someone explain what 'doing a #ff' is? It sounds like something I could do if that would be any help Although I am a bit of a technophobe, I am a quick learner!

clocking in

#ff is "follow friday" where you tage people on Twitter to let your followers know to follow the new people IYSWIM

<placemark>

Hello

I am crap at twitter. I'm not a technophobe but every time I try to use it I just end up confused

Good morning

Are you okay NM?

Twitter guide here.

Just jump in and start using Twitter. I do recommend Tweetdeck, if that is not too much new stuff at once. You can have a #frothers column

CSA changes

Please can we add this to our frothing? This government are proposing that single parents should be charged to arrange child maintenance with NRP.

It is outrageous.

I have started a thread in campaigns, but I really, REALLY, feel so strongly about this that I think it's definitely worth fighting on two fronts.

Honestly, I could CRY

Posting on here and on old thread

Shirl
Do you want to do a guest post on my blog since you don't want it on yours.

Will have a look.

MNBloggers just tweeted to invite us to be members of network

Looks great! Might the #frothers want to join our network...? mumsnet.com/bloggers-netwo…

(we'd love tohave you #frothers on board - political debate is v welcome in these uncertain times)

charged to arrange child maintenance?? FFS. And there was something else I read about CSA that made my blood... well, froth.

<wanders off frothing at the mouth>

I've submitted something to CH today MmeL.

I'm going to copy across to the frothers blog now (if I can remember how to use blogger )

Thanks sweetie. I don't know why I've sauddenly frothed up about it all again but I have!

If you want to froth on my blog anytime, be my guest.

Someone no Twitter just said that she gets £25 a month. What a joke.

Latest frothers blog post

Pfft - on the Campaign thread there's a woman who gets...wait for it..£1.36 per week.

FFS

I don't seem to be able to do anything.

Hopefully this state of affairs isn't permanent.

Waiting for help.

<seethes and froths>

the csa have always been a joke, my mum was awarded £1 a week for 3 children! the bastard still never paid that

Checking in. Sorry, been busy with real work.

Shirl, I am at the CSA charges. They want to charge and get a cut - or have I read that incorrectly?

Fantastic blog post, my lovely.

I'm trying to sort the twitter thingy... I am totally crappola.

Is anyone watching George Aligiah (sp?) he is talking to someone that maintains Jeremy Clarkson should be allowed to say what he said about people on strike 'because he is Jeremy Clarkson.'

Words actually fail me.

Found you all. Sorry got busy.

RW, #ff is follow friday. On twitter you use it to show your followers who else is good to follow.

with that reasoning can we string him up

...because he is jemery clarkson?

Oh I dunno. Complaining Jeremy Clarkson is being a twat is a bit like complaining shit stinks. Obvious and pointless.

I don't think it's healthy to give Jezza any more air time, breath or column inches. Like a petulant toddler after the telling off it's best to just ignore.

Some good RTing on Twitter. Shirley's blog post going down well. Pls RT it if you haven't already.

Knotty - you have indeed read it correctly.

Plans are for an upfront payment from the RP and then a percentage cut from any maintenance recovered.

Anyway. I'll stop banging on about that now and move onto

this Fuel poverty.

Peachey are you around?

I think a carers post would be great, you need to PM garlicnutter and she will give you access to the blog, and should be able to explain how to do it. (You need a google/gmail email address and then it's basically just writing in the box and submitting.

Since Shirley's done CSA today, maybe work on it today and put it up tomorrow?

Shirley, I was hoping I'd misread that. Dirty thieving gits.

Weren't the gov supposed to be doing something about the monopoly the fuel companies have? That went well then.

'People not Profit'

I think in the mini-budget they said that water bills in the SE will be going down by £50pa.

Not sure how the fuck that's supposed to help the rest of us and solve fuel poverty? But there we go. Are you planning on talking about rural fuel poverty too btw? Because the cost of oil is these days. And it can and does get nicked from fuel tanks

Have we got a link to the blog on this thread?

We do now toomanycuts.blogspot.com/

That is a really good blog post, Shirley.

It feels good to be making a noise. To be bringing to the attention of the public all the big and little injustices going on at the moment.

Is Garlic the only blog admin? I noticed that only members of the blog are allowed to comment. Do you want to leave it like that or throw it open to the general public.

And do you want to allow all comments to go straight on or just after approval?

I don't know if you can do it on blogger, but I have it set that the first time someone comments, I have to approve. After that they can comment without waiting for approval.

If the blog is successful, you could be getting dozens of comments on some posts, and that means dozens of emails to ask for approval.

I think Garlic's working on the comments bit now. There's some twitter discussion going on at the mo.

I would say put the comments straight on but have a few people keeping an eye and deleting the knobber comments. The more accessible the better.

There should be a real feeling that this is for ordinary people. People who normally don't make a fuss and just get on with things but who have been forced by the Con-Dems actions to Do Something.

Oh, I wasn't going to blog about it, I was just going to froth about it!

This summer "British Gas, put its gas and electricity prices up by 18% and 16%, which means that an average annual dual-fuel bill for its 9m customers has risen from £1,096 to £1,288."

While in July "The parent group of British Gas unveiled profits of £1.3bn on Thursday but insisted that its recent 18% increase in some domestic power prices was entirely justified, despite consumer anger."

"Institute of Fiscal Studies said median income families would be worse off in 2015 than they were in 2002, pinpointing the relentless rise in fuel prices as one of the main factors, along with stagnating wages and government welfare cuts."

So. Same old same old people.

The weird thing is that this stuff has just been washing over me for months. It's only once you start actually looking at the news stories and linking bits up for yourself that the true, horrible picture emerges.

marking place, be back later!

I CAN'T GET ON THE BLOODY THING <explodes>

The weird thing is that this stuff has just been washing over me for months. It's only once you start actually looking at the news stories and linking bits up for yourself that the true, horrible picture emerges.

This ^^ very true. I don't think I realised how cross I was until earlier this week.

I just tweeted this:

The voices of the unheard. Disappointed, disheartened but not defeated by the cuts

is.gd/Ig5Ssv #frothers

which is what I have put on my blogroll. If you already have a blog, could you link up to TooManyCuts?

The 'big six' fuel companies make £125 propfit per household according to Ofgem....

Four of the top six bosses received increases to their pay which exceeded inflation. The pay rises ranged from 15% to 63%.

<froths>

Hully! You talking about Twitter or the blog?

You need to write for the blog, Huls. You are super articulate, even when shouting

What thing Hully darling?

Garlic!!

Sorry to add to your load, I can get on the blog but I can't play with the layout/settings - I guess only you can? There is an option in there somewhere to have a "share this" column on the left, so people can click a button and automatically share posts with twitter or fb. I think that would be really helpful to add.

Propfit? Sheesh...too much froth on the keyboard obv.

Hmm. I may have to take off the email notification when my tweet is RTed.

Excellent RTing action, everyone.

If you are new to twitter, go and have a look at stuff that interests you and start following people. There is a chance that they will follow you back and it widens our reach. No point in tweeting to each other.

They don't have to be politicians or journos, just stuff that interests you. Slebs are pretty useless at following back.

I want to put this on IF i COULD GET ON:

WHAT WE WOULD LIKE IS TO FLICK THE SWITCH ON AND GET LIGHT
WHAT WE WOULD LIKE IS TO NOT FREEZE TO DEATH
WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS SPEND TIME READING 95 TARIFFS PER EACH ENERGY COMPANY AND FOUR DAYS SWITCHING FOR A SO-CALLED BETTER DEAL.

WHO'S GOT TIME TO DO THAT? AND HOW OFTEN ARE WE SUPPOSED TO "SHOP AROUND"? ONCE A MONTH/WEEK/DAY?

THE GOVT'S ANSWER TO THE FUEL PRICES IS TO...GUESS WHAT?...INTRODUCE MORE COMPETITION. EVEN MORE SMALLER COMPANIES SO THE CONSUMER CAN SPEND THEIR ENTIRE LIFE CHECKING WHETHER ONE BASTARD ROBBING COMPANY IS 5P CHEAPER THAN ANOTHER.

WE OWNED THE PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY OF POWER ONCE. THEN IT WAS SOLD TO US. NOW IT'S BANKRUPTING US.

<explodes again>

Garlic said I would have Power and now I can't even get on it <falls on the floor and beats fists>

Even when shouting...see?

Sorry sorry.

Bit of rage got out there.

Shirley - tis me who gets £1.36 a week. But in January when Ex-H's missis pops out their next baby - it will go down to nothing! So I'm enjoying spending that £1.36 on EVERYTHING DS1 needs before it stops...

Better out than in.

Take note Lib Dems.

TeWiharaMeriKirihimete drop Garlic a PM and ask to be a mod.

We should deffo have Twitter and FB buttons to click to share and like. And if there is the possibility of an About Us page that would be great. I'd like to get some of the links from the first thread up as well because people are asking for information and petition links and the like.

Should we have a weekly action? You know so anyone who wants to do something but doesn't have much time/energy or whatever can go to and sign a petition or email a minister or similar?

Quote of the week?

Better out than in.

Take note Lib Dems.

<<Wipes Hully's froth from face>>

Garlic
Do you want me to do some stuff for the blog until Hully can get on?

Shall I email MNBloggers?

Hunty - I'm so sorry - and so ANGRY about it all today.

I don't think I'll ever get a pound. I provide for us and we're OK, but fuck me it's jarring sometimes.

We must fight these latest proposals though.

<hides from Hully>

Right, Twitter experts. HELP!

I have a Twitter account for work. In order to set up a new account, do I need a different email? [seriously dense]

I can't have my current followers following my frothing.

S'ok - my sarcasm with Ex-H's 'generosity' knows no bounds...

(He moans about paying the £1.36 / wk)

No, do do, Mme L.

My talents lie a lot more in the shouting dept.

Knotty - I set up a new hotmail account to froth from. .

New email it is then. May as well tie it all in with the blogging one.

And dancing, Hully

Um - I have many many twitter accounts (I would set up a gmail account from which to froth)

Hully - have you got a google/gmail account? Because you have to have one to use blogger.

Knotty get a gmail account then you can contribute to the blog (should you want to)

I'd like to, I think. I'd have to rein in my language a tad. I don't normally 'do' anger as such, it's a revelation!

Ah. Here we are.

Great post Shirley.
Will link on my blog (I think, if I can work it out. It's all getting too technological)

<tears hair>

Have posted a link to Shirley's post on my FB.

Input needed: I am going to do the Facebook page and Twitter account.

What name please? The blog is Toomanycuts.blogspot.com are we sticking with ToomanyCuts or do we want Frothers in there somewhere? Frothing is getting a bit of attention. I can change the name later and once we have 25 followers we can choose our own URL, but once that's chosen we're stuck with it.

Also, who would like to be admins on FB? I can be one but we should have more.

And finally, who would like to have access to the main Twitter account? I think we should have central one that we can feed to but we'll need people to keep an eye, RT and engage with PMs.

marking place

Just seen this....Too many cuts in all the wrong places. Too bloody right. And Knots - I love your line : Better out than in. Take note Lib Dems. Again, too bloody right.

Feeling angry and frustrated by so many things. Nothing feels good at the mo.

Shirley - read your blog - really good, cannot believe that the CSA are to charge a fee? WTF I also had no idea that the non payment rates were so high. Appalling.

I think Twitter could be beyond me, I tried before, and mainly failed.. <saddo>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

That's Kate's technical questions whistling over my head, that is.

Pistey

CSA not just charging a fee: they are taking a cut too.

Could make it FB "Frothers @TooManyCuts" or something like that?

But then you'd still have to decide whether you wanted twitter to be @Frothers or @TooManyCuts (at least it's easy to change on Twitter though.)

FrothingCuts?

Er, that does sound a bit dodgy though. No, scrap that.

yes and taking a cut too - how can anyone think that is the right thing to do?

All this Twitter stuff is right over my head

You can do @frothers and have the name TooManyCuts on Twitter.

Like I am @mmelindor / SaltandCaramel.

Better a shorter name to leave room for RTing.

I like frothers, it is punchy. And unusual so that people will stop and look.

I am happy to be co-twitter person, am around most of the day or on iPhone.

FB name same as blog, imo. TooManyCuts (if you can get them to do that)

Are you setting FB up as a page? Might be better, cause you can have unlimited "likes".

Lovely. That's Twitter sorted then. MmeL is co-Twitteree. Do we have another? I already have two accounts on the go so an extra person would be good for when I am watching Father Dowling Mysteries busy.

I am looking at pictures of froth for our avatar. The exciting life I lead! Will post some bits on profile to have a look at.

Yes FB will be page.

Signing in to new thread

Boy, there are some seriously clever people on this thread

I am away from t'internet until Sunday evening now (what a bloody crap activist I am )

I ^will be be baaaaack" though

Happy frothing, chums. I love you all.

will be baaaack

cocked that up, didn't I ?

Can you have a look at this in-progress FB page please? www.facebook.com/pages/Too-Many-Cuts-Frothers/209710619105223?skip_nax_wizard=true

Now I'm looking at the Facebook page and the Blue-Peter style cobbled-together logo and I'm thinking there is a N missing...

Surely it should be:

Too many CuNts has made us frothers?

Just to say I think what you are all doing is wonderful.

I am also a useless person with twatter etc....so I am admiring from afar.

If you ever need anyone to march with a placard though, just yell !

I'm too tired and frazzled to be articulate. But I'm frothing inside. Was very frothy re the delay in sorting tax on private jets - I know it wasn't going to raise more than a tiny drop in the ocean in terms of revenue, but as a nod in the direction of the disgruntled masses it was important.

And I have lots to froth about re stealth cuts in education - yes, we'll keep the pupil-specific funding in place but we'll make the LAs so cash-poor that they're forced to withdraw some of the support they usually provide. And schools will have to buy it in instead.
I do like the blog.

Hurray you're both here!

Can everyone come and like the FB page at some point so we can get a natty URL thingy?

We need people to tell us stuff like that Hassled. There's so many cuts it's impossible to keep a track of everything but the more eyes on it the better.

I don't 'do' FB, so I can't help in that way either.

Sorry.

But I am frothing. Madly. I promise. << imagine he has a Santa beard too. That's me.

Actually KateMiddIeton, I'm thinking cunts is even more appropriate
<arf>

Ha. Yes to the missing N.

Logo is great.

I do like the FB page lots but I haven't "liked" it because I'm having a mild panic re RL/Mumsnet worlds colliding etc. I'm being a bit ridiculous, aren't I?

Give it a few minutes and a few more likes and it'll be impossible to make a link between RL and MN.

liked the FB page (and frothed a bit)

I've like it.

I've managed something <proud>

Still waiting for garlic to activate me blog-wise.

liked

how do i friend it?

hassled, you could make another FB account

I have a RL FB and an "MN facebook" account (due to some other stuff I do on FB I don't want the whole world to see)

Doesn't AF make her FB page sound interesting?

It's me that gets £25pm MmeLindor. I've spent over 5 years chasing the CSA for a reassessment and now I eventually have it, my ex refuses to pay the increased amount and won't divulge his employer etc - in short he's totally non-compliant. I simply don't know where to turn. I'm tired, so tired of fighting, and am close to tears as I type.

Best thing is, he only has to pay that for a certain amount of time and when that time runs out, unless they can somehow force him to pay the reassessed amount, I'll receive nothing.

<goes off to weep>

sexytime fun

oh, it's very interesting knotty

Softkitty.

You have a big bunch of frothers standing here, holding your hand and supporting you.

Right I have to go and collect my boy but I leave you with a new Twitter account @TMC_Frothers and the new Facebook page www.facebook.com/pages/Too-Many-Cuts-Frothers/209710619105223?sk=wall&filter=1¬if_t=wall

oh, Kitty. What an absolute wanker. I know it is shallow comfort, but at least he is your ex. Imagine if you had to put up with such an utter arse every day.

Where does this come from? This disregard of laws, of decency.

These men are STEALING from their children.

I have liked the FB page and followed the frothers, and the people frothers is following, on Twitter (in case some of you wonder who your newest follower is). And thanks for your support for single parents and our situation .

Can I ask how to post a comment on the blog? (also need to know so I can post about ESA/JSA thing). I get as far as clicking sign in, get to a page where it says 'blogs you are following', but it says I'm not following any blogs, and I can't tell HOW to follow the blog.

FFS I am so technologically inept.

Hello frothers. Marking my spot - off to have a play on Twitter now, and feeling very technologically advanced ( though I have no idea what I'm doing!)

I'm on FB as HuntyCat. Making sure that RL and political activism don't collide...

Evening you frothy lot. Would anybody like me to design a logo and a banner for the blog. Have put it to Garlicnutter via PM but if anyone would like me to then please vote ay. Also if the vote is for an Ay...what would you like to see in said logo?

Something simple. But frothy.

<helpfully vague>

I can't believe frothers became a quiche .

Where have I been for the last week (or however long you have been at this)?

And if I've been gone all week, why isn't my house clean ?

A quiche?! How very dare you! We've only been going since Tuesday Maryz so not long enough to clean a house.

FontSnob logo etc sounds good to me. I had a stab for the Facebook page and Twitter but i think the fact I am qualified in HR not design will tell your everything you need to know

Will give it a go. Do we want froth? simple froth, complex froth. comic sans?

<<takes self outside and shoots self at the thought of using comic sans>>

<froths at the thought of comic sans!>

If you use comic sans I may have to form a quiche just so we can not have you in it

The Facebook page has the slogan Too many cuts has made us frothers if that helps?

MaryZ - the frothers are not a quiche.

Perish the thought

Is it wrong I have been trying to work this out:

I froth
You froth
We froth
He/She froths
They frothed?

<comic sans froth>

Do we want coffee froth of waves froth? I was thinking of this earlier.

frothy waves

frothy

or more coffee froth

Bit worried about the coffee froth being taken as armchair activists sitting in warm dry homes with a mocha double latte with caramel.

And can we have an avatar to put on twitter and FB?

coffee froth or waves froth. Not of.

Waves could be a metaphor for change, renewal? Am I overthinking this?

<sips mocha latte>

the frothy waves reminds me of semen

So, semen froth and comic sans. Done.

I have a good frothy water photo that does not look seaman like.

Or these the coffee froth that's currently on FB and Twitter.

Beer froths well too.

I can send the photo to whoever needs it. I downloaded it from an online picture library I use and it has no copyright.

Can you post the link Kate, i'll download it.

Sure. You'll need to register first. I can email it to you if it's easier? Just PM me your email.

oooh, have done my first #frothers tweet

It was a fine tweet

Can we have some more likes over on the Facebook page please? Also some co-admins www.facebook.com/pages/Too-Many-Cuts-Frothers/209710619105223?sk=wall

i've liked the fb page

have also tried to tweet but not sure if i did

Thank you! And you have tweeted. Thank you again

Ok people, quick vote re FB page. Which URL please?

www.facebook.com/frothers

www.facebook.com/TMCfrothers

www.facebook.com/TMC.frothers

www.facebook.com/Toomanycuts

I wanted www.facebook.com/TMC_frothers (like Twitter) but FB doesn't allow _

Still getting angry
Apparently measuring inflation CPI is ok. Without house prices taken into consideration.
the ONLY reason we are f'd in our household is because of our punitive mortgage having bought at high prices, plus the punitive pay cuts based on the fact.....that house prices got too high and the banks got burnt.
Yet the banks made their profits back within the year.
I can't sit here and accept that..any, of this is ok.

/frothers

Done. We are www.facebook.com/frothers

Nice and easy to remember.

I can't believe I finally 'get' twitter. Only took... um... two years of being signed up

<applauds lubey>

I keep seeing people on Twitter doing great things and thinking, ah yes. Must say what great things xxx is doing. And then I can't remember the names. They fall out of my head.

lubey I'm sure you are one but there are several of you.

I am remembering what you are saying even if I can't keep track of names.

I'm so upset.

My CSA thread got moved from campaigns into "the news"

What?

I worked so hard today to get the thread recognised and I'm actually crying

Shirley can we ask for it to be moved back? Please don't cry.

Awww Shirley don't cry I'll go bump it

What's all this frothing?

I've just gone and given what for. I mean there is a "campaign" thread about Venture photography. You know, that well known scurge of the people and drain on the tax payer

Lenin we got a bit cross about the cuts and erosion of the welfare state an' shit.

So we started a blog toomanycuts.blogspot.com/

A facebook page www.facebook.com/frothers

And a twitter campaign using #frothers and now @TMC_frothers

Leningrad

(from the original thread) we are frothing about...

"Just off the top of my head:

* Student fees
* Public sector workers terms and conditions (otherwise known as moving the goal posts after the match has started)
* Women (Report on Fawcett legal challenge result here)
* Sure Start
* NHS
* Erosion of employment rights
* Removal of EMA
* Removal of universal child benefit
* Unfair changes to DLA
* Unfair changes to ESA assessment

I am getting more and more fed up that these decisions are being made to take away some of the things we should be most proud of and that took years to be achieved.

This thread is a safe haven for some ranting as I know some of us are feeling sick and tired of it all"

Shirley I can't find it in 'in the news' has it been moved yet?

Not moved yet - please come shout!

Thanks, I saw #frothers on Twitter and wondered what you were all up to. Good work women. SEN consumes my time, so much needs to be done.

Cant find in news either. SHOUTS.

*cpi linked inflation

WE OWNED THE PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY OF POWER ONCE. THEN IT WAS SOLD TO US. NOW IT'S BANKRUPTING US.

in between hoovering up brick dust this week I have alternately mostly been crying and/or frothing

am getting a better idea of what we're up agin this week. It ain't purdy.

thanks for these threads, #frothers. Tis nice to know am not the only one feels like this.

<marks place>

I think I'm done actually.

My eyes are red and swollen with crying and I can't even work out why I'm so upset.

Apart from the fact that I've worked so hard for a cause which AIN'T FUCKING UNREASONABLE. I'm wasn't asking for for fucking caviar for every child - I just started a thread about the CLEAR INEQUALITY in child support...

<sigh>

You know what? I've got enough fucking aggro in my life.

How do I become a contributor to the blog, now that you've made me set up my own blog?!

which is here, by the way!

Shirley
Dont MN generally move threads from campaigns? I thought only proper MN campaigns were allowed there.

Don't cry, lovely Shirl.

Have you looked at the Campaign topic?

Not for a while. I know they used to move them. Did they say why they were movign your thread.

ok, had a look. I see what you mean <understatement>.

I have posted. Am away all tomorrow and won't be back till late but will have a proper look at the campaign and post on my blog on Monday about it.

My brain hurts from number crunching. Just thought I would add that.

I am frothing on your behalf, if you need a rest, Shirley!

I'll get to FB in a minute. I'll get to bed soon...

Right - am on fb as HuntyCat. Can't get the fb link to come up when I search though. Can someone friend me, so I can like it through their page?!

The technology has me beaten, tonight, I think.

<<Tired>>

Ah! Got it! Frothing on fb now.

The blog thing is still eluding me though. I'm off to bed now, can someone either post or PM me an idiots guide to getting from the page where it says 'Blogs you are following' to being able to actually follow the blog?

I may need step-by-step instructions. I admit I am crap at all this tech stuff. I am going to get some sleeeeeeeeep now.

<<Wonders if I will be frothing in my sleep?>>

Huntly
There should be a button at the top left to click 'follow' (I think)

But since google is deactivating this service soon I wouldn't worry about it.

Had an idea on how this might work. How about we have the main blog post with follow on blog posts elsewhere the rest of that week?

So, eg. with Shirley's initial CSA blog, we follow that up with those who have blogs writing about this issue for a week, lots of tweeting and FBing. With links to where to protest.

More organised than scattergun approach.

I'm just signing in to the thread. Especially to register my like of this:

'WE OWNED THE PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY OF POWER ONCE. THEN IT WAS SOLD TO US. NOW IT'S BANKRUPTING US.'

Thanks Hully!

And thanks to ALL of you for starting this.

Am not so nifty with the Twitter stuff (understatement or what?), but am trying to learn...

PS MmeLindor, love the blog. And Shirley, great blog too, and please don't cry; you really have people thinking re: CSA.

I'm still waiting for garlic to sort me out...

unless anyone else can help? <run while you can>

Have been lurking on this wonderful thread and am now committing myself as a frother. Facebook page liked, so am now off to the previously unexplored slopes of Twitter. I may be some time.... . I'm a statistics / research type, so may be able to help with number crunching stuff.

SHIRL! <big slap>

Come on now. We are made of sterner stuff. We shall overcome if we refuse to give in and we satnd shoulder to shoulder.

Hope you are feeling bette this morning...

Bette Davis that is

I am and at the whole CSA thing. In my tiny little naive mind I had thought that the recent restructure of the CSA was to sort all that stuff out, but it would appear not.

Can I add fulminating to my seething and frothing?

(And please can someone tell me how I become listed as a contributor to the blog? My blog has been included, but not my name on the list of contributors) [needy]

OK, am now on Twitter as doodledrawers (imaginative, eh?) and have found a few of you to follow. Will resume later - rumblings from upstairs so I think parenting may be required!

Tsk. Children are so demanding, aren't they?

I realise this isn't political but I'm bloody frothing about the fact that the threading lady has stolen half my eyebrow. Not the half she was supposed either, might I add. Gah.

Oh, just one more thing for all you new-to-Twitter Tweeple - upload a picture for your avatar, rather than just having the egg - doesn't matter what it is really - just adds more to your 'presence'

We're both waiting here, BIWI.

We need GARLIC.

GAAAARRRRRRLLLLICCC!

Chuh!

I'm fine. I think the wine anger completely overwhelmed me last night.

I'm not great at dealing with and it often turns to tears. <emotional>

I'm ok. Sorry for being a twat!

You are not a twat at all! You are a lovely person of the loveliest order.

And I'm not even pissed and I'm telling you I love you

Rage Shirl, tis the rage. Tis righteous and good.

You aint no twat.

I owuld say I love you but I'm British.

Aw.. You GUYS!

Right not much time for frothing today, I'm baking cupcakes to cheer myself up.

Have a good day frothers.

Mwah

Your knot a twat (see what I did there) I think we need more anger. Anger fuels change if it's channeled properly.

Ooh a day off from frothing? Like a Soothing Saturday? Sounds like a good idea. Frothing is wearing. Glad you're feeling better Shirl. My toddler decided to have a poorly person tantrum just when it kicked off and could only be comforted by putting me in a sweaty headlock with arms pinned by my sides - hard to type that way

Hully I can make you a mod on the FB if you need a taste of power until Garlic sorts you out? Just pm your FB name and I'll add you.

I may start a thread with the blog, twitter and FB details and a brief manifesto summary somewhere with a bit more traffic. It'll get deleted but it will get attention at least.

Welcome new frothers and lurkers

You're knot, not your knot. Tsk.

I'll be one if it will help - but I don't really need Power, honest!

<whispers> there is no real power on FB. You just like a few bits and stick on a few posts. No need to even do that many posts if we can auto-feed from the blog. Other groups like UK uncut have lost people like us because of the volume of stuff that spams up your page. I think a couple of FB posts per week is fine. Enough to be visible but not enough to be overwhelming and get us un-liked.

We may get the odd bit of spam on the page which you get to delete. That's about as powerful as it gets

Pm me your FB username and I'll add you as an admin.

Can I join?

Welcome OnlyWantsOne. No need to join. You are either a frother or you're a ConDem not - its a state of mind

You can join the blog, Facebook page, or Twitter and find people like you if you want or froth here to get it all out.

Hello, new thread

<dashes back to programming window>

I've replied to all my PMs now! Anybody else who wishes to add their frothing insights to the blog at toomanycuts.blogspot.com, please PM me your email address.

I was thinking it's be good to blog some of the posts from these threads. We'd need the authors to agree, wouldn't we?

I don't mind my posts being used. I'm going to get to writing the blog about the ESA/JSA trap tonight. I am going out soon, to take a gaggle of teenage girls to dribble over vampires. (DD and her friends want to go to the cimena to watch breaking dawn...I am going to sit in Costa and stay warm until it's finished).

I don't think you have to ask, newspapers re-print us all the time without asking.

(Unless they ask HQ?)

Did we agree to allow all comments? I think we should. And just delete anything totally crap.

Can I join you?

I have a lot of anger and nowhere to put it. It keeps spilling over onto nice threads about kittens.

Hi tethers! We will always need more #frothers so yes, welcome.. let your rage fly here!

I'm all frothed out today. Been trying to write some stuff for the blog for ages but it's just coming out all garbled and ragey. I need to calm the feck down and write something intelligent and engaging rather than FUCKING FUCKING CUNTY WANKERS WHO THE FUCK DO THEY THINK THEY FUCKING ARE FRITTERING OUR CASH AWAY ON TOTAL POINTLESS SHITE WHILE DEPRIVING THE VULNERABLE <and breathe>

Right. Chocolate. Day off. Starting now

The parent who contacts them is the parent who has to pay the money

From another thread, which I can't now find because i'm inept , on the changes to the CSA.

WTF? Seriously, which stupid cunt came up with that hellishly stupid idea?

What is the point in a system designed to make people who don't want to pay, pay, that relies on the person who is not paying to contact them to talk about paying?!!!!!!!!???????????????????????????? STUPIDITY ON A HUGE SCALE!!!

Hey Tethers and other newbs. Yes come vent. Tis what we're for.

Activism bits for those who are feeling motivated and tea and sympathy for those who are worn out with it all.

www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/oct/21/mervyn-king-attack-banks-bailout

Seriously, the only thing the CON-DEM fuckers hear is that the deficit has risen. Fuck off, seriously. FUUUUUUUUCK OFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF.

AAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH

Anyone up for an educational one?

Listen up kids, the wise new head of OFSTED spake unto us...

"Why should equality and elitism be too often seen as incompatible?"

Eh?

Youwhatnow?

Sorry Tethers, I iz a teachur, i iz too fick to understand that wot da cleva people iz sayin. innit.

The equal elite? I am equally as elite as is you. Sire.

There's more good news from him:

"if anyone says to you that 'staff morale is at an all time low' you will know you are doing something right"

<excites>

Oh, what a cunt. Probably a friend of Gove.

What the actual fuck?! Staff morale being low = doing something RIGHT?!

What planet is this guy on?

I bring you... Sir Michael Wilshaw

Please can I join? I have seen frothers on other threads, and definitely share common cause/opinion.

Marking place to come back later.

Oh I want to be a frother, I am angry sort of person and should use my powers for good joined twitter recently, am following a few mners including mmeL but am under my real-ish name. Initials are js and my tweets are protected but some of you might like to know who your stalkers are!

^ Some children are designated as having special educational needs as a cover for poor teaching.^

Says incoming head of OFSTEAD.

<<head explodes>>

Te, we're allowing comments with OpenID logins as well as Google ones (at least, it says we are )

Haterz who can't even be bothered to sign in don't deserve the time it takes to delete them, imo ...

Frothers who've got something to say on our blog, please PM me or one of the admins, currently listed as:
TeWiharaMeriKirihimete
FontSnob
hermionestranger
KateMiddIeton
ShirleyKnot
sunshinetoast

The more gets written, the more it gets noticed

Oops OFSTED

<<re-explodes head>>

I'm going to give Twitter another go for the fifteenth time

I am sally__decker (two underscores)- do I follow others or do you follow me? I'm sorry, I should understand this, but I too am a teacher and therefore really, really thick.

I think we all follow each other until we become one frothing mass.

tethers - once more for me too Am rather clueless and also a teacher!

Right- I am following some of you! I think! Woohoo!

i'm [shocked] at the changes to CSA

I am actually fuming about the new OFSTED bloke, the only decent thing he said was about academies.

Further denigration of our profession.

Just catching up, shocking stuff.

CSA changes

Bank bonuses yet again

Michael Bloody Wilshaw <writhes on the floor in frothy mess>

Twitter folk if you follow @tmc_frothers which is a central account you can copy all our followers to find the frothers.

Also look out for tweets with #frothers

@sarahg_says did a huge follow Friday of all the frothers using #frothyfriday. If you search for that you'll get about 5 tweets with good people to follow.

Agree about Michael Wilshaw, using SEN as a cover for poor teaching? Well thank you very much.

Jusr when you think you're keeping track of most stuff up pops a twat like Michael Wilshaw <sigh>

I think we need a list of issues on the FB page. The sort of thing where people can add a comment saying "Have you ssen this? Fucking disgusting". Then I we can keep a track of what we should be keeping track of. It will also be a good place to get ideas for the blog.

Garlic
We will get loads more comments if they don't have to sign in. Does blogger have a spam filter? Mine is fab, I never have spam on the blog. <tempts fate>

#frothers at the OFSTED guy. What a knob.

Hello all the new #frothers.

Say hello if you are not on the #frothers list here - it makes it easier for new #frothers as they can just follow everyone on the list.

Garlic, I've replied to your email and think I know what I'm doing now, in a tiny, tiny way.

Ofsted are a bunch of consultants who get paid about £400 a day. some of them havn't taught for years.

i'm a lecturer in a 'failing' FE college in London. We have Ofsted next week, again. Last one was 18 months ago. it's a farcical game of convince the inspectors we're not shit. The teaching has never been graded as shit. It's the management but we (teaching staff) are constantly told we must do better. There are no support services because the last round of consultants came and spent all the money. There have been two rounds of redundancies. everyone had to re-apply for their jobs. The students are being failed because with no pastoral support lecturers have to do the teaching and support of, mostly and often, vulnerable people. It is all utterly shit. The lovely photos in the corridors all date from the last inspection. Guess what? We have all been asked (told) to update displays. Ordinarily they couldn't care less. The adults who really need and want to enroll (adults who are low level reader/writers have no course this year becaue they couldn't afford the extortionate £140 enrollment fee. The last consultants boughtich is sh the college new software (from their own company!) whit and doesn't work but we're all told we have to use it.

Arrrrrrrr

Sorry- all a bit ranty! Upshot is Ofsted is no longer one government body. Ofsted inspectors are drawn from private consultancy companies. This seems to be where the money is.

My view is: Ofsted come in.
Ofsted declare establishment as 'failing'
Bring in consultants, who maybe from the same company as the inspectors.
They come in. 'Turn' the college around using public money. They are all in each others pockets and are just ensuring the money goes to them rather than stay in the college to be used on the students.

Rant over

Blogger does have a spam filter but it's a bit rubbish. Also, you'll need to decide what to do with hate comments ... I'm in favour of leaving them and attempting to deal with them, but that does mean quite a big time & effort investment.

I'm taking the restriction off now. Any of the admins can re-instate it, and any author can delete comments from their own posts.

Tufty well done!

Ok. So I've joined Twitter and emailed you my email garlic. My Twitter account is -unsuprisingly-TuftyFinch.

What do I do now?

I am not so inept in all the areas of my life. Mostly.

I would leave hate comments and deal with them. Intelligent and cutting response always better than <comment deleted by moderator>, I find.

can't find you tuftyfinch

Blackout Here

following now

you know the i'm looking at stuff the more and more pissed off i'm getting

Michael Wilshaw <<Unable to speak coherently due to copious amounts of frothing>>

Michael Gove admires Michael Wilshaw. Nuff said.

and they have both got their heads up their own arses

Quick question, bit morbid - does anyone have the Link to the story about the ex-soldier and his partner that committed suicide due to the ESA / JSa trap? I have googled but can't blinking find it, and I'm trying to draft my blog page. <<Grr>>

i remember that i'll have a look

was so so sad

Here, Hunty. Tragic, wasn't it? I watched the interview with them, and they were a very loving couple.

www.metro.co.uk/news/881136-married-couple-driven-to-commit-suicide-by-utter-poverty

Thank you. I wanted to link to it in the blog post. .

Would a Daily Fail link be too out there to include? Believe it or not, the Daily fail story on this seems to have the most information in it! It's the only article that clearly states that Helen Mullins couldn't claim JSA because she wasn't employable due to her lack of literacy and numeracy skills, and that she couldn't claim ESA because her disabilities weren't diagnosed. The other stories all gloss over that rather than spelling it out clearly.

Let me know about the Daily Fail link please - OK or not?

I would use whatever story gave most info. I think I read about it on guardian website. They had the video interview, if I remember rightly

The Guardian doesn't spell out just HOW people are falling through the cracks between ESA and JSa though.

God, that story is so sad. I feel chastened reading it. I am just so miserable that the couple were failed like that, in so many ways.

<<Works up a bit of a weary, jaded froth>>

Anyone know the best way to share a pdf with everyone? Can't post it to fb.

Font I use keep and share. You register, then you can upload documents and make them public.

I'll find a link to the site and post it in a minute.

Oh, for fucks sake.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8933237/Free-schools-and-academies-must-promote-marriage.html

Free schools must promote marriage.

What is PDF? I can put it on my blog and post a link, if that helps?

Www.keepandshare.com I realise I made it sound like it might be a very complicated URL

Tis the first draft of logo.

Lol at kate. Sounds interesting. Will check that out

http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/3324866/frothers-logo-v1-251k?da=y

Okay, can you see if that works please? Thanks.

Bugger

www.keepandshare.com/doc/3324866/frothers-logo-v1-251k?da=y

sorry

You need to click on the button on the left of the screen to make it public access. At the moment you need to log in to view.

ahhha like that?

Yes and it is beautiful. What a great job!

Okay, think that is working. Suggestions for changes, complete or minor, welcome.

Ooooh. I like it.

Think that the Frothers as title is great and TMC as logo/explanation works well.

Cool, thanks very much, it is okay if people want changes/don't like it i won't cry honest.

That's great! <<Bows down to FontSnob's techy ability that far outstrips her own>>

Now - I have a blog post written in word, but as I can't seem to log onto the toomanycuts blog, I have no idea how to effing post it. I thought about PM'ing it to someone - would I have to C&P to do that, and if I did, would they hyperlinks still work?

Disclaimer - I only know about hyperlinks because my 9yo DS1 taught me.

HELP MEEEEEEEEE! (Please!)

No it's great. Can you do a square one we can use as an avatar on FB and Twitter please? And then never, ever, ever put it next to the crapola I've put up on there for now

Just catching up.

Apologies, been rather busy. BUT tomorrow I'll sort out my google email then twitter stuff.

SEN provision in schools will be being affected. I'm looking into it.

Hyperlinks should still work but they may have to paste in HTML mode. Not sure in blogger.

Whoo, Font, that's BEAUTIFUL!

I'm writing another feed script to bring Facebook posts in to the blog, as well.
After that I'm demoting myself to author ... if I can resist the temptation to get all whizzy with overlays and sliders & things. Which aren't really necessary on a campaigning blog (trying to remember how much other work I'm putting off for this )

Have done all the basic SEO stuff, they should start crawling toomanycuts.blogspot.com over the next few weeks. I've also posted links to it everywhere I could think of. Please remember, Frothers, there's a reason it's called the Web. The more you link back to the blog (and Facebook page and Twitter group), the bigger Frothers becomes and the less They will be able to ignore us!

No, Font. It is great.

Wish I could do cool stuff like that. Do you use a particular programme?

Garlic - I give up on being all tech-whizzy. I'm tired. . All this frothing is very wearing. Can I just C&P my word doc for you to put on the blog (pretty please with cherries on top). <<Begs>>

Garlic
Do let me know if there is anything you need done. Am not great with code stuff (although I learned loads when blog was hacked and when I changed webhost recently) but am ok at basic stuff.

If I PM it to you, I mean? <<Gah>>

I'm making no sense now, and my bed is calling me - too many late nights and early mornings this week!

Kate, can you download these from keep and share?

www.keepandshare.com/doc/3324934/square-logo-264k?da=y

Square logo with added bits

Mme, adobe illustrator. Thanks everyone, tis always terrifying to share work!

Garlic thank you so much. You have done a wonderful, wonderful job. Can I ask you a favour? Could you get new blog posts to automatically feed through to the Facebook page please? (they'll auto feed to Twitter from there).

I like that the blog is clean with clear posts that can be read and the option to be commented, that Facebook is more interactive and Twitter is organic and busy. Hopefully something for everyone.

Now we have some infrastructure and people we need to finalise The Plan.

Can we have suggestions tomorrow and Monday and then if necessary i'll put together a survey to vote on anything contentious or where we should check grass roots support is there (it may not be necessary to survey).

Can I just say you are all amazing

Blogger usually interprets links correctly. There's also a linky icon in the editor, if you want to use that.

Hunty - Go to the homepage, then hover at the very top-right of the page. There's a couple of invisible links there, which will let you either sign in or 'Design'. Click whichever one it gives you.

When you are signed in, there are small tool icons around the page - mostly on the right - that you can use to get into admin, as well.

As soon as you're in admin, there's a Big Orange Pencil to click for writing a new post

Haven't read this, but like the title : bloggerfordummies.blogspot.com/

I can get on the page, I can click 'sign in', I can get into the bit where it comes up with the 'Blogger' page...but I can't seem to work out how to actually follow the frothers blog.

<<Dunce emoticon>>

Yep, Kate, will sort out the back-feeds tomorrow or Monday. Thanks for the reminder.

I'm sure I can download. I've viewed but on iPhone so not great access. I have a log in if you want to know who's using and downloading logo etc.

With the square logo the content needs to be in the middle-ish with a good indent from the edges because twitter chops things when uploading the avatar. As I found out by previously butchering perfectly good images

Heh, Hunty, you have the opposite problem to most people's

Just click on any old link to toomanycuts.blogspot.com to read it. When you're editing a post, there's links to Preview and View Blog at the top of your page.

Depending on how you like to follow, use the gadgets on the right to "follow" as a feed or something.

Does that help?

Okay cool, will sort that tomorrow, off to bed now, if it is easier for you then I can email them to you. Night all.

www.keepandshare.com/doc/3324961/frothers-square-central-logo-257k?da=y

Square central logo for avitar.

Okay, now i'm going to bed!!

Looks brilliant! Thank you!

Think I've got somewhere...but when I tried to post it, I get this message:

Your HTML cannot be accepted: Closing tag has no matching opening tag: STRONG

WTF?!

Now I am completely lost and . What is HTML? What is a closing tag? What is an opening tag?

<<Rocks and snivels in corner, whilst still attempting to froth>>

We could use the square image as a badge for our individual blogs, linking back to TMCs, couldn't we?

And links everywhere - so from TMC to our blogs and viceversa - on blog roll and in one or two posts.

I was thinking, could we get guest bloggers to write articles for us. For eg there is a tweet that links to a blogger with chrones (sp?) disease, who's blog is v good. If she could write a piece for us and link to us from her blog then we can start to link to a wider community.

Was thinking we could get a blog list going as well.

Also thinking that we need to start to collate all of these really good links to articles that people are posting/tweeting. Kind of providing a one stop froth shop to highlight all the shit in one place.

to frothingangry, who posted that on the blog for me. I really need to stop being so crap with computers! Will try to be better next time.

I'm going to start trying to write one on Workfare, will be ready to go up at some point next week.

Great post Hunty. Fucking dreadful that it's happening though.

also thinking we could do with a page/list of links to petitions.

Just checking in. I am so impressed by everyone's hard work. Unfortunately real life and vomiting children have been keeping me from my laptop but I will do what I can. I have managed to set up Gmail and twitter accounts, access the blog and like the FB page. Will now attempt to follow on Twitter (very scary but has to be done), providing nobody screams 'MUUUMMMMMM!!!!!!' in the next five minutes.

Also frothing mad about Wilshaw and his comments - a friend of a friend used to work for him and reckons he is a right C You Next Tuesday in real life too.

Checking in and marking my place. I have had family over until late last night so been kept away from the PC. Toddler DS is sleeping and DH is cooking a roast now so I have caught up.

I have PMed garlic my new gmail account. I have some stuff to write on Localism Bill, etc but I want to let all the CSA stuff run for a bit as its far more important.

Just read your blog post HuntyCat - it's great, well done. I just get so sad that this is happening, and nothing seems to be being done for those caught in this trap. As well as leaving people destitute, it contributes to that whole 'benefit scrounger' view of disabled people being somehow worth less than others. Too ill to work but (according to ATOS) not ill enough to claim ESA? Then of course by default they're pretenders, dossers trying to get on the sick.

It's shocking and sickening

Ah, there's so many issues with ESA that I don't know where to start. I could easily write a 10,000 word piece on it. I had cut the blog down by masses - originally it ran to 4 pages!

ESA claimants getting put on Workfare 3 months BEFORE they are possibly going to be classed as fit for work, Terminally ill Cancer patients not getting ESA if they take too long to die, Being unable to get JSA if they are not fit for FT work...the list goes on and on.

And as for the new Universal Credit - that's just going to make things worse. I suppose the only saving Grace is that the disability Working Group has won a small concession that people in residential care will now be allowed to keep their mobility component of DLA (as the Tory Cun ts were going to take that away...)

Hunty
Great post. It is such a shocking and terrible thing.

Can you do one thing though - could you "translate" the abbreviations? I don't actually know what ESA is, and had to think about JSA for a moment.

Some readers will know this, some might not. Might be good to ensure that we give a bit of background, or link to other sites where the reader can read up.

ESA - Employment and Support Allowance. Benefit that replaced Incapacity Benefit. Paid to people with disabilities that are out of work.

JSA - Job Seekers Allowance.

IB - Incapacity Benefit.

DLA - Disability Living Allowance.

PIP - What is going to replace DLA in 2014.

PIP - Personal Independance Payment. Will also replace Direct payments to disabled people who pay for their own personalised disbality help now. Will be subject to much stricter criteria than DLA is - and the DLA form is a 40-odd page form...

Direct payments - a payment from Social Services paid to a person with a disability in order for that person to pay for services that they may personally need in order to live independantly, like carers etc.

Maybe an idea for a separate post? The benefits system with explanation of who can claim what?

In ESA, there are 2 groups. One is the support group, for those that are considered to be so severely disabled that they will never work again. Which is meant to be only 5% of those claiming ESA, as far as the Government and the DWP are concerned - so only 5% of genuinely disabled people are allowed in this group.

The other group is the WRAG - Work Related Activity Group. They are expected to undertake courses etc with a view to moving them OFF ESA and onto JSA .

So 95% of people with disabilities are intended to move into the workplace.

Hope the Government and the DWP has told employers this...

However - The Governments OWN FIGURES show that they expect at least 20% of people that are moved from the WRAG onto JSA in the future will not meet the condidtions for CLAIMING JSA. In other words, they are not medically able to work FT.

So they will be too ill for JSA, but too well for ESA.

And I will fall into that category when DS3 turns 5yo (if it is still 5yo to be switched from IS to JSA - it will probably be 3yo for him...)

I'm shitting fucking bricks to be frank.

YY, Good idea, MmeLindor.

Yy to all of these ideas. Great stuff. I'm off to read Hunty's blog post and catch up.

I know HUnty I am too. I'm going through it at the moment. Like you I am capable but unemployable, but the ATOS people don't look at anything beyond what you appear like in 10 minutes on a certain day - no reference to consultant records or anything which would make any sense. I will prob be placed in the work group but no one will employ someone off sick so much in a fluctuating way. It's so frightening.

Shit. That means the whole ESA thing is a bomb waiting to go off and the couple who committed suicide were just a start.

I'd read about bits of this but having then all laid out is startling.

The good thing is that we have Frothers who are experts in certain area and those who know nothing. We must ensure that the posts are so explained that those who knew nothing come away with a clear understanding of the issue.

I am pretty ignorant of most of this stuff do am happy to be sounding board.

When dh lets me in pc, will add badge to my blog and page with description of what Frothers is about.

We should work on a mission statement which we can all use - I use basically same one in blog, twitter, FB profiles.

I have been warning my dad about this but he is convinced that his DLA is safe cause he is already a pensioner. He has COPD and uses DLA for mobility vehicle as he can't walk far.

Does anyone know how many people receive DLA? And how many mobility cars there are on road at present?

I thought I'd do a little survey and ask people how many people they thought were presently receiving benefits and compare that to reality.

Could be interesting

We could all post the survey on twitter/FB and ask friends to fill in.

I think it's something like 3 million? Not sure about motability.

Hope your dad is ok and his dla safe. My disease is under copd banner as well but not the usual copd. Horrible horrible thing. They will start ATOS assessments for all dla claimants from 2013 as well, intending no doubt to get many dla claimants off the benefit in similar style to ESA. It's so, so worrying

What is the difference in amounts received in DLA and ESA, and how does that compare to JSA?

Huge sympathy for anyone going through this - have had v bad asthma recently, where the spectre of not being able to work because of not being able to breathe raised its ugly head, and I really, really feel for anyone with COPD - must be v hard to live let alone worrying about working.

How to feed blog posts to Facebook - Not sure who owns the Facebook page?
Here are the instructions:

• Log in to Facebook with the correct account. Go to facebook.com/notes.php. Go to that address directly, as clicking the "Notes" link on your main Facebook page might not bring up the right link.

• Click "Edit import settings" on the left side of the screen.

• Paste our blog RSS feed into the "Web URL" field, tick the box agreeing with Facebook's terms of service, then click "Start Importing."

Our RSS feed is: toomanycuts.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Questions answered as best as possible:

MmeLindor - Yes, it is a HUGE bomb waiting to go off, is ESA. Why do you think the Government have issued the JCP staff (Job Centre Plus) with Suicide Guidance?

How many claimants? Well, for DLA combined with ESA, I'd guess at around 1.5 million? Maybe 3 million tops for total claimants?

His DLA ISN'T safe - in 2014 they are abolishing DLA, even those with lifetime awards will have to undergo a medical done by ATOS in order to claim the new PIP.

Breadandbutterfly - Simple explanation: DLA (Disability Living Allowance) is a benefit paid to cover additional costs caused by having your disability. It can be paid to you whether you are in work or unemployed.

ESA (Employment Support Allowance) is an out-of-work benefit for people with disabilities that either cannot work (apparently only 5% of people with disabilities according to the Government), or people with disabilities that mean they aren't available for work immediately.

JSA (Job Seekers Allowance) is an out-of-work benefit paid to those who are available and able to work FT.

Rates depend on ages etc. Take me, for example. I am a 30yo woman. ATOS class me as fit for FT work, yet my Neurologist will only sign a fit note stating that I am 'fit to work PT on light duties only'.

Right now, as DS3 is under 5yo, I get £67.50 Income Support each week as an amount for myself. I am under no obligation to seek work, as I am caring for a child under 5yo as a Lone Parent. JSA is also £67.50. ESA for the WRAG is £94.25. ESA for the support group is £99.85.

When he turns 5yo, I will not meet the criteria for Income Support, so I will be told to claim JSA. I will not be accepted for claiming JSA as I do not meet the Criteria that I must be available and able to undertake FT work. So I will have no money coming in.

I will then get told I need to claim ESA. When I go for my medical, I will be told (again) that I am fit for FT work. And therefore not eligible for ESA.

Then my only choice will be to appeal the decision not to award me ESA. Appeals are taking 6 months to be heard. That means I will have to go 6 months without any money. 70% of appeals are successful. Then, after a year, I will be transferred from the WRAG of ESA back to JSA. Where the cycle will start all over again, and leave people with disabilities without any income for roughly 6 months in every 18 months.

My head is spinning.

How can anyone in government even think for a moment that this will not cause massive suffering? They must know this.

I've had to take a break from frothing. I fear I may have a stroke or something I am so enraged.

I will be back to frothing tomorrow and will update FB with the blog feed (thanks garlic!) and the avatars on FB and Twitter and collate the thoughts for The Plan.

I have had to start a jokey chat thread and cuddle my family to feel better

Hello my friends

Am back from weekend away from t'internet

You are wonderful people, just caught up from the weekend

Nothing more to say for now x

HuntyCat - and yes all that for people who are already so, so exhausted and downtrodden by the very fact of living with chronic illness. It's so wrong, and yet there is this stealth campagn to label us all as feckless benefit scroungers. It's terrifying

I, for one, would be happy for a more twitter/blog savvy person to repeat anything/everything I have ever said on these threads

Some fabulous thoughts here that are singing only to the converted

I am so annoyed with myself that I am not better at the other stuff

At the risk of making you all froth yourselves into a frenzy, I am going to link to this blog.

http://brokensinglemum.blogspot.com/?m=1

Absolutely utterly ashamed to be British when I read something like that.

Yet another example of abhorrent plans to hit those who least need or deserve it:

Chemotheary patients to undergo benefit checks

<implodes>

Sorry, typing affected by froth.

Knotty
I read about that yesterday. MN may yet explode with frothy Frothers

Caitlin Moran tweeted to the single mum whose blog I linked to earlier, telling her she would like to buy her a bed for downstairs.

For some reason it made me cry. There is decency and kindness in uk. We just can't see it for all the fucked up austerity shit.

aww, Mme, that also made my nose prickle

I hate, hate, hate the way that the disabled, the ill, the poor, the trodden-down, the female sex are being targeted so shamelessly

That mum is a friend of mine from another site, MmeLindor. She's lovely and trying to deal with so much, more so than she blogs and tweets about - I hope she accepts Caitlins kind offer. India Knight retweeted her just after I did and was seemingly flooded with advice and offers for her then came the offer from Caitlin. So lovely.

Still all frothed out here but just like Arnie, I'll be back <looks menacingly in direction of parliament>

She's got an email from the senior producer of Daybreak brokensinglemum that is... God the power of a Times columnist RTing you!

So lovely to hear about those kind offers. I saw this blog post too on Twitter and was so saddened, looked through some of her other posts and couldn't believe the state of her damp house and how the council have just left it that way

It is lovely to hear of the offers, but how many more are living in that kind of situation. Hope she can raise awareness of the plight of many like her.

Macmillan's petition against DLA changes is here

I'm still fuming.

Dear Lovely Frothers,

I've done all the setting-up I intend to do on the blog, though it could do with loads a couple of tweaks that I think others are going to address. The fact that the blog, FB page and Twitter group have taken off so well after only a few days is quite incredible. We have the makings of A Movement on our hands here, and so we really should keep posting and sharing. Think of it as a small child destined for great things - keep feeding it

Here's a list of everyone who's said they want to post on the blog.

KateMiddIeton -admin (originator)
TeWihara - admin
FontSnob - admin
hermionestranger - admin
MmeLindor - admin
Hullygully - admin
ShirleyKnot - admin
lubeybaublely - author
BIWI - author
HuntyCat - author
northernmonkey - author
RoyalWelsh - author
AnyFucker - author
me - author
SardineQueen - author
FuckYouGideon - author
sunshinetoast - admin - not signed up yet
LaydeeC - not signed up yet
TapselteerieO - not signed up yet
adamschic - not signed up yet
tiredemma - not signed up yet
DrNortherner - not signed up yet
EricNorthmansMistress - not signed up yet
Miaowww - not signed up yet
Hassled - not signed up yet
TartyMcFarty - not signed up yet
blackout - not signed up yet
Scarletbanner - not signed up yet
razors - not signed up yet
Peachy - not signed up yet
woollyideas - not signed up yet
TuftyFinch - not signed up yet

Some people's invites went into spam. If you think you didn't get yours, please will you ask one of the Admins to re-send it and look in your spam/junk folder?

All of the Admins can make any changes to the blog. We are a startlingly talented bunch

Search engines pay more attention to sites with frequently-added content (Mumsnet gets crawled every couple of minutes) so it is important to KEEP WRITING! I know we're all so frothing angry, we definitely have plenty to say ... encourage others to post, as well

I'm having a break before getting back to reading & posting. Am full of frothy love for so much righteous indignation - and the determination to do something about this godawful mess!

xx

i'm really am confused by the blogs and just getting the hang of twitter, can work my way round fb tho

You can blog by email or text if that's easier? Go to settings in your posting dashboard here, then set up your phone or email to blog. With the email option, you mail your post TO the address you've just set up.

Garlic, stick me on the list, please.

<attempts to navigate Twitter again>

You've done a fab job Garlic - sorry I said I would help more and have been really busy! Will get down and have a play tomorrow

i'm shocked reading this

diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.com/2011/05/3-claimants-die-after-being-found-fit.html

Three cheers for Garlic!

Hip hip...

hoooraaaaaayyy

garlic is on the well-deserved beer'n'fags diet this evening

Knotty - saw the Macmillan's petition and signed, but what I simply cannot understand as with so many things at the moment, is how anyone can possibly think that is a good idea. What is wrong with some people?

froths yes, but despairs too

I'm not feeling particularly frothy tonight. In fact I feel quite de-frothed. I feel , and scared, I seem to be being hit from every and all angles, and I don't want to have to struggle any more than I already do.

Losing money from my TC's (works out to around £10 a week lost from April, plus I lose DS3's extra £10 a week in January, so by April I'll be £20 a week down), Charging me to use the CSA, and taking money away from what I'm meant to get, then after a few years to get used to that, I'll lose all benefits through the ESA/JSA trap.

So despondant tonight. Can't see a way out, can't see a light at the end of the tunnel. The only thing I can see at the end of the tunnel is no money to feed my dc with, no money to keep a roof over their head with. .

I need to have a night off from frothing and find some funny threads to read I think, to recoup some frothing energy.

huntycat i know its not allowed but ((hugs))

Come and join my made up stats thread Hunty. Have a night off.

Hunty
((hugs)) from me too. I have enough froth for both of us, and I am in the fortunate position of not being personally touched by these cuts.

I just don't know where to start frothing, tbh. I think we need a plan of froth.

So sorry, hunty xx

So narked am I that today I was wondering if it would be simpler just to grab a ConDem MP and punch their blinkered little lights out.

Was just a thought though.

A very nice one

Hunty, have a big hug from me too.

Come and play here. Just making shit up. http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/1356856-Made-up-statistics

Let's work on The Plan tomorrow. I may know some take journalists who could help.

Meant to spend the evening frothing but fell asleep instead. Sorry Hunty that you're feeling low. Fuck, this government is a pile of turds. we need to get all of these stories heard.

Been thinking some more (terrible habit), writing isnt my skill unfortunately but I would really like to keep contributing to the blog. What do people think of the idea of getting guest bloggers from other blogs to write for us? I would be willing to start to contact people to get the ball rolling. Hopefully this will widen our net a little in terms of audience.

Blogged about the CSA changes.

Won't post directly on TMC, but will add a link to my blog tomorrow.

I'd like to write a blog post about the new OFSTED chief, can someone PM me an idiots guide on how to register etc*

*disclaimer am very poorly today so head isn't functioning well but frith will prevail (said in John Hurt voice from V for Vendetta - an apt film I feel)

I'd like to write a blog post about the new OFSTED chief, can someone PM me an idiots guide on how to register etc*

*disclaimer am very poorly today so head isn't functioning well but frith will prevail (said in John Hurt voice from V for Vendetta - an apt film I feel)

MmeLindor, that's brilliant.

"Families are NOT companies. Children are NOT commodities"

That is a line to be tweeted.

Thanks Knotty.

LOVE LOVE LOVE today's blog post. It is fantastic.

So moving and well-written, and points out the often missed fact that it could happen to anyone.

Go Frothers, with you all the way!

I have added my blog to the Frothers blog roll, does anyone else have a blog to add and wants me to add it?

Journalist / Writer Bidisha has blogged about the #frothers here

Not sure if you've seen it yet

Oh, thanks Petite. Hadn't seen that. That is brilliant.

It is great to see that news is spreading a bit.

I have added a link to my blog post on Frothers blog, with back link to Shirley. Will ask MNBloggers if they can RT our blog posts.

Oh I am glad Bidisha has blogged. I PM'd her last night. That's v good of her because she had a deadline.

Yy to font's suggestion of guest bloggers. I have an email for the press office of Occupy London and there are loads of good people. I think it's very important to have links to other groups. No point in reinventing the wheel.

I like the idea we're a one-stop-shop for frothing. I will have a read and pop back later. I will try to answer the blogging stuff too.

I has to set up an email for the twitter account. It might be a useful general frothers' email for coordinating things?? It's frothers @ hotmail.co.uk without the spaces. Anyone interested in volunteering to keep an eye on it?

The blog has had over 1200 hits - that is a LOT for a new blog in the the first few days.

have popped something up, I hope it is OK, bit stream of consciousness. Wanted it alongside today's fab post as I think there is a distinct shared theme, hope that is OK?

That sounds a lot (I know nothing about these things!). Hopefully the coverage from Bidisha will move things a long a bit.

How do we get the blog to show on Google? When I do a search it doesn't appear although the FB page does.

I can track mentions using Google analytics. I will try to set this up to go to the frothers' inbox.

I found with google that too many other things have the phrase "too many cuts" so it doesn't come up straight away.

There are ways to manipulate google (in fact I'm sure there's several people on MN whose job it is to do this for companies!) I think it involves referencing and linking back to the blog as often as possible. So keep putting links to it on twitter on your fb page, blog etc and that will help move it up the list.

KnottyLocks Did you still want to be added to the blog (as a writer or admin?) PM me your email please (you need a google one).

I've just added toomanycuts and too many cuts to tags on the last few posts on the blog. I've also been clicking on the Facebook page via Google.

I'm hoping that will help??

There are such brilliant posts on the blog. Thank you Peachy for yours. It's really v good.

I am drip feeding them onto the FB page so as not to overload everyone and to allow a bit of discussion. If you're blog post isn't on the FB page yet don't worry - it will be.

Right - are we ready to standardise all the logo's?

www.keepandshare.com/doc/3324866/frothers-logo-v1-251k?da=y this one is for the blog

www.keepandshare.com/doc/3324961/frothers-square-central-logo-257k?da=y this is for twitter and fb.

Yes I'm just doing it now

Now, does anyone know about Twibbons??

oh crap. Why isn't that working?!

Oh, yes. Good idea with the tags. We need to make sure we put the relevant tags on - who is good with SEO?

I am trying out Stumbleupon for my blog atm, as a blogger told me that it was really good for getting hits on the blog. Seems to be working well, will see if it makes a difference.

Am I messing with you Kate? I'm on the blog right now.

oh bugger, it's because they're pdfs.

Has anyone got the sw to convert them? I don't think I have.

Oh, ladies keep going please, please, please

kate thanks so much for doing this, you are bloody wonderful

damn this RL and my lack of IT skills

If anyone has the time for the thicko's like me, and the lurkers who want to jump in but don't feel like they would be useful...could you tell us in simple terms how to help to get things bumped up (or whatever you call it)

do we click on the FB page, make a comment, or "like" things on there ?

I have forgotten how to get on the blog ...will have a go later

is posting on this thread still helpful...are there still links back to it ? Is people getting stuff off their chests just on here going to get seen anywhere else ?

sorry to be crap

I was just about to post can we have Jpegs, GIF or PNG files please!

I am in Twitter. The blog, frankly is beyond me. I am still applauding myself for adding a few tags.

FontSnob Can you convert your logo's please?

I haven't done much except delete the old logo and add a couple of blogs!

toomanycuts.blogspot.com

Tis not me AF! It's all of this lot <makes sweeping arm gesture>

I think we need a thread to attract people. Maybe an AIBU to think you look like a frother? With a link to the blog, FB page and Twitter hashtag in a fairly short OP saying what we are about.

Blog here: http://toomanycuts.blogspot.com

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/frothers

Twitter http://twitter.com/TMC_frothers @TMC_frothers

Twitter hashtag #frothers

Yes we are still weeping and gnashing of teeth on here - we definitely need a haven. It is hard work being frothy. I'm also noticing more threads appearing in a frothy vein across the boards.

Please engage with the blog and FB by commenting, liking, sharing etc. It does make a difference.

For those who want to help but don't do Twitter or blogging:

- "like" the Frothers FB

- comment on Frother FB posts and share them

- comment on the blog, add your experiences

- pass Frothers blog on to your friends/family

- post on here with ideas and stimulation. If you see an article that makes you froth, link here so that someone can pick it up.

- keep this thread bumped so it appears at the top of Active Convos

- if someone on FB or elsewhere comments on the cuts, mention the Frothers blog and the campaign

Linking in and out of the blog is always good.

only just found this new thread - thanks AF.

sad to say i can't read 15 pages - just haven't got it in me today. can anyone give me a brief synopsis of what i've missed? i've seen the fb page as someone sent me a link but don't know where the blog is or what latest plans of action are.

sorry had a really busy weekend and am under the weather with an infection.

I've just posted all the links SAF. But they're not hyperlinked for some reason. I will repost just the links here:

Blog here: toomanycuts.blogspot.com

Facebook www.facebook.com/frothers

Twitter twitter.com/TMC_frothers @TMC_frothers

Twitter hashtag #frothers

Have finally sorted G-mail account.

Great blogging post, Peachy.

Try this - Square Logo jpg

Does that work?

brilliant kate, I think it realy helpful to keep posting the URL of these things (for people like me who go away for the weekend and then forget how to navigate to them)

saf....look up there ^, it's there

Could you do the big one for me as well please Mme?

Or, AF, you could just favourite the page?

Full logo here

Am trying to put the square logo onto blog with link to TMC blog

Ooh err, I get an internal server error when I click on that link Mme

It is working for me, Kate.

Maybe cause MN went down for a moment.

I'm getting error now too.

I have to leave in a min anyway - are you alright sorting the now logo going onto the TMC blog then mme?

Apparently people are struggling to post comments ATM on to the blog. Anyone know why? (have been asked on FB)

Ok, have added badge to blog.

If you have a WP blog, here is how to add it to yours.

Step by Step Instructions

1. Right click on jpg logo here to save as JPG on your computer.

2. Upload into your media - make sure you have the right size - I have 100x100.

3. open another browser tab so that you can flick back and forth.

4. In new tab go into dashboard, then click appearance and widgets and choose text box. Drag it over to the sidebar where you want the badge to be. Click to open and c&p the code below, replacing the second URL (http://saltandcaramel.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/page00011-e1323084717610.jpg) with the URL of your saved media from step 2 (still open in other tab)

<a href="http://toomanycuts.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">
<img src="http://saltandcaramel.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/page00011-e1323084717610.jpg"> <a/>

- Save and close.

That should be it. I hope.

Will give it a go, Te.

Erm, I have no idea about the blog. I will have a look <sweats> <comes over all Corporal Jones>

I have downloaded the square logo from that last link

Have put new logo/title on blog. Is it too big?

It is a bit big. I think we should change the pale blue background to white so the logo sits in the page rather than on it IYSWIM.

I have a good froth photo we could swap the graffiti for but I have no clue how to upload.

I checked the comments Peachy I signed out and clicked on comments and it let me post fine. I selected anonymous too.

Yes, know what you mean. Shall I do that?

Have now sorted twitter account.

BerthaBerserker

It's a whole new world!

Need to be aware some people on my FB are complaining as frother is a nasty term for epileptic apparently. I did not know that.

Screenshot

Will make the logo smaller.

Have changed the colour and size of the main text, was not so easy to read the purple against the white background.

These are all in preview, so I can delete easily

oh, feck Peachy. That is awful. I have never heard that.

Hello #frothers.

I have just started following TMC on twitter.

My twitter is could do with a boost, so do add me if you like.

I am francistwins, and I sporadically tweet about not much at all.

Me neither Mme but epeilepsy is omething we don;t have

I thought 'frothers' had been run by Hunty for that reason.

Is that it? Thanks- can feed it back

Yes we did run it past Hunty. She said she found the term epileptic more offensive because it reduces her to a condition rather than a person.

I think any term when used in a pejorative way is offensive. I don't think this is. The intention is key and it's not a widely used term like reta*d or nig*er which are horrible nasty terms designed to hurt people in their use.

I appear to have broken Twitter...

Only thing I have found is this forum which is a gamer forum.

Urban dictionary doesn't say anything

I googled epilepsy and frothers and found more about milk frothers than anything else.

What do you think of the changes, Kate?

Also a term used by the surfing community.

No ref to epilepsy on the several google pages I've just checked through.

PM sent to submit blog post, much frothing from my sick bed!

And barristers. Lots of milk frothers.

Looks the same to me MMeL. Do I need to go somewhere special to see it?

People who commented have children with epilepsy- you'd be amazed how many words people can use aS NASTY LITTLE BULLYING TOOLS WHEN THEY WANT!

aS THEYA RE BOTH WELL KNOWN MUMSNETTERS HAVE POINTED THEM HERE.

Ooops sorry

Afternoon ladies.

Still tweeting like mad, sharing the blog. I am not much of a writer so will concentrate on spreading the word.

Screenshot of blog changes

Still need to change the size of logo

Someone tweeted me yesterday thinking we were talking about some online game.

I like. Can we make the blurby bit of text lef-aligned and black to coordinate with the logo? <chanels style and beauty types>

If I sent you the frothy picture would you be able to upload it instead of the graffiti? Or is that really complicated? [luddite emoticon]

Peachy I really hope we are not upsetting people. I'd like to think we're breaking any negative connotations but I am aware we are just a bunch of folk on the internet and not living with people's ignorance and cruelty daily.

<frets>

I can try. Do you have my email address?

Will look at the other stuff.

still can't access the bleeding blog..<more frothythan ever>

Yes. Will send it now. Am trying to put it on Twitter but it's just a bit short. v annoying.

ok, have a look.

Not sure about getting the blog description to be flush with the blog posts. Will have a search around and see if I can get it to work.

Looking good

I cannot get a big pic, it will only work if tiled.

Or should I replace with a different pic?

I think a different pic would be good instead of tiling.

Maybe Font could do some bubbles that would work being tiled?

Have used a frothy water scene that was on the standard pics.

Hi how do I go about submitting my blog post? Have got a gmail account and am following the blog currently.

It looks like brush strokes on my screen. Better than graffiti though I think.

I can't upload the image to Facebook because it's too small. It keeps going blurry. Will wait for Font I think

I am doing a lot of thinking

I really like the grey on that background. I think it looks good with the orange.

Now, what to do with Twitter...

Oh, great job guys!

Re: frothers, hunty okay'd it but yes, would hate to be hurting people also. I think we are extremely clear that we don't mean it in that sense at all, but we can always debate it again if the objectors want to come and say hi.

TeWi excellent post thank you- so different to the response people often get when raising issues.

Could you have a look at the Twitter page and let me know what you think please?

twitter.com/TMC_frothers

Twitter looks good too! The mini logo looks great.

The blog logo is bothering me slightly, I think the picture needs cropping and then reloading to make it align with the text? What does everyone else think?

I like it Kate, but think it would be even better if we could get blog back ground and Twitter background the same.

Visual recognition is very important, I think.

Maybe Font can think of something.

I can try that, Te. But it might be fiddly.

Yes, I did have a look through the code to see if I could centrally align the logo from there (and cheat) but it's really messy. Need to print it out and have a good look through, probably easier to try fiddling with the picture first!

Yes I agree. With all points.

Now to sort out Hully...

Oh yes, Hully... can you access any of the blogspot blogs?

what's the file name for the logo?

The file name? Dunno. I uploaded from my pc.

No she can't. I've just resent the invite. Then I will hold her hand and whisper encouraging words in her ear.

Would it help if I made the frothy photo bigger? If you tell me what size in pixels I can make it bigger. I've just worked out how.

I think google might have renamed it. bah.

Okay - how does that look?

the logo i mean

I like. Would anybody mind if I re-wrote the blurb underneath? I want to get in a short, punchy summary and the links.

I didn't think 'frothers' was offensive in this context - We are frothing with rage and indignation at the Government cuts.

Since my diagnosis of epilepsy 8 years ago, I have been called many things - Breakdancer, R****d, S**z, and many others, but I have never been called a frother.

To all the people out there with epilepsy, and those caring for people with epilepsy - we do not mean anything offensive. That was not our intention at all!

As KateMiddIeton says, I personally find 'epileptic' more offensive as it reduces me to my condition, rather than showing all the different facets of who I am.

Just looked at the blog (still waiting for email that can't get at yet for other reasons).

I think the main type body needs to be darker, it's very pale.

yy to blurb rewrite

This is the comment thread on Facebook to suggest things we should be looking at, examining, reporting on etc etc and campaigns we should be highlighting.

www.facebook.com/frothers/posts/211286135614338

Hully
I did change that to darker, but it must not have save properly. My pet hate is when a blogger uses dark background with white type, cause I cannot read it easily.

I don't bother reading blogs that I have to strain to read.

Kate
No, go ahead and write something else.

I like that, Te.

Maybe black font? High contrast is better for people with visual disabilities.

Twitter page looks fab cough splutter need more Lemsip

Have uploaded my blog post, hope you all like it, I am dying of man-flu so might not be totally coherent.

Hunty
Are you on FB? Do you want me to post your (excellent) comment on FB?

With the text, perhaps a little darker but with a blue tint?

Black on white is hard for a lot of people to read.

It will be strange to see my words loaded by me. It's dead eerie seeing your words being quoted and reproduced on the tinterweb, But also wonderful and lovely.

Should we have bi-lines on the posts for those who don't want anonymity? Obviously not a priority but it's nice to know who's posting what.

Clever lot you are

Am getting confused about who wrote what, but the Gove piece is fecking brilliant. Oh, checked it again. It was Norfolk. Well done.

Thank you bows

I'll post on fb in a sec. <<Too many windows open>>. My net connection keeps playing up too, which is rather irritating!

I have noticed that the blog is featured on MN Blogger Network. I will send them the logo to add to the featured blogs page.

The new blog posts by Norfolk, Peachy, MmeLindor and FrothingAngry are brilliant. Page looks good too.

Have posted my comment on fb now.

Excellent blog Norfolk about Gove /Wilshaw <spit>

Really pissed off about W's assertion that SEN is “too quickly used as a cover for not teaching them well enough in the early years”.

Really pissed off.

Yes, that comment was rather a jaw-drop-moment.

Right. Thought about using Twitter to our advantage.

Can you all have a think about your area of expertise and come up with a list of people and institutions who are influential in that area. Then we can follow them. Some of them will follow back, some will not.

So

Teaching unions
Charities
Campaigners

etc

And the MPs and ministers who deal with the areas that we are frothing about.

Anyone else?

Gawd, they'll be wanting to bring back the cane soon.

Just a bunch of bully boys.

And Think Tanks and other NGOs.

Have just followed CIPD for their press releases. I'm a member so can get full access to their website for bigger picture.

Education:

@timesed
@tafkam1979
@bob_the_teach
@rantingteacher
@schoolcouncils
@guardianedu
@ofstednews
@tele_education
@speakupteachers
@Chris_K_NASUWT
@nasuwtunion
@huffingtonpost
@christineblower
@pubsecbloggers

Funding to support children with additional needs in the early years of schooling is increasingly difficult to achieve, too many looking for support from a grant fund facing heavy cuts - even though we all recognise that early identification and intervention are the key.

Waiting lists for SALT are ridiculous as pressure on their cut back services increases.

Meanwhile the portage scheme for pre school age children has had its funding taken away, and highly experienced portage staff are losing their jobs, and families and children with complex needs are missing out. Portage was funded by the Department For Schools, Children and Families but now relies on fundraising. I've even heard of someone running a cake sale to raise funds for portage. It has come to that.

Really pissed off...

Yup SALT lists are ridiculous. I have spent £1,000 on SALT for my DS in the last two months. Every penny is worth it. He has language finally and every day he has more. He has no savings any more, but he has speech.

Have read all the posts now. Wow. Just wow. So powerful.

Thanks, Norfolk. Have followed them all from the account.

Norfolk that is a great post on the blog. Really, really good. I am saving it for the FB post tomorrow.

Who wrote the homelessness post? That was great too. Really accessible to the sort of people who should be getting involved.

@ukequality
@CarerWatch
@AfiyaTrust
@NASprof
@NIMHgov
@NatAutisticSoc
@MindCharity
@CarersUK
@CarersDirect
@CarersTweets

SLT is indeed awful for waiting

DS3 didn;t get any pre school, he was non verbal. The emphasis locally was with catching up on a backlog on school age kids.

When he got to school, they switched to catching up the pre school backlog...

in the end a charity arranged for me to eb taught PECS and within weeks he was talking. he will never be easily understood but has got so far now, and aside from memory issues that eman he can't go above three levels of operation his vocab is OK.

SALT is an almost non-existant commodity in my PCT. DS2 was put on the list when he was 18 months old.He got offered his first appointment when he was 4y10mo. By which time he was at FT school. When he did see the SALT - she said that I had done more at home with him that she ever would have been able to do in the 1 hour, once a week for 6 weeks that was the maximum she had funds to allow each child.

You read that right - 6 hours in TOTAL for a non-verbal dc with asd.

Thankfully, DS2 is 8yo now, talks well, though his syntax is still very, erm, unusual. But that's only because I had been through SALT with DD 6 years beforehand when it was still a decent service, and I knew what to do with him. If he had been my first non-verbal dc, I wouldn't have had a clue, OR the funds to pay privately!

Why can't I comment on the blog?!

KateMiddIeton - I am absolutely certain this is what they are hoping that families will do, go privately, but it's not fair.

well done to all the blog piece authors. am struggling to comment on the blog though, both my comments were eaten up. my comment on the gove piece was making same point re:SALT/early intervention/early years btw.

I felt like a sell-out when we went private but he'd still be non-verbal and unhappy if not. I should not have to make a choice between my principles and my child. So, so wrong.

The NHS reforms make me feel sick. Literally sick with worry. Once it's gone, that's it. It's gone

RBOTP and tocha are you trying to post anonymously or under your name?

HuntyCat & Peachy- bloody hell

Hunty
I got 10 hours of SALT for DD cause she was pronouncing sch and f/d wrong (in Germany) and the paediatrician wanted to send her for another 10 hours. He was not happy when I said the didn't need it.

They are very therapy happy in Germany. I don't know a child that hasn't had some sort of therapy, be it speech, ergo etc

KateMiddIeton - I wasn't trying to post anonymously, I was just trying to comment! And you're right the system is wrong.

I know of several children still in nursery classes who should have started in Reception this September. But there are no places and apparently no more funds or a desire to create any more, so these children will sit out the EYFS until they come of statutory school age (they are all summer born children as in 1st April-31st Aug) when something will have to be done, so on entry to Year 1. They needed to move with their peers on all sorts of levels, and they know they've been left behind. Tis all wrong, but you can imagine what the borough are hoping for...

@NASCampaigns

LMAO that people are shocked by rarity of services! I suppose with the boys and also my MA will be Autism I live with it so used to it. last week I was referred for emergency respite and HV support, on Tuesday, by GP and also Police who came to talk about something else and I burst into tears. Anyway, I ahd a letter saying that as no evidence of harm to children (and there never will be!), case file not going to be opened.

Just how it is: I knew it would be thus.

Mme Dh making noises about Germany as MA (a company not a qualification!) based there and he likes their work.

Don;t feel like a sell out for going private.

I am looking at starting a private ASD Consultancy (mainly for aprents but you know, whoever needs my help)- it isn;t what I think I should be doing with my skills but unless there is work out there, well... and if gets SOME help out there it is better and frees up resources.

Gosh that is awful about the schools. You're not my way are you RBOTP? I'm in Richmond where we are expected to pay for everything. There's v little postnatal/bfing support, disappearing HV service, huge SALT waiting lists, no Sure Start centre ever in Richmond - they want to move our current clinic to an area that is not accessible by public transport for some people currently served by existing provision - and there is virtually a done deal for a Catholic secondary school when we are two x secondary schools short of places. I'm a local frother too

Yes I meant comment. Sorry I'm not techy. I have tested the anonymous comment feature but not the non-anonymous comment feature.

I will have a look now.

RBOTP are you trying to post with an Open ID? It's asking for a URL when I try. Is that the problem?

Great new blog posts and the blog looks good as well.

Trying to keep tweeting and fbing but really have no spoons today. Would like to contribute poss about DLA changes to PiP if needed?

MmeLindor you are also wonderful

I'm going to have a bash at our mission statement. Any suggestions?

@Steve_JKPbooks

Just started following me and seems to be linked to social issues via his work. So worth a follow I think.

Ok I've faffed about with the comments feature. Everyone can post anonymously.

If you wish to post non-anonymously but without logging in to Google, Wordpress or any of the others on the list choose Name/URL and you will have the option to post your comment and your name. You don't need to put a URL.

Alternatively you can sign on using an OpenID if you use things like Yahoo, Flickr or Organge etc see here for more info openid.net/get-an-openid/what-is-openid/ but I'd just use the Name/URL or anonymous bit.

Let me know if it still doesn't work.

Ooh, whoever techy did the background change round the twitter box - looks really stream lined and professional. Wonderful job everyone.

The blog posts are amazing, peachy and the homelessness one really stood out for me today. I would be sad - but we are frothing dammit! There will be no sad only hope for change.

@occupybristol
@Occupy_Bath
@ProtestWatch
@BillyBragg
@suey2y
@age_UK
@goldylookfleece
@johnprecott
@patspetition

And yes Mme you ARE wonderful

And now I have to go make mince pies. See ya!

I might starting going back through the posts and adding the links to people to follow on twitter etc for each issue.

People who are writing blog posts now - if you could add a sort of appendix at the end of your posts with anything that can be done and people to follow etc, that would be grand.

Kate
I had a good one the other day there. Someone said something about the unheard and I made it into:

The voices of the unheard. Disappointed, disheartened but not defeated by the cuts

Oh

@jonsnowc4

as he is just tweeting that government's ESA mess has cost an extra billion.

grrr.

I do like alliteration.

Fighting for fairness

at AF and Peachy

Agree that the Twitter box looks fab. Who did that?

I did the Twitter bit. I shall shamelessly bask in the glory because for me it is the equivalent of Prometheus and fire.

<twirls>

Oh, you mean the Twitter box on the blog. I did not do that

No, I am v tech lite me. Obviously.

Have tweeted Jon Snow with link to blog.

Think that this could be highly effective. Aiming tweets relevant to the person, right after that person has tweeted.

We broke Twitter.

I would like to do a short info about the Frothers. Who we are, what we do etc. We could add an ABOUT page, perhaps.

YY to both MmeL's last two posts.

I'll have a stab at the mission statement and will post it here for shredding comments.

But first Murder She Wrote is on and I am ill.

oh, BendyGirl has just RTed our blog - she has tons of followers, and a great blog about the rights of those with disabilities.

hurrah!

Labour_News are following us...

Peachy - added a bit of extra info to your blog post, anything else you think should go on?

toomanycuts.blogspot.com/2011/12/behind-media-images-real-people-real.html

Yay! Some fab followers turning up- great news!

Fab TeWi- have just tweeted them to let them know they have been namechecked.

Whoever is in control of the Twitter feed could you let CarersUK know that we have added their petition to the blog?

xpost - all good!

Could somebody let AgeUK know we've added their winter death campaign too

(I would do it myself, but I'm in the TSA, if they look at my Twitter feed they will think we are all bloody bonkers!)

There's a petition from Macmillan re: benefits checks for Chemo patients. I'm putting it in with Hunty's ESA/JSA post but if a more appropriate blog post about ATOS assessment comes along I'll move it.

It's all looking terribly chic on toomanycuts now Congrats, whoever did it - FontSnob?

Have changed the twitter box to match - but used the grey text colour, as it was grey at the time! (I preferred the grey, but will make the tweets black if that's how it's staying).

Somebody needs to find the iframe tag in the template CSS and change the background to #fff. It's flashing green in Firefox.

Have done more link-promoting around t'interweb. And Mumsnet has accepted us into the bloggers network! Hurray! Thanks, Mumsnet
(Have forwarded their email to current admins).

Isn't this exciting? God, I hope enough of the right people listen. Keep posting, commenting, tweeting and FBing, frothers!!

Applauds Peachy - brilliant!!

I have tweeted Ed Balls - I am going to make it my mission to get him to have a look at our blog. I might be setting myself up for failure butit gives me something to do

Hunty made a few changes to your post toomanycuts.blogspot.com/2011/12/caught-in-trap-between-esa-and-jsa.html just let me know if you want to play with the wording/if I've got the extra bits wrong etc. Added the explanation of the initials and the macmillan stuff.

and can someone tell macmillan that we added their petition.

Actually, I guess I should add the carers petition and links to that one as well? Since it's all related.

...I'll stop spamming the thread now!

Any more relevant petitions/campaigns etc just let me know.

The addition to the blog post are fine - but I am planning in a few days to write a full blog post about the limitations to ESA for cancer patients - not only about the fact that they have to go through an ATOSsers assessment, but also about the fact that if their cancer is terminal, ESA will only be paid out for 6 months.

In other words - if they take too long to die,they can't get ESA for the whole period...

Just need time to write it, as too many things going on at the school, and other things in RL. Tomorrow night I am helping out at a fundraiser for my DD's best friend, who is suffering from Leukemia. www.essexfa.com/News/2011/11/CountySceneLocalNewsRound-Up.htm. Then I have to go to the PTA AGM (too many acronyms!) at my DS's primary on Wednesday, followed by the Christmas Carol concert on Thursday night - so if I am conspicuously absent in the evenings over this week, then I apologise!

<<Darn RL for getting in the way of good frothing time!>>

Te I've asked people to post on the Facebook thread so there might be something good there.

Do you want access to Twitter too? Then you can tweet what you need to? PM me and I'll send you details.

Oh you need to get this to the Nobody Likes A Tory people: they repost blogs on FB all the time and are excellent.

www.facebook.co/mindforbettermentalhealth?sk=app_216924904991602

This caught my attention by Mind - Fair benefits for Christmas petition.

Ah Excellent Hunty I missed your post - I'll move that over when you're done then.

That story broke in September I think? I've been wandering around like ever since. WTF would you penalise anyone for managing to die not quite as quickly as expected?! Just totally baffling and awful.

Erm... no, I'm alright Kate - tbh I'm heavily pregnant so you've probably only got a couple of days of me sat on the sofa all day and then I will have to take a break and leave you guys frothing without me!

Sorry about your DDs friend Hunty , I hope the treatment goes well - good luck at the fundraiser.

She being treated at Addenbrooke's. After being misdiagnosed with anorexia for over 3 months by our local hospital. .

<<Froths a bit more>>

She's doing OK, but has been undergoing treatment for quite some time now.

I just blogged.

Bloody hell.

the blog is looking fantastic - well done everyone

hunty can i pick your brain? when are those of us on incapacity benefit going to be hit with a changeover?

Addenbrooke's is a fab hospital - she is in the best hands. that they misdiagnosed her though. Poor girl.

I added a link to boycott workfare to your post AF. Don't know if the thread has seen the info about their campaign?

All changeovers from IB to ESA will be completed by March 2013 apparently. They started in April 2010. Mine was done in July 2010, because that was when my award ran out, so I was due for reassessment anyway.

Apparently my epilepsy vanished between when I was awarded IB in July 2008 (after 6 years of fighting for it!) and July 2010. I wish someone would tell my misfiring synapses that!

Oooh! I just Googled to try to look at the blog - and the top 3 results are us - on fb and twitter!! Two days ago there was nothing on Google.

sorry hunty. guess i have it coming then. my dla renewal pack is on the side in the kitchen and has been there some time - i just can't face it - i feel so convinced that even though things have gotten worse and i was hospitalised briefly last year they will decide i'm suddenly magically fine now

Nobody like a Tory twitter page

I have sent them a link to the blog.

youth homelessness is on the rise

Good work all

And AF? A blog post? Fark me! Tis brilliant btw.

Te you sure you couldn't juggle a newborn and all this fab stuff you've been doing? I'm sure if you can do tinterwebby stuff you can do anything

and channel4s empty homes campaign?

maybe a blog post in those two?

Or an addition to the earlier homelessness post?

So much frothing since yesterday! I'm off to catch up. Frothed a lot in the staff room at work today. Got myself all angry.

Weeeelll DD is at pre-school 9hrs a week...

I'm happy pootling around looking for campaigns. It's nice to bring the froth together with the solutions.

SAF - what are you claiming IB for? Some things get more descriptors than others under ESA - but the descriptors are notoriously hard to find online, whereas for IB they were freely available. With a little digging, I might be able to find them again (should have saved the link) and see if you can get the 15 points you need for ESA under various descriptors. PM me if you don't want it to be general knowledge. It might have to wait until after 9.30pm-10pm ish though, need to get the dc's to bed before I start hunting for the descriptors!

TeW, I didn't think about adding BoyCottWorkfare to my post, thanks.

Am megabusy today, so just went in off the cuff. Ta for that, brill idea.

It's a great post!

Having so many blog author's is working so well - everyone has a different angle, knows about different bits and pieces and it's all flowing together perfectly.

WOW über productive day of frothing. Blog looks great, can only claim the logo, everyone else did the hard work garlic! Sorry for not thinking about jpegs for you.

Okay am going to mark some work then will start to email some bloggers about guest blogs.

I can't believe how fast this is going!

Fabulous.

Did we come up with The Plan? Do we know what our aim is. Is it to highlight the awful decisions that the Tory govt are making? Or do we want to do more than that?

Latest from Gove & the Tories bastard scum

Academies must teach only about heterosexual marriage or face having funding removed. What the actual FUCK ?!

Hope everyone knows that I don't think we need guest bloggers because you aren't amazing. Just need to spread the word beyond mumsnetters.

How about a sidebar (or end of post) link to writetothem.com?
Plugin code here.

How would I go about getting the blog to show up on Google?

just been reading the blogs, just can't believe this is britain 2011

you guys are great

but this has had me frothing today www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16026827

Yes, FontSnob, I was just thinking about guest bloggers! They can add real clout (and publicity) to the campaign.

You're doing a brilliant job. Hope you're feeling the love from here

Oh yes - love that idea garlic.

This is what I am frothing about today

I'm having a bash at mission statement and strategy. When I've finished I'll upload for critiquing but currently doing bedtime.

Oh, #frothers is being picked up by other groups. Just saw a tweet with it from ukequality

blackout - am i right in thinking he is talking about selling the 'database' that is our collective health records?

huntycat i will pm you later but please don't put yourself out. i hadn't even heard of a 14point system. trying to avoid crapping myself as i'm going through a load of med changes at the minute so have enough on my plate.

Hunty, we have to wait for Google to notice it! The more gets written, and the more it's linked to, the faster they'll come.

Like this toomanycuts.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/frothers twitter.com/search/%23frothers

saf yes, he is advocating "sharing" confidential NHS records with "private companies"

they pay for the info, and supposedly it will be useful for research and marketing purposes

did anybody ask us, the patients, if we were happy with it though ?

I must have missed that memo

WTF???!!!

Why not let my GP post everyone's health details in the local paper?
Oh, and then we can put ATOS's opinion next to it - for fair comparison.

MincePie OMFG

Bloke at UKequality is a good 'un (only saying that as he called my posts genius a few weeks back for followfriday )

Oh yes the medical data

suppposedly anonymous

honest like Gov

9and I am in a research field for my MA so of the type that could benefit: still a no-no!)

won't be researchers it will drugs companies and private healthcare providers looking for gaps in the market, ways to sell etc.

cynic.

hunty i found the physical and mental assessment criteria. does the fact i am (hopefully still will be) on dla make any difference? qualifying for dla is a nightmare so surely that would be enough to prove you qualify for esa? oh fuck. wish i hadn't looked - the whole thing looks a nightmare - tests being done by someone you have never met before being forced on the spot to tell them really private stuff even if they make you so uncomfortable your mouth welds shut.

joy. that's gonna be nice for abuse victims for example isn't it? being interogated about why they can't work - what sort of flashbacks they get etc whilst freaking out in panic mode - joy joy joy

Kate & all, I like the way posts are focusing on a single issue to highlight the general problem (a fuckwitted, inexperienced government who are too easily swayed by shysters). The cockups are emerging so thick & fast, it's impossible to pick specific areas, imo, and doing so might muffle the overall message.

The biggest point has to be that people don't KNOW about this stuff! So we're telling 'em.

I feel we should be issuing more calls to action, though. Your idea about adding links to activist groups / more information looks to be working well, and I would like to see permanent links for WriteToThem.com and any other relatively unbiased action groups.

BTw, anybody who feels a blog post coming on ... I'm no longer an admin. Current list is here, though Te will be off giving birth any minute now!

I don't mind taking it up again in a week or so, but reckon it's doing very well at present

pshaw. Post listing bloggers is here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/politics/1355457--frothers-Unite-Time-for-change/AllOnOnePage#28827792

SAF, no, DLA is completely separate. Plus, as you know, your doctor's evidence is considered unreliable

Can you access this test? Not sure if you need to be a member, have a go.
www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/med2/indexxx.php

yep wants to 'work' with private companies. no mention of payment tho but i don't think he will past it on out of the goodness of his heart.

the real scary thing is ''Closer collaboration could also give companies more freedom to run clinical trials inside hospitals'' which to me is X company says i'll give you Z amount of money to use our drug over another brand.

He is selling the NHS

also i really really do NOT trust this goverment with any personal details. wasn't long ago when official docs were dump in public bins and also this... www.publicservice.co.uk/news_story.asp?id=17467

Being on DLA makes no difference - but be warned. If you are refused ESA, and your DLA is up for renewal afterwards - if the DWP/ATOSsers have passed you as fit for FT work - it can (although it shouldn't as DLA is meant to be for people in work as well as out) affect your DLA renewal.

And given the link in KateMN's thread in the CSA campaign thread - That will be even worse under the PIP/UC - as they will be information sharing between ALL agencies, which opens it up that if you fail an ATOS assessment for the disability element of UC when ESA goes in 2014 - you will automatically fail to get PIP too.

On the first paragraph in my above post - It happened to me. Was refused ESA, not even put in WRAG. DLA renewal 1 month later (before any appeal was heard even) got refused as I had been passed as fit for FT work against the advice of my Neuro...