I. Daniel Blake

[fem2019]

Anyone else watching this tonight? (NC due to an outing comment I made recently). Saw it when it first came out and as a SP some of it hit home. As a statement of how it is to be without resources it is bang on. Be interested in what MN thinks.

If you are employed on a self employed basis, or zero contract hours you don't have any sickness benefits.

In fact, I don't think you do for the first two years in any new contract now. Employers can just get rid of you because they can within those first two years.

He could have been self-employed. Or off for a long time and exhausted his sick pay.

In fact, I don't think you do for the first two years in any new contract now. Employers can just get rid of you because they can within those first two years.

You have SSP rights from day one. You don’t have the right to not be dismissed for any non-discriminatory reason for 2 years.

Ah, thanks.

He wasn't off for a long time and exhausted his sick pay. He went from having worked for years and years to having a heart attack and being unable to get disability benefit. Why was his employer not expected to pay sick pay?

Did they explicitly say he was employed? Common for joiners to be self employed.

Too many people have no idea how bad it is - and sadly, many of those won't watch the film writing it off as one sided. Thankfully, I've never had to use the benefits system. My only interaction reinforced the DWP attitude in the programme.

DSis ran a successful business, employing 25 people. Single parent, two DCs. Long story short, a problem with suppliers ended up in bankruptcy and homelessness. She got through that and got a PT job that required driving. She had a seizure, and unfit to drive so medically retired. Initially the benefits system worked okay. Unfortunately she was then diagnosed with brain tumours and scheduled for surgery. She had a PIP assessment scheduled the day after the surgery. I called to cancel - surely brain surgery was an acceptable reason?

I was told that unless I was an "appointed person" I was unable to cancel the appointment and there would be an automatic sanction and benefits stopped, but not to worry, she can appeal once she's better! This is a mother with two children and bills to pay. Despite having power of attorney, letters from the oncologist, etc her benefits were stopped. I started the appeal process, but there is a bizarre rule that they phone you back, and if you aren't free to take the call, you have to restart the process. I was working FT, supporting my DSis in hospital 150 miles away, and her two DCs 200 miles away. I couldn't always answer my phone. Dreadful, dehumanising system, and of course, it's designed to be like that, because benefits "shouldn't be a lifestyle choice". I fail to see how it could be!

Sorry long post. Just wanted to demonstrate that anyone can end up on benefits, (even successful home owning business people!)and even the "deserving cases" are treated like shit. Thankfully, the Mcmillan nurse sorted out the benefits and once the terminal diagnosis was made there were no more assessments in her last 18 months of life.

Olly so sorry for your loss. Horrendous.

I work on the ESA enquiry line. I speak to people in situations like this, every day.

I will say, myself and my colleagues will always do everything we can, to help our customers. Contrary to popular belief, we do care. I’ve been in tears after calls before now.

Have recorded it and will watch later.

You do realise that under Socialism (that 95% of the idiots on here seem to love), he would be even more fucked? Do some research.

that you Trump?

I watched the film when it came out. I'm not ashamed to say when the woman was stopped for shoplifting sanitary protection and a bottle of deodorant, which the male shopkeeper allowed her to keep, I cried. When she was shovelling cold baked beans into her mouth with hunger at the food bank, I was I bits.
Since that day, I have always made a point of popping a couple of packs of sanitary towels and basic toiletries in the food bank collection.
I've always been in a fortunate position where me and my DH have always worked full time, however who knows what's around the corner.
Whether you think the film is true to life or not, and I believe it is, the point is, it made people think, made people aware. If like me, it made people donate regularly to food banks and view others less fortunate with more compassion, then it's achieved what it set out to do.
I feel desperately sorry for anyone who is in a nightmare situation through no fault of their own.
Even more shocking for me is that this country, the 5th wealthiest in the world, allows its citizens to be treated with such breathtaking contempt and poverty.
I ask all you ladies on here, the next time you go to the supermarket, pop a pack of sanitary towels, even the own brand ones at around 55p or a bottle of shower gel into the food bank donation.
One day it could be you, your daughter, sister, aunt, anyone.

I brought it on DVD because I was a social worker and had heard great things about it but didn't like it as much as I expected to.

It was good, but not as good as Kathy Come Home as that was grittier. I thought it had a few patronising stereotypes of wc ne people (I'm a Geordie myself) and the characters were nicer and more polite than people are in real life. It was a bit cringey at times.

I think if it draws attention to the plight of people who are stuck in the system, then it's achieved something, but it could have been harder hitting and more realistic in terms of the people portrayed.

I’m in tears after just watching this on catchup

Knittedmouse.
Cathy come home, also has me in bits, no matter how many times I watch it ( have it on DVD )
But the two films are focused on the issues of their times.
Both are gritty and hard hitting.

Yes, I won’t forget this film for a long time

I only watched a few minutes (I wasn't in the right place emotionally) and saw the struggles he had using a computer to claim - there's such a presumption that everybody now has computer skills, everybody has a smart phone, everybody has catch-up. It drives me nuts!

I'm fortunate never to have been in such a desperate situation. I did however have my eyes opened to the attitudes of staff in JCP branches when DH was claiming. I'd been out of work for three months and claiming, visiting fortnightly, here's my nicely-written out list of job applications made, etc - admin is my strength, but DH is different. When he was laid off and had to claim, they patronised him, they spoke down to him, they belittled him for struggling with forms, and they made hi attend weekly. There was absolutely no difference in our claims, but he was treated very poorly in comparison, I can only wonder why.

Yes, I watched the recent programme on Universal credit and it seemed a lot of people struggled as they couldn’t access the internet

I watched it on DVD when a friend of ours recommended it. His DD had been on benefits for a time as she has mental health issues and she told him that it was exactly like that at the Job Centre - she had been treated that way.

Another friend of ours worked at the Job Centre for many years. She left a couple of years ago because it had got so bad - and she's not the sort to give up easily.

Saw it a while ago, utterly heartbreaking. Ken Loach did a film many years ago called Cathy Come Home, on the theme of homelessness. It's very old now, but still relevant.

Same here. Cathy Come was discussed as still relevant a while ago, I wasn't sure then, but I think I am changing my mind about that now.

Oh Olly that's dreadful. I am sorry.

😂

The trouble is with anything like this is that the people who need to see it, won’t see it. They won’t watch it.

I think they should make it compulsory viewing for anyone in the government and for anyone taking politics at A level or degree level.