To ask you to object to this? Pre-paid benefits cards

[LuisSuarezTeeth]

a step too far

We're talking about human beings.

Thanks Arsenic and those that have already signed.

Never mind... I didn't really expect an apology from the person who insinuated said I'd like to see disabled babies exposed at birth!

Just the usual MN hyperbole that can leave the person it is aimed at feeling sick, but the writer probably continues to feel smug, a point well scored.

Hey ho!

Nomama, if you felt sick at obvious hyperbole in one post on the internet, extend your imagination for a moment and imagine how sickened vulnerable people LIKELY TO BE ON THE RECEIVING END of IDS's lovely little scheme feel.

Knowing, as they do from experience, the likely negative outcomes of this. And knowing as they do that there is NO slack in their existence at all, and that all further inroads - and there have been many recently - into their budget or flexibility will cost hunger, pain, worsening illness.

And then imagine how they felt reading your blithe little, "Ooh, but it's a lovely idea. Let go of your fear and believe in the benevolence of IDS and bureaucracy and, well, just HOPE! It'll be FINE!"

They know that, when the predictable happens, you get to shrug your shoulders and walk away. They don't.

If I had said any of that I would have to accept it. But I didn't, at any point. OK, if you take a sentence out of any post you could probably 'prove' whatever you want.

But anyone who wants to can go back and read what I actually posted!

I am just a bit pissed off at the sheer spite of some posters on a number of threads. That one post was breathtakingly out of the blue, non sequiteur, nasty.... yet no one spoke up. Why?

Oh yes, I am, apparently, not in need, on benefits, or maybe not fully human, so I don't count!

For someone complaining about other people's hyperbole...

Couldn't have put it any better PausingFlatly - I think SO many people are so misinformed about welfare benefits, and just believe what they read in the tory press. IDS is one of the worst Tories ever.....and that's saying something. This business of these vouchers being available for volunteers is just the beginning - it won't be too long before they are "rolled out" for anyone on benefits cus they don't deserve to be able to have anything that might bring them a bit of pleasure.

This govt has taken us back to the Poor Law in the 19th Century - they are an utter disgrace. As for Clegg I can barely believe his speech at the Lib Dem Conference - he wants to be judged on his performance in the coalition...........ok rolling over and agreeing with the Tories - he has been up Cameron's arse for 4 + years (sorry I know that's a bit course) and now he is busy slagging them off..............pathetic.

I have been a lifelong Labour voter but I do despair - Blair sold the party down the river as far as I'm concerned and I think the last good socialist was the late John Smith who died in May 1994. I don't know about EM - the silence on policies is pretty deafening and he says he's going to follow the Tory's austerity programme............so what do we do? Damned if I know.

Stop digging at me. I don't feel smug. I do look after three people with disabilities, four when ds is home from uni. I don't have time to feel smug.

NanaNina Vote Labour and start sticking the boot in the moment they get in office

(or vote Green if you're in a constituency where they have a hope in hell).

Dawn, you know that about you, I don't/didn't.

How much do you know about me and my family? Are you aware of any disabled members of my close or extended family? No?

But you did jump to a nasty conclusion about me and my thoughts, totally unfounded and, after a couple of days, I am still utterly pissed off at the weird aggression of it.

Maybe if you, and others, read back what I have posted, without wanting to make me the person they can shout at from a safe distance, you, and they, might realise that I didn't say anything you ascribed to me, I certainly don't hold the thoughts you ascribe to me and am absolutely certain that I wouldn't be as judgmental and poe faced, anonymously on line or on real life. I would at least try to retain a little bit of awareness that there is areal person at the other end of any post.

I am not digging, I am truly upset by the crap posted at me here. I feel so ridiculous and yet so fucking angry about it... but again, that doesn't matter does it.. it is all hyperbole and I can be mocked - again!

And for what? For not wanting to leap onto yet another petition that had no clear information, no clear explanation and expected to garner support by dint of, as it turned out, emotional blackmail - as I am obviously a very bad person for not agreeing!

And yes, I am that angry. Angry enough to press post, even though I know full well this will read like the wild muttering of an unhinged idiot. THAT is how pissed off and upset that one, point scoring, off the cuff remark made me.

Nomama - I haven't read all the posts so haven't followed the "conversation/debate" and don't know which posts you are referring to. What I wanted to say was that I think if anyone can get really upset/angry about posts, then it's probably better not to use an internet forum. We are all just anonymous bits of text on a screen after all and I can see you are really hurt/upset/angry - it really isn't worth it - life can be difficult enough at times.

I think sometimes it is easy to tap away on our laptops/phones whatever and say things that we might not say in RL. I am not referring to anything in this debate as I haven't followed it, but am just talking generally.

So.

Nomama gives her opinion.

Dawn gives hers.

Both posters offer interpretations of what has been said - by politicians, each other and extrapolation of reports. Clearly I am not in favour of this policy/idea/proposal. Nor am in favour of posters being directly upset by the thread.

What I will say though is if you have a strong opinion and you are prepared to post and stand by it, you should expect the same in return.

Thank you OP for starting this thread.

Also thank you to Garlic, Dawn and Maryz for your posts you have saved these old fingers of mine a lot of typing, I fully agree with everything you have said.

Territ please offer valid evidence for your "work shy scum" comment... Valid meaning not anything that IDS has spewed out of his lying mouth or that the Daily Fail/Sun and like minded media has printed. Otherwise keep comments like this to your ill informed self please, whilst I believe everyone has a right to their opinion, it should be put forward in a civil polite manner.

PausingFlatly Thu 09-Oct-14 18:30:08

Thank you very much for this. It's so hard to express without letting the despair & fury infect my posts so much that readers switch off.

I'm not joining in the general parsing of nomama's posts. She has said some compassionate/reasonable things, along with a fair amount of ... lofty detachment, it seems to me. It's incredibly, urgently important to keep describing what it's like to be living in IDS's ever-closing poverty trap - and reiterating that it can happen to almost anyone; most certainly will to many.
I'm grateful to everyone who does so.

diaim, I need all the affirmation I can get on threads like this!

Garlic you have my support as does dawndonna and others. Whats happening is inhumane

Thank you.
Unfortunately Dh saw some news yesterday, I try to keep it from him a lot of the time because it stresses him out. I've been up half the night trying to convince him that he really isn't going to lose his DLA (again).
This government has done nothing but attempt to control by fear, victimise and increase disability hate crime. I know I go on about the insidious little narrative they spin for the press, but it's working. Intelligent men like dh are now terrified. Dd doesn't like going out into cities because even though still at school she gets called scrounger if she uses her stick for a short while rather than her chair, even though it's good for her to use her stick. The government line is working and there is proof of that on every benefits thread on here and that is terrifying. Is it any wonder those of us that are experiencing these realities get on our high horses, we are put into positions daily whereby we are forced to defend our positions, and the discussion of this scheme even forces us to defend our budgeting decisions. What the hell is right and proper about that? Who else has to defend what they purchase, how they pay their bills and how often they fancy/think they deserve/want a bloody glass of wine, or a piece of cake?

Dd doesn't like going out into cities because even though still at school she gets called scrounger if she uses her stick for a short while

It's remarkable how fast is the transition from "All those scroungers pretending to be sick - oh I don't mean genuine sick people..." to "All those sick people scrounging."

Sick = Scrounger
is a nice simple equation, easy to grasp. And many have.

Just to add to Pausing's last comment. As a person with various disabilities and a child with autism. I would say. ANYONE who is recieveing ESA and/or DLA/PIP are GENUINELY sick/disabled. There is NO possible way anyone can 'blag it' nowadays, no way at all. So all the talk of scroungers and malingerers is invalid.