The Welfare Reform Bill

[omaoma]

she's called Mrs Pat O'Nions see here

Only 6,000 people have signed her petition because... I don't know why anybody wouldn't sign it, so hoping it's just lack of awareness and am posting here.

The following blog post - Where's the Benefit - by Lisa, about how the government's proposed and imminent welfare reforms are going to affect real, breathing people, is what got my attention:

"The Welfare Reform Bill is only one Lords reading short of Royal Assent. Then that's it, all hope is lost and I have that deadline of 2013 when my life will actually become unliveable. I don't want to die; I may not have grand dreams any more but there are simple things I still want to do in life: I want to learn to sing, I want to go to Comic Con. Things I can't afford to do even now... I've got a feeling of this ominous deadline when I lose my DLA in 2013... It's almost impossible for me to even visualise 2014... I just see darkness.
"The current feeling of sadness is compounded by the fact that it doesn't need to be this way. People could have fought against the Welfare Reform Bill but they chose not to. I've always been acutely aware of how much society hates me because I'm disabled; the disablist-motivated abuse when I was in primary school made sure I had it drummed into me for life that I am a second-class citizen. I had thought things were getting better in recent years with things like the Disability Discrimination Act, but clearly I was a gullible fool.
"This year has seen a cornucopia of anti-cuts activity, but most of it has been geared towards saving libraries and trees. I don't see it as a zero sum game, I've campaigned about issues other than the WRB. But apparently the mainstream left does see it that way: The anti-cuts movement chose to fight to save libraries rather than lives. There's nothing quite like that knowledge to really make you feel despised."

"I beg of you, please don't just read, be horrified and pass on. Please do something."

Provocative? Yes. Worth 2 minutes of your time? Surely.

Of course you can take an interest in your home country. I take an interest in my home country but I suppose my focus in now on the UK since that is where my DH(British) and I live (and pay most of our tax).

My big issue with the welfare state in the UK is that it has become a way of life not just for the unemployed or "working poor" but for a fairly significant majority of the middle class. Something like 30-35% of benefits go to those on higher than average household incomes. Until recently you could still get tax credits earning up to £58k! Totally daft. Housing benefit is another example of a benefit out of control. The government becomes the driver for marginal pricing of rents, pushing up rents and making BTL far too attractive.

Now housing benefit is not the only reason for stupid house prices in the UK but every single factor that can reduce house prices is a good idea. Short-term lots of pain but long-term an absolute necessity.

I agree that it is wrong, that successive governments have been lax in not getting the housing market under control. But while the house prices rose and rose, everyone was happy.

And to say, "oh, sorry, the development of the last 20 years were wrong, now we will just cut your benefits" is wrong too.

this is an interesting graph and it shows how much we are spending on Housing benefits.

Frankly anyone who thinks homelessness (and the resulting costs in emergency housing which will be via expensive, private b&bs etc) which will happen if housing benefit is cut dramatically is an acceptable or cheaper solution is a fool.

Mme.

So your brother in your own words isn't very ambitious and could be head chef but doesnt want to because he doesn't like paperwork.

Completely fair enough. But then obviously his pay will reflect that. I started off in a call centre and even took a paycut to work there. I don't work because i love it. I work because i have to/want to provide a standard of living for my family.

If he's happy doing what he's doing then fair do's. Entirely up to him. If he wants to earn more then he needs to accept he needs to DO more. The government shouldn't be compelled to raise the minimum wage just so he can earn more money.

Niceguy
you completely missed my point. He is able to live ok because he lives in Scotland. If he were a chef in London, he would not survive without government assistance. He is father of two kids, his wife is studying this year in the hope of getting a job once she is qualified.

He is not suited to be a head chef. Some people are not.

And even if he was, someone has to be sous chef. And do you think he would be earning £40k if he were a head chef?

There are very few chefs in London earning that much, but they all have bills to pay.

because it makes the haters feel better.
people dying is going to continue, but as long as it saves them a few £ what do they care, disability or ill health won't happen to them

Apparently 30 IB claimants have died while awaiting appeal hearings after having been declared fit for work! Neatly all died as a result of the conditions they were claiming IB for.

Makes you think doesn't it?

It does, i had to appeal a decision i was fit to work, despite having epileptic fits at least every other day if not every day! Yet i knew someone who said they were alcohol dependent and got put on IB. So it doesnt seem fair. I think some people arent doing their jobs properly, just cos someone says they would like to work it doent mean they are physically able to or mental capable of work.

Even the Daily Mail are voicing their dissent!

www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2084706/David-Camerons-Welfare-Reform-Bill-Hiding-truth-way-achieve-it.html#ixzz1j4b9OJ6H

AIBU about the government lying about DLA is also worth looking at as it fits in with this thread.

I worked (even when a single parent), and paid contributions for 33 years. This was supposed to be insurance against dying of health problems unnecessarily, or dying of starvation for lack of money for basic needs. The NHS struggles to diagnose my health problems, whilst the DWP insists I should attend preparation-for -returning-to -work interviews (although I am not fit to do so). Should I just drop dead, and save them money on all fronts? It's not as if I can take back my contributions, and pay them to a private insurance company, which would be legally bound to honour their commitment, is it?,