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MNHQ

EDCM Campaign against cuts to benefits paid to parents of disabled children

384 replies

KateMumsnet · 12/12/2011 10:08

Hello

Today Every Disabled Child Matters, with whom we worked on our Respite Care Campaign, is calling on the government to rethink its decision to cut support for up to 170,000 families who have disabled children.

The Welfare Reform Bill proposes to cut benefits paid to low income or out of work families with disabled children by 50%. This amounts to a drop of £1400 per year - although these families often face higher basic costs than others, and may also find it harder to get employment which allows them to continue caring for their children.

If you'd like to write to the PM and ask him to reconsider, EDCM have made it easy to do so via this link. And don't forget to let us know what you think here on the thread.

Thanks

MNHQ

OP posts:
Dawndonnathatchristmasiscoming · 14/12/2011 15:24

ellis I'd like to point out that Teachers, Firemen, Nurses, Doctors also come from people working hard to support.
Carers save the government significant amounts of money per annum. Far more than you pay out in benefits.
I've said before, there are four disabled people in this house, they need a great deal of support and I do it without help, I lost my respite care a fortnight ago, two very precious hours a week, gone, due to cuts. I haven't had an unbroken night for sixteen years. I work an eighteen hour day without holidays, breaks, nada. Taking money, be it benefits or other from any family with disabilities is wrong. Yes, we've all got to tighten our belts, but for crying out loud, why pick on those most vulnerable.

tabulahrasa · 14/12/2011 15:37

The difference between middle and high rate DLA is not severity of disability - the biggest factor is whether the child is up at night needing care or not.

So you can have a child needing much more care, but sleeps better than one needing less care and the second child would be the one getting high rate DLA.

Peachy · 14/12/2011 15:41

Exactly Tab

In terms of life outcomes ds1 is 'less' disabled- better chance of independence anyway. DSq1 however rightly gets HRC and ds3 (not so rightly) gets MRC becuase ds1 needs 24/7 supervision and does not sleep well.

KalSkirata · 14/12/2011 15:49

that MP did not address the issue that losing £1300 per year is massive to those on low income. He probably sees that sort of money as a new suit or a holiday. Frivolties.

Peachy · 14/12/2011 15:50

Exactly; it's more than two month's rent for us.

Dillydaydreaming · 14/12/2011 15:51

Transitional.....as in "until you apply again which might be the week after we bring this oin and then you are fucked.
So does this mean that this year in April we'll be okay but next April is a new kettle of fish?

Glitterknickaz · 14/12/2011 15:54

Nobody ever said we were losing half of our TOTAL benefits. We're losing £200 a month which is massive to us.

HecateGoddessOfTwelfthNight · 14/12/2011 16:09

I wrote to him.

I doubt it will get near him, it will just go in the bin, but I wrote

A society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable. YOU will be judged by how this government treats the most vulnerable. Don't go down in history as the man who led a society to turn on those who most need its support. If you allow these cuts to go ahead, you condemn families doing the best they can caring for disabled family members and struggling day in and day out, because of it.

You may think it is a popular political move, but when it costs a hundred times more because people are forced to give up caring for family members - as they have the right to do! - what then? What then for the families torn apart and what then for the savings you aim to make, when social services will have to fund care? People caring for family members save the country many millions of pounds but they don't HAVE to do it.

Remember that when you try to take away what little financial support they do get.

Like I say, it'll do bog all [cynical] but you have to do something, don't you?

My children are both disabled. I fear for their future. I fear for the future of all disabled people. I can genuinely see a return to institutions. Sad Why do some people seem to despise the most vulnerable. To resent them so much?

JuliaScurr · 14/12/2011 16:17

YesHecate Do they think it's catching? Or a fashion accessory?

Peachy · 14/12/2011 16:28

Hecate ytou say they ahve the right to but how real is that?

Grandad is failing; Mum does not want to be his carer as she is still traumatised by his behaviour towards her all her life, including deliberately trying to cause her to lose babies when she was at risk of stillbirth (she did lose them but ahrd to place blame- he did know she was to rest, he did track ehr down and scream at her and break in to harass her).

But when she took the SW out last week- he is 91 now and fading fast- the SW asked him if he wanted home help and he said no; sheltered housing and he said no- she said well you can't have a home as we have no aplces, I shall send around OT to put in a ramp and left Mum to it. Mum feels she ahs no choice. Dad hasn;t spoken to her for a week for it and she will spend Christmas alone unless I can persuade them to come here as Sister refuses to not drink and drive over to fetch him (I am not in that area or would gladly).

It's amazing how impossible it can be to not care: Mum's options were leave him to fester- and the state of the place it was fester- or care. She won't get CA either as he refuses to claim, good job she has a free bus pass!

AvadventKalendar · 14/12/2011 16:51

Hecate do you mind if I copy bits of what you wrote up there for twitter please?

HecateGoddessOfTwelfthNight · 14/12/2011 16:51

It's not real at all. There's no way on earth I'd drop my lads off on social services doorstep any more than you would.

Trouble is that they know that. I know they do. I was just hoping to make a point.

Oh how I wish we could convince them that we'd all, every one of us, hand over responsibility for care and support.

I know we wouldn't, you know we wouldn't. But I don't know how to get it across to them that we save them so much. I mean, they must surely know it. So why do they batter us like this?

HecateGoddessOfTwelfthNight · 14/12/2011 16:53

Your poor, poor mum though Sad

Ava - course, if you can make anything out of my waffle! Grin

HecateGoddessOfTwelfthNight · 14/12/2011 16:55

God knows, julia.

I'm happy for them to have my kids cinema passes as long as they take their disabilities too.

some people are just vile, I think. It's as simple as that.

They don't see a person, they see a burden. Sad

AvadventKalendar · 14/12/2011 17:04

Thanks Hecate, you've said everything I want to say but can't cause my thought process gets interrupted by meds. Have tweeted!

madangelhairday · 14/12/2011 17:08

That reply just doesn't address the issue does it. We never said DLA was being cut in half.

I've had enough of this. Had enough today of being bandied around like a non person in NHS silly systems and basically being left out in the cold for my illness to get worse due to budgets and politics and incompetent hcps. And all this is just the icing on the cake. Society judged by how it treats its most vulnerable. Not doing too well on this one, are we :(

madangelhairday · 14/12/2011 17:10

Peachy: I'm so sorry for your mum and all you are facing at the moment. So wish more could be done. :( You always keep going - I admire you a lot.

ChristmasIsAcumenin · 14/12/2011 17:38

Well, there is a breaking point where we will have to go to the home. In that, the tariffs and restrictions are actually working out to negative money, and once everything is maxed out (which will be so weird! I've never been in debt in my life, but I'm taking out credit cards now) and we are evicted, there will be no alternative. It will be the home or just wheeling DP around the streets in his bed.

His bed doesn't have wheels, er, oh dear.

ChristmasIsAcumenin · 14/12/2011 17:40

But that's not disabled children, whoops, that's adults. Sorry to hijack.

TeWiharaMeriKirihimete · 14/12/2011 17:46

That's okay Acumenin - these DC will be adults eventually!

I have to just add that I think all carers are bloody amazing. I have no idea how you all do it - but it is hugely impressive, and none of you deserve this crap.

KalSkirata · 14/12/2011 18:00

Carers have to do it cos they have too. Not because they are strong/saints/inspirational/etc Its cos there is no other option when your life changes.

steviesmith · 14/12/2011 19:32

Don't have anything coherent to say but these cuts are appalling. I think I've been very naive until quite recently about how terribly people with disabilities are treated in our society.

MmeLindor. · 14/12/2011 20:51

Hecate
Would you do a blog post along those lines for the TMCs blog. You write so well and with such passion.

This is a massive problem. That MPs read that people are having their benefits cut by £200 and they do not fully comprehend what this means to a family on a low income.

I remember when I worked in a shop and a older woman asked if we could set a vase aside. We mumped about it for a bit, until she admitted she had to save up for a couple of week for it, but she really liked the vase and wanted to have it.

It cost ?20.

We almost had a whip round there and then to buy her it, we all felt so bad for her.

Unless you have lived on a low wage, you cannot imagine the stress of having to prioritize - not between red or white wine, but between eating or heating.

molepomandmistletoe · 14/12/2011 20:58

I got 3 repsonses back from my email to the MP's. One said she forwarded it to my local MP, the rest basically said the same thing. Still not heard from local MP, David Blunket or Nick Clegg - not that I'm expecting anything.

oathkeeper · 14/12/2011 21:07

"The moral test of a government is how it treats those who are at the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the aged; and those who are in the shadow of life, the sick and the needy, and the handicapped." - Hubert Humphrey

so i guess the judgement would be "shit" then?