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

[KateMumsnet]

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

We can't go back to this

It's pretty complicated to explain - but currently families with children with disabilities get extra tax credits, under the new universal credit system (which has a limit for how much each family can receive per week) families with disabled children will loose huge amounts of money.

DLA is safe as far as we know, but it's also linked to other changes (like PIP/ESA) so may be at risk in a lot of cases.

Okay, thank you. That makes sense (by which of course I mean that it makes no sense at all!).

Sorry - did that make sense?! I meant as in, thank you, I understand, although clearly such a policy is certifiably insane.

Don't shoot me, but I think this is not generating the usual level of involvement because those of us lucky enough to not deal directly with any of this don't have a handle on exactly what is going on. I've seen a headline of 50% cuts, 20% cuts, nothing after a year. But without specific examples of what it means in practice I can't get my head around it - probably because I simply can't believe that they are going to turn around to a family with disabled children and say "we are now going to pay you £500 a month towards the care of your kids instead of £1,000 a month and now only one of your children is going to be eligible for respite care". It just seems so incredible that it feels like scaremongering rather than factual. Now I'm pretty much minded to believe it because MN don't start campaigns without good cause, but I think a big problem is that there is no detail in black and white of what the govt is actually proposing and how the govt anticipates this working. You can't fight the enemy without knowing the enemy. It is rather like the pension strike to outsiders - we only got vague info on what it actually meant at ground level and it was only when you could get specific examples of how much a teacher has to pay from her salary, how much her take-home falls by, etc, that you are able to empathise fully with the situation.

The epilepsy example someone posted really helps clarify the type of issues - is there anywhere that gives similar types of examples and draws out the effect? That kind of thing we can understand and get angry about - has any organisation gone into details and financial effects? The whole board can be galvinised when it is able to conceptualise the issues (eg with Riven last year), and I think that's the bit that is missing here - we can see the headline but not really 'get' what is really happening and what the effect will be. I am fully prepared to believe that this is exactly the position that DC wants us all to be in so that the bill sneaks in under the table, which I think is why it's important to get all the facts/effects out in the open.

Frothers are working on it atm. The problem is that it is really so hugely complex, and we only found out a couple of days ago.

X-posted - that Indie link is the kind of thing that I think we need.

Funnily enough StillSquiffy I was asked by Contact a Family if I'd do media interviews, which I agreed to. The press release on these cuts was circulated to all the media organisations they could think of yet only the Independent published it.

You'd think the media has an agenda wouldn't you?

Squiff some Mumsnetters have written this blog: toomanycuts.blogspot.com

You'll find examples on there of the reality. I'm on phone so can't tell you which posts specifically but the most recent post and anything by Diddy but there are more.

This is kind of the top of the iceberg.

ESA and JSA

WTC cuts for carers

time limiting ESA for 1 year (from Diary of a benefit scrounger

missed the one about EDCM!

X-posted. But still, it's another bump :)

I've just read Glitter's article on the blog. If that doesn't encourage people to sign then they must have hearts of stone.

I know, it's a balance. But a lot of people are saying they don't understand what is being cut, and if we can show which bits are being loped away, and the chain of loosing X leading to loosing U leading to... well potentially being homeless, I think it will be more understandable.

I thought I had sent the email but because I didn't do the send this email to all your friends bit it didnt go through.

Please if you've signed do check your inbox for an email from number 10. The email from EDCM does not mean it's gone through.

MNHQ is there any way of having an option to complete the process without the spammy email bit at the end? I had to list my own email as a friend to get through it and compete the process. I've already facebooked and talked to my friends about this so the email just isn't necessary for people like me.

I know Lenin, the internet actually also serves many more important functions if you're living with disabled family members.

1. it prevents isolation. Yes I tend not to post so much on MN any more because of some people deriding me for my lifestyle, as if it's actually a choice to live this way. It's not. I couldn't cope with the venom but this campaign is too important to hide from so I'll put any twattery to one side.

2. I shop online. Imagine going to the supermarket with three autistic kids.... um no. Groceries are delivered to my door, much less stressful.

3. I order prescriptions online then pick them up when ready. Like point 2 imagine going to the surgery with all kids in tow then waiting 20 mins at the pharmacy.... um no.

4. To forge links with others in this situation and find out what information I can as even the governments own documents on the subject are contradictory and don't make any sense.

5. NHS Choose and Book. My hearing is dire so doing that online is massively useful.

6. DWP claims - I type faster than I can write and I don't get writer's cramp typing so I choose to do all my forms online now.

Oh and by the way peeps I have asked MNHQ by Twitter and by reporting my post to tweet the Frothers blog as it mentions their campaign.... nada yet.

Just signed and have retweeted. Disgusting.

:(

Done.

I'm glad I'm not alone in feeling that this has all been kept very hush hush and deliberately vague.

Both my boys get MRC DLA. If my suspicions (because I can't find enough details) are correct, with the changes in the disability component of tax credits, the thresholds that apply to everyone, plus what is likely to happen to Carer's allowance when it's absorbed into UC, We could lose about £500 a month. DH's income and the cost of living where we live is such that we will survive that. It would be bloody hard on a family not fortunate enough to have a mortgage little over £200 a month.

And agreeing with Glitter, I can't take the boys anywhere out of the ordinary (ie not around the village) by myself, so we live a pretty reclusive life when DH is at work. The Internet (which is expensive and slow in our village) is a lifeline for me, some days, when I just need conversation with an adult, and more importantly, someone who isn't ranting and raving at me, as DS1 is prone to doing.

An appeal to people who are NOT affected by these issues to please get behind those who ARE affected.

It's two minutes of your time, to hopefully make a massive difference.

I am not affected. I am not disabled, my child is not disabled - but none of us know what the future might hold. And more importantly I don't want to see any disabled child having to go without vital support and therapies, or even things as basic as heating. If you don't either, then please take the two minutes to add your name to the campaign.

e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=6&ea.campaign.id=13027&ea.tracking.id=campaignnetwork

sign
Come on, ony 1400 people have signed.

I found my MP on Twitter and have linked him to this campaign and will also froth at him too, suggest you all look if your own MP is on Twitter as it's very easy way to get in contact with them.

MN can we have this on discussions of the day for a few days please? Rather more important than which toys are shit. Imho.

there's about 15 peers in the House of Lords right now debating the WRB. That is pathetic given Carers will suffer and lose houses/respite/money. Pathetic