so now youve had chance to think about it....

[ThatVikRinA22]

are you happy with how you voted?

i currently work in the nhs and am about to go into policing within the next month. 2 areas that are about to get axed massively.

are you happy with how you voted? i am the only one in my household and in my workplace who feels i was true to my beliefs and is still happy with how i voted.

are you still happy or do you think your were duped?

i voted labour and i would again.

Happy are you happy bout DLA reform?

Remembering it is the least fraudulently claimed benefit yet is the first targetyted.

I voted Lib Dem although have a Tory MP but I am happy with the coalition Government. Labour have caused severe damage to the economy and the country as a whole through their reckless and inefficient spending.
They took their eye off the ball on the banks and didn't put in effective regulation and in the good times allowed public and private debt to get out of control and now sadly we are having to pay for it. The economic model they pursued was not sustainable as you cannot have a never ending boom.
I also find it refreshing to see politicians working together for a change instead of behaving in a very tribal and unconstructive way. The cuts will be hard and painful but they are necessary to restore the public finances as the country couldn't carry on spending money that it didn't have.

SMA, I dont recall anything on DLA in the budget - are amounts being reduced?

A quick google says the paper application will be replaced by a medical - that doesnt seem to be too bad - surely an independent doctor will stop any claims not needed - the benefit is not means tested so can be claimed regardless of income apart from the carers part.

Theya re introducing a new test for eligibility (was in teh budget)

NAS (National Autistic Society) back me and many otehrs up in our concerns that many will be harmed by these- basc=ically someone comes to your house and assesses you with a checklist for 30 minutes, not a professional usually.

Past experiences with EMA and a simialr system show that many people with invisible disability are competely excluded and have to go to tribual, taking many months and strain.
There is a page on teh NAS website about this.

Take my ds1 as an example; if soeone comes to him and asks him questions such as 'can you pick up that over there' he will fly; however as well as his eating disorders for which he receives weekly treatment, he has an ASD that emans he has attacked family memebrs 6 times since yesterday (end of term) and needs contact 1-1. He can 'put it on' for strangers but within minutes of tehm leaving we are back in two adulst needed territory.

School was a great example of this; evewry eyar he gets a new teacher who reports he is 'cured'; within six weeks we are back to satge one (his statement has just been upped to 50% for this reason).

I also know people with MS who are scared; MS as you probaly know is something that comes and goes.

When tehy did the budget sppeches they talked about DLA being a barrier to working yet DLA is paid alongside work and used to cover the cost of disability. The one they meant I think was EMA- paid to people out of work. A few weeks later they announced changes to that too, and really I do think Osbourne simply hadn't perceived the differences.

Now, I won;rt lose carers as I have a clearly autistic 6 year old as well who attends an SNU, and I get CA for him. However the drop infinances would be enough to eman we lost the house (rented)- becuase we will still get teh costs of the ASD- trashed furniture, special diets, transport to playschemes, having to run 2 cars so DH can get about for work / Uni and yet still be able to access appointments as needed.....

Every person on DLA will be reassessed during 2013. Carer's is dependent on DLA receipt.

And of course the other question is how DLA could be a barrier to working when recipients can be kids? Unless they mean parents, in which case DLA means nothing: stopping it would not, sadly, cure the boys.

I voted Conservative and am delighted, overall. I think the Budget was reasonable - although I'd have preferred Child Benefit to be cut instead of just frozen.

The icing on the cake would be for Labour to elect Ed Balls or Diane Abbott as leader and their electoral annihilation over the coming years will be complete.

BA highly unlikely I reckon

Certainly not where my vote is headed

;;www.autism.org.uk/en-gb/news-and-events/news-from-the-nas/chancellor-announces-future-chang es-to-dla.aspx nas page]]

plenty of posts by scared people in sn too.

And fio's link from toehr day showing why it so drastically needed

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/in_the_news/1001523-Chjildrens-disability-charity-counting-the -costs-2 010 here

Bugger

OK

NAS link here

Fio's link -costs-2 010 here

Voted Labour, got a Tory. I don't expect to be happy for the next 4 years, 2 months and 11 days .

By which of course I mean 4 years, 9 months and 20 days. Argh! Never try to count things after opening the wine ...

I voted Tory and am happy with the coalition but frankly I think they are missing massive opportunities. Not happy overall.

Cuts have to be hard, deep and fast before opposition builds. The cuts need to be aimed at high earners not at low earners.

Slash the civil service pay bill 25% by cutting from the top would be fairer and create less opposition. Simplify the tax system by giving a £10k personal allowance to low earners and give low paid people an incentive to work.

Too much incrementalism. Have at at em Dave!

I was going to vote Lib Dem. Thought long and hard about it but voted Green instead. Really glad I did. Recently found out that our local LibDem councillor liked the nursery nurse at his kids' day nursery so much that he poached her, and she now works full-time for him as a nanny to his 3 kids.
Public spirited of him, don't you think?

I'd quite like to join a political party, but I can't find one that truly believes in:
protecting the NHS and schools,
protecting civil liberties,
higher taxes for the rich,
a mixture of alternative energy sources,
an end to building on green field sites,
using empty houses to provide social housing as well as building new houses on brown field sites,
equal pay for equal work,
valuing and protecting farmers and small businesses,
promoting anti-racism,
nationalising public transport,
conserving old buildings,
promoting new architecture,
etc
Bored now, but I could go on ...

I think gtreen was your best bet with those ideals

I like green sopcial policy and considered them but joined up for a while and Oh! The local infighting! No thank you. PLus the local chaior is the least charismatic person I know- monotone voice dpwn teh phone and calls go like this

'CAn we ask uou for more contribitions please?'

'No I am sorry'

'Why'

'Because I am a carer and on a limited income'

'But surely you can manage a tenner'

I wonder if he contributes 1/5 of his weekly income

I voted LibDem, as I always have, but never again As a LibDem supporter I feel utterly let down by the decision to get into bed with the Conservatives - it comes across as desperation to get into power no matter the cost, rather than sticking to their beliefs and integrity.

I voted labour and I would again.

My husband (who is as left-wing as me, if not moreso) voted lib dem and I think he was betrayed - but he feels that his vote did good by at least putting a spoke in the Tories' wheel.

voted lib dem work in public sector - totally betrayed!!!

I voited LibDem and no, I'm not 100% happy with what the coalition is doing but what else could the lib dems have done but got into bed with the tories? Under our current voting system and the way things worked out, they couldn't have joined with labour and formed a minority - they would have had to have EVERY other party bar the conservatives on side as well, and there's no way that would work.

I'm not against coalitions and agree that the presence of the lib dems will hopefully soften the blow a bit, but probably not much. I think the tories are playing up the big bad wolf aspect of their policies to make themselves seem decisive and not Labour, but at the end of the day things couldn't carry on the way they were and I really don't think Labour would be doing anything so very differently.

Sorry... I meant to say they couldn't have joined with labour and formed a MAJORITY.

I voted Lib Dem, still got a Labour MP but this is a VERY Labour safe seat. I wouldn't change the way I voted. Voted with my heart and for what I believe in, would do the same again definitely.

I voted Lib Dem to keep out the Conservatives in this constituency. Feel totally betrayed and let down. Will not vote LD again.

if i voted lib dem i would be effing livid quite frankly

I usually vote labour but I voted lib dem - they were saying vote lib dem get labour. Obviously I agreed with much of the lib dems ideas or I wouldn't have. But yes, I regret it.

I think I will vote Labour next time.