WTF are Frothers? Have you seen them around and wondered? Not a quiche, but a protest group. Tory, Labour, Lib Dems - Common Goal - Protest Against the Cuts

[MmeLindor.]

What are the Frothers?

The term "Frothers" came about one dank and dismal November day in 2011. A frustrated user of the parenting forum Mumsnet started a thread about her dismay at the cuts that the Conservative/Liberal Democrat government was inflicting on the British public.

She stated that she was not "quite a frothing berserker but I am getting rather cross with our government messing with the good stuff".

The good stuff - policies, benefits, institutions that had taken years to achieve were being cut for no good reason, often leaving gaping holes in the fabric of British society.

The NHS, with which we Brits have a love-hate relationship, but like a favourite sibling, we wish to protect from harm.

Sure Start, a successful scheme that supported parents who were struggling and offered children from deprived backgrounds a better start in life.

Universal Child Benefit was cut for those families who had one earner bringing in more than £44k a year. If both parents each earn less than £44k, they keep their UCB payments. This obviously hit single parents and families with a single earner hardest.

Disability Living Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance - which enabled those with disabilities to live a decent life, without feeling that they were begging for assistance or were a burden to the taxpayer.

Student Fees, the introduction of which, contrary to Lib Dem pre-election promises, means that a whole generation of young people will have to think carefully before applying to higher education.

These and many other cuts are being made in the name of austerity. We are "all in this together", but some of us are deeper in this than others.

We all understand that there are sacrifices to be made but why should these sacrifices be borne by those who already have so little?

The general public seems oblivious of the dangers being faced, they are unaware of the injustices being wrought on the already disadvantaged.

The government is winning the war of the headlines. They have blasted the recipients of DLA and ESA as scrounger and cheats so often that the general public believe it. They misinterpret data to "prove" their points. Teachers are painted as being irresponsible and greedy, while the bankers rake in the money.

The poster on Mumsnet was not alone for long. Within a few days, a group of over 30 posters had formed. They asked themselves, "What can we do?".

The idea of a blog was born. Three days later the blog had over thirty authors signed up, a Facebook page and a Twitter account.

The Aims:

• to open the general publics' eyes to the injustices being created by the governement

• to inform those who are facing cuts about their rights

• to link with other activists and charities, in order to put pressure on the government

Are you a Frother?

Come and join us.

BLOG

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

I'll have a look now

I've posted it.

Cinnabar I'm sure we would. I have to pop out now but will be back later.

Thanks Kate

So we have something for 3rd Day? Which would be 3 French Hens.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/britains-poorest-hit-by-25bn-stealth-tax-6281832.html

An article to froth over.

Seems like the working poor are actually getting screwed event though are going to get a tax cut they are also getting a tax credit cut. You couldn't make it up!

Would tweet but can't work out how to link!

Gotta run-making dinner.

even though

If there isn't a 3rd Day post, how about Mouseface's story?
"If I lose my DLA, Tax Credits and Carers? Allowance, I will lose my home."

Three lifelines being cut?

Good idea. Go with that

OK.

I'm in two minds about the Tax Credit shocker. On the one hand, I do think it's wrong that the welfare state is shoring up poor wages. On the other, those wages are already so low that, even with zero income tax, families won't be able to survive.

In the years when I've been well enough to work properly, Tax Credits have enabled me to stay housed & eating while being self-employed and trying to work towards getting right off benefits. If we're going back to an either/or paradigm, the opportunities for people to incrementally improve their position will be even fewer.

There should be a transitional arrangement.

Wow. That is shocking.

And yes, for all I complain about tax credits - and I think they are simply wrong - to cut them from one year to the next is bad. There has to a better way of doing this.

Wonder if this will be what wakes middle England up to the ConDems.

Almost spat at my screen yesterday when I saw that Cameron is enjoying record approval ratings.

Yes, I felt like bashing my head against a brick wall yesterday too.

Wake the feck up middle England-you're next!

Well, tax credits prevent people on poverty level wages living in poverty. They need to bring down housing,fuel and food costs and/or bring in a living wage before they cut them. Also, whilst they provide a disincentive to pay a living wage to some employers, some small businesses might not be able to afford to pay £7.50 per hour.

There are no simple answers. Except let the working poor rot it seems.

Mouseface's story sounds terrible.

The whole "well what would you do instead" thing is a massive red herring. To start with, we're not politicians or advisors. It's not actually our job to come up with all the answers.

What is our role is pointing out not just how many of these cuts are cruel to vulnerable people - but also how many of them don't save any fucking money at all ANYWAY.

Saying well how would we cut the deficit is irrelevent, because the gov isn't going to be cutting it either if these are the ways they're trying to do it.

I agree that TC is complicated because they weren't the best way of solving the original problem (high cost of living vs low wages) but if you just take it away with nothing behind you are leaving families and low earners to starve. Why the fuck would you do that?

#frothing

Gah. Posted and my iPhone crashed.

Yes, you are right, Te. We are not policy advisors or career politicians. That is not our intention. Still it is good to highlight why we think the cuts are wrong and perhaps say what we think would be fairer.

How are you doing? How is the wee one?

I'm good thank you - still very tired! But baby boy is very easy going and DH and DD are fab also. You're doing a great job on the 12 days

TeWi - Many, many congratulations to you and your family. Absolutely lovely x

Just checking in. Bloody news about plans for the NHS today. Unbelievable.
Unbelievable too that Cameron is ending 2011 on a personal ratings high. Fucketty fuck.

Mouseface, your post is up.

It made me very sad. For all of us.

I can't understand how the Government thinks that Universal Credit will be ANY simpler to administer than Tax Credits. I have done numerous calculations for my friends over the years for Tax Credits, when they have started new jobs, or taken on more hours, or their childcare costs have changed.

Doing the same calculations for UC is MUCH more complicated. What with the disregards, and the differing levels of the disregards depending on household make-up etc. And it all boils down to the fact that some people will be hundreds of pounds worse off per month.

Hunty
Great to have you back. Have missed you. Poor you, sounds like you are having a tough time. I bruised my ribs last year in a bike accident and it was utter agony. Take it easy.

That would perhaps be a good post, Hunty. Not doing dozens of calculations but just two.

Couple with 2 kids, average income and child care needs. Old tax credit and new UC - to show how much more complicated
the new system is.

Off to read Mouse's post.

Excellent post, Mouseface.

Can you clarify one thing - cause it is the thing that someone is bound to ask - about your DH. You say he has his own business but does not draw a wage - is there a timescale where he should be able to do this?

I have noticed a few critical comments on the blog recently. We need to be able to answer them.

I am saying I FECKING SAID THAT all over Twitter today

How come a SAHM with no business training can see something that the policy advisors cannot? And it takes a fecking THINKTANK (which probably cost £££ to come up with this report) to point this out.

I despair.

Am trying to take it as easy as possible. Will get that blog post written and saved in drafts tonight hopefully - will simplify it a little bit, for a couple with two dc, both working in NMW jobs, childcare will be for my area of the SE, a calculation for TC's and one for UC. I will also do one for a Lone Parent with 2 dc, same costs.

Just to make it obvious that it is NOT about making the system easier and clearer, and that it WILL leave most families worse off. Hard-working families. NOT 'scroungers'. HARD-WORKING FAMILIES.

Oh - and the fact that people will lose any transitional protection payments when they have a change of circumstances WILL have the opposite effect to what the Government is intending. If you start working when you have been unemployed, that counts as a change in circumstances that will cause you to lose your transitional protection. Which will mean that for a lot of people that are currently unemployed - it will mean that they will be WORSE OFF IN WORK because they will LOSE their transitional protection.

Mousey - You do know that after 12 months on UC, it will be ASSUMED that your DH is drawing a wage that is equivalent to 35hrs a week at NMW? Even if he is NOT TAKING that income, even if his business is making a loss? It's awful, and stifling entreprenurialism unless you have hoards of savings to back you up.

Hello all

Flying in quickly and marking my place. I'll be back when I get a minute to myself.

Hello. I'm sort of here. Have updated FB and have a blog post to write (gulp) and about 100 other things to do so if I'm not about I'm here in spirit.

And I completely agree with what Te said about the cuts and what we do.

I cut half a sentence off Mouseface's post - she said DH didn't draw a wage because it takes all he earns to keep a roof over their heads. I removed it because that is drawing a wage, and because of the conflict with needing benefits to stay in their home.

I may have done the wrong thing - it might be a good idea to clarify how the finances work, Mousey, to head off those who say DH isn't pulling his weight ... I dunno?

Hope you were OK with the pictures. You can remove them if you want.

I agree, too, with what we seat out to do: raise awareness!

In my opinion, though, awareness about the ways RICH people & companies benefit from the state is at least as important as the ways ordinary people suffer. Especially since it all adds up to more than the costs of health & welfare. Ordinary people would be outraged if they knew, I feel.

I'm dying to see CinnabarRed's post(s)!