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

Ah, ok Garlic.

So far, there have been no nasty comments, but there have been more critical comments on the blog so maybe better to clarify rather than have someone try to use it to trip Mouseface up.

Althought it is wrong that we should feel that she has to clarify anything. It is bloody obvious that the benefits taht she receives are to do with her and her DS's disablities, and are needed.

Just been catching up on your blog, MmeL. You're doing amazing work.

Govt should hire YOU instead of another bloody spin doctor!

I wasn't saying people should be left without enough to live on! I agree this blog is to raise awareness of how badly people are being treated. In fact I am hoping it will go viral like Diary of a Benefit Scrounger's post did.

@ what garlicnutcracker said in her last post.

I also think it's important to point out that once things go we are extremely unlikely to be able to reinstate them due to high reinstatement costs. Also where cuts will have other longer term implications and what we've already learnt about privitisation and public/private partnerships.

Many of the things that are touted as cuts will actually cost us more in the longer term in additional healthcare costs, crime and other social issues. For example, it costs much, much more just in basic prison costs (not counting the costs associated with the criminal act/s or the indirect costs of the police and judiciary) than it costs to offer early years intervention and ongoing support into adulthood and yet we're cutting one and seeing the numbers of prisoners (and the resulting costs) go up and up. Another example is failing to intervene early enough when parents are struggling with pnd or parenting. This can lead to all kinds of expensive social and healthcare issues later including childhood obesity or mental health issues which are far more costly than ensuring every parent has access to support at the earliest stage via group sessions and organised play and parenting schemes (is SureStart).

Those sorts of issues are what will make sense to people who are looking at cost; there's no point saving 5p in every pound if it's going to cost me an extra £1.50 over the next 10 years.

Playing devil's advocate re the latest blog post I would expect these questions to be raised:

Why is the dh not earning any money?
If he's not earning anything being self employed why doesn't he quit and get another job?
How could they lose the house?

Might be an idea to try to re-write so as to avoid people picking on that instead of seeing the important message about carers and disability??

I thought it was very powerful and it would be a shame to lose the message if someone picked the post apart on a couple of points.

I agree but don't know whether Mouseface is up to it. She sounded very glum a few days ago :(
Could someone PM her, perhaps?

Oh, wow! New comment on Mousey's post:

Rosemary said...
FAO Mouseface

Your piece was copied to Pat of Pats Petition. She would like to contact you. Her pc adpated for sightloss and she is unable to post here.

We are helping her, so if willing would you send your contact details to [email protected] and we will forward to Pat, who will contact you direct.

Many thanks
28 December 2011 17:38

Marking my place.

Well done frothers, the blog's looking great. For what it's worth, I do think it's valid for people to ask "what would you cut instead then?". But I also agree that before we get to that, we need to point out where the current cuts will actually cost more (and make the deficit larger) in the medium or long term.

Great news about Mousefaces post and Pat's Petition. I saw a great comment on the Guardian today, when I was reading about the cuts to the NHS (Cameron & his lies again).

I will see if I can find the comment.

I've messaged Mouseface.

They have a house of bugs at the moment so I'm not expecting her to get back to me too quickly, bless her.

Oh, poor Mouseface. Hope they are better soon.

12 DAYS POSTS

can you check if you have signed up or still want to sign up. I think we have almost all days, except tomorrow so will check if we have anything in draft that would fit to 4 colly birds.

Oh well done mousey!

I've been post the odd interesting thing on the FB page but I'm trying not to overload it so people keep interested so do have a look and suggest bits and bobs for it.

I'm here, Katie -I see what you are saying there....

He doesn't take a wage out of the company, he pays dividends to himself when he can, so in actual fact gets about £6,400 a year

Our mortgage is £500+ per annum so losing our benefits would see us homeless.

It's his own business and he'd struggle to work for another employer but of course if needs must, he'd stack shelves in the local supermarket, of course he would do anything to get food on the table.

Does that help?

We are all poorly right now but what do you need? I'm so happy to help in any way that I can xx

Sorry, not per annum, £500+ per month, been a long day with a very poorly little boy. xx

Off to bed, will pick this up with you all tomorrow. I will contact Pat too. Can someone let me know via PM a bit more about Pat please?

Night night xx

BMJ article about the destruction of the welfare state."In the 1970s, the philosopher John Rawls developed this concept into what he called a ?theory of justice.?4 He argued that a fair society was one designed as if from behind a ?veil of ignorance,? meaning that class and social forces were removed from policy making. As he put it, behind the veil, ?no one knows his place in society, his class position or social status, nor does anyone know his fortune in the distribution of natural assets and abilities, his intelligence, strength, and the like.? Rawls argued that in such circumstances decision makers would create a society that does not privilege one group over another, as no one can know where they will end up. This uncertainty about the future was a fair approximation of what many people had experienced during the war."

Mouseface I hope you get some rest, it must be so hard for you, I hope your ds feels better soon too.

Poor you lovely

I hope you didn't feel I was picking on you - it didn't matter to me but I realised that there was the potential for people to pick holes. I didn't want you clobbered by the nobbers because they read what they like into any perceived gaps.

Hope your ds is better soon x

Mouseface
Agree with Kate, and hope you don't feel that we are picking holes in your story, just know how those bastards think. Am frothing at this comment by Shadow Minister

However, shadow work and pensions minister Ian Austin said it was "crystal clear that this government is failing to get people off benefits and into work".

"With unemployment continuing to rise, the benefits bill is going up too - and that's making the deficit harder to bring down."

With all that to work with, why does he bring people on benefits into the discussion?

Have reworked SEO's post about unemployment figures to fit in with the 4th Day theme. Hope that is ok, SEO.

Oh, and do hope that your little lad is better soon, Mousey.

Fourth Day

Its so important to point out that a lot of these cuts are short term gains that will cost far more in the long run. Also all the things the government are finding the money for. George Osbourne's £840 offshore tax reform and free bibles spring to mind.

You should print key points on a leaflet which people could download. So we can educate my daily mail reading parents people.

The cuts will indeed cost more.

For example should I fail to find work this year we will be homeless in November. That will entail aperiod of living in a B&B, something my autistic kids cannot do as theyc an;t share facillities and would make so much noise we would be thrown out. So they would have to go into temporary care. DH would not be able to work as he does a lot of lates and needs to sleep into the day, he also has to work from home a lot and needs specialist equipment we could not run in a B&B.

Compared to the £54 PW HB we get as a top up this will cost many hundreds more. Thousands probably given the boy's needs.

Sadly should DH's business go under it is unlikely he would be able to work as he is self employed as his only way of coping with employment alongside a long term mental health disorder, something he has never claimed for BTW. It wouldn't take much to push him into a residential environment. Leaving me to cope alone and as ds1 almost killed me yesterday (throwing toys at my head) then attempted to break my arm would hardly be feasible long term. My days of locking the smaller children int he bathroom whilst being injured by ds1 (who is 12) are long done frankly.

But under UC it is likely I will have to work (ds1 gets HR care but that is up in Devcember and kids with his dx are simply not having that renewed). If I do not then I will be aplced on workfare that I cannot attend, and when i don't attend we will be removed from the system altogether. There is no wrap around care here, no breakfast club or willing family member (or indeed any- not onw in my couuntry in fact). I just hope i find something manageable before it all implodes.

Oh and I would start with actually clawing back owed taxes, and then look at how some of these could help people start up in areas where there is a need- I've been looking at self employment and there is nothing out there even though my area is one is shortage; enable people to actually grow jobs.

Childcare for disabled kids- most carers would choose to work and would be paying taxes to cover it. I don't expect it for free but it must cost what other people pay and be- well, in existence.

Giving people claiming carers etc the same access to back to work schemes as other people: if an employer has 40 people after his job and he will get paid £ to employ someone on unemployment benefits or in a certain age group why would he even look at me? A level playing field please.

Putting the older people's fuel allowance on to pension credit so that it is received by those who need it and not those who don't, and does not need separate means testing which would rack up costs.

Putting extra clauses in the Universal Credit paper: something for families where one person is studying, in recognition that theya re maximising their employment chances (study after all being anything from a PHd to basic literacy) that exempts that parent from the work requirement (won't help us but might many), and something to recognise that having a few children on MR Care is as danaging to employability as one on HRC. Difficulties can be cumulative after all.

Mostly it's about creating the chances for jobs as that has the double whammy of increasing taxation and reducing benefit take; add in some action on affordable housing and you're on a winner.