Another Little Piece Of My Heart

1/14/2011 10:25:00 am BenefitScroungingScum 8 Comments

 When I first read this personal testimony by an anonymous user of the carerwatch forums it broke my heart. The honesty and bravery of this person in coming forward to explain that they simply cannot cope with the repeated benefit reassesments disabled people are being forced through, and so will end their life when that time comes should move not just every Briton but people around the world. So here you have it, a little piece of my heart and a little piece of the author's, broken by the actions of both Coalition government and the New Labour government who preceeded them.

Today is January 14th, the start of One Month Before Heartbreak. A month from now on Valentine's Day the flawed DLA consultation ends. Please support us and help ensure that disabled people's hearts are not broken and our lives not lost. You can help by signing the petition, by sharing these blogs on facebook, twitter and anywhere around the internet. Use our template letters to write to your MP,  to Maria Miller the very not disabled minister for disabled people, contact your local or national newspapers or TV stations and demand to know why they are not giving adequate coverage to the cuts to disability benefits. But most of all, listen to the words written, spoken, sung or shouted by disabled people and carers and ask yourself if this is really the Britain you want to live in.




"Alone we whisper. Together we shout"

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

That other arch Tory scum bag Blair tried this when he was in power, but there was a demo outside Downing Street with young disabled people chaining themselves to railings and slinging red pain all over the pavememts, needless to say this did make WORLD NEWS....this will happen again, take my worrd for it

BriB49 said...

Brilliant piece: brib49

Lobma. said...

Hello

I suffer from M.E, Asthma and now, I suspect Pumonary Fibrosis (awaiting it to be confirmed). It's hard at times.

I don't need much money to live (look up at Mark Boyle, the Moneyless man for inspiration http://www.justfortheloveofit.org/ ). But have been turned down for DLA several times now.

I'm with you 100%
love xx

Unknown said...

Hello,
My wife had polio as a child, in the days before the polio vaccine. She now uses a wheelchair and I am her carer.
I totally agree with everything you say.
But, that is just the tip of the iceberg compared to what is coming in 2013.
Unless I have totally misinterpreted what the document says, under the Governments' proposals in their public consultation paper 'Disability Living Allowance Reform' published last month, almost all wheelchair users are to lose their mobility allowance whether they are in a care home or not.
Everone must read it, especially paragraph 27 on page 17 which is about 'Taking into account aids and adaptations'. It is scary.
To put it into context, under the present rules, someone who has a prosthetic leg which they are able to walk with, does not get the mobility allowance because they can get about. It is proposed to apply the same rule to wheelchair users.
To quote from the paragraph,

'We know that many disabled people use aids and adaptations to increase their ability to participate in everyday life. Currently, DLA takes account of some adaptations, such as prosthetic limbs but not all, wheelchairs for example. We believe we should take greater account of the successful use of aids and adaptations as part of the Personal Independence Payment assessment, to ensure that support is appropriately targeted on those who need it most, and that the benefit reflects the advances made in this area. This might mean, for example, considering an individual's ability to get about in a wheelchair, rather than ignoring the wheelchair, as we do currently.'

I know that the wording does make it sound ever so reasonable and fair, but, look closely at the meaning. I believe that there can only be one interpretation of what is there, especially as the Government wants to save at least 20% of the cost of DLA and their own figures show that there are only about 0.5% that might be saved without removing a lot of people from the system. Clearly, the paragraph applies to more than just wheelchair users but I think that the change will lead to the loss of motability vehicles for an awful lot of people who are in their own homes. I think that most wheelchair users are going to be confined to their homes and their immediate localities no matter where they live. They will virtually disappear from our streets.
No more disabled people. They will have vanished. Ceased to exist.
No one in the media seems to have picked up on this yet.
We have until the 14th of February to respond.
Regards,
John

Joanna Cake said...

I did not know about this. I shall post about it tomorrow.

The world seems to have gone mad. Cuts are being made in the places were there is likely to be the least vocal resistance whilst fat cats continue to rake in six figure annual salaries. And they all rely on the fact that they can blame the decisions and actions of 'previous governments'.

But what can we expect in a society that seems to reward failure at the highest levels with big pay offs rather than criminal culpability?

It's a farce where no one in positions of power seem to be accountable.

Achelois said...

To the annonymous contributor in this video read by Kalyila. My husband and son also have epilepsy. I hear you.

I have written on my blog today and hope its ok to put the link to it here. it.http://tensiletimes.blogspot.com/2011/01/one-month-before-heartbreak.html

I work as a foster carer and DLA can be a proper lifeline for disabled young people. Money you get without making endless cases to people who do not have the power to decide and then take it to managers who never see the young people who depend on their decisions.

R

Anonymous said...

Oh the anxiety of it all, should I just sit down and die cause it would save the coucil on my care package and the DLA.
They will do it another endless reform.
Here is a true story.
My sister was born with complex medical needs, she was moved from a beautiful home to a dump. Within 2 weks she lost the abuility to walk. Fifty odd years of being an epilectic maybe....well was a bit quick perhaps the shock of the move. No where else for her to you. My older sister wanted her at home, oh no say social services we need funding and have to be sure. There's a new goverment scheme there is money be patient. Two years pass. Maureen died on 28th July 2007, the week she died approval was given for her to go live with our sister Michelle.
I watched my sister die by degrees, in hospitals that could not cope. She could have had a better life, the family visited at least 4-5 times a week but still it was not enough.
New hosptals that had no adapted shower so she spent 2 months in hospital with no bath.
her family could shout for her, but eventaully she decided enough was enough and quietly slipped from a life she could no longer endure.
So what of the silent many who have no voice for them.
Go sit in a corner and die cheaply, Mr Cameron you must feel such pride.
My DLA goes, my fully adapted bungalow will have to be sold, I would go self employed (the oldest profession and all that) but I find pole dancing from my wheelchair just that little difficult...............