Tomorrow (Jan 17) the House Of Lords will once again discuss the Welfare Reform Bill, which is currently in its' Third Report Stage. They will focus on proposed changes to Disability Living Allowance.
I, like many recipients of this vital benefit, am profoundly worried what we may be discussing this time tomorrow night.
Last week the Coalition suffered a bloody nose from the House of Lords voted in favour of three amendments to the Welfare Reform Bill. Today, Lord Freud, in an attempt to ensure that tomorrow will not be a repeat of that knockback, sent a letter to his peers with the intent of discrediting the "Spartacus Report" and trying desperately to halt the momentum the online campaign has been gathering over the past week or so.
You can view Lord Freud's letter and the Spartaci's reply here.
As I mentioned in my opening Blog, DLA is unbelievably important for me - without it, it would be extremely difficult for me to get out of my house. I would be a virtual prisoner in my own home. Many people rely on Disability Living Allowance, and the proposed changes would be disastrous for countless people.
The reform plans intend to cut DLA by 20%, despite the fact that just 0.5% of all DLA claims are fraudulent. They also intend the rename from DLA to Personal Independence Payment (PIP). This is being proposed despite a shorter consultation period than the Governments' own guidelines suggest (and cynically over the Christmas period) which, frankly, shows the contempt for those with an alternative view to this Coalition government.
I, like many others, believe that we need a six-month pause for these changes to be consulted on properly. I believe that these changes are a cynical money saving exercise that punish the most vulnerable and least well off in our society. And I absolutely believe that the Coalition has utterly betrayed each and every person who receives this vital benefit by backtracking on their Coalition statement promise which stated that DLA would not be changed.
January 17 will be a very nervous day for myself. But I stand shoulder to shoulder with my fellow Spartaci.
If you stand with us, follow @suey2y and @BendyGirl on Twitter, and point your browser at diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.com. I'm also on Twitter @crazybladeuk.
I Am Spartacus. Alone We Whisper, Together We Shout.
Monday, 16 January 2012
My Spartacus Story
I was born with a condition known as Spastic Diplegia, a form of Cerebral Palsy which affects my lower legs and back. I have had several operations on both legs to stretch the muscles and tendons in the back of my legs and to correct problems with both knees. I was told by a Doctor when I was seven years old that I would never run, never walk properly, never play football like my friends.
As a child I had to deal with daily exercises that were excruciatingly painful and weekly physio and hydrotherapy. And then my knees started to dislocate - my right knee first and then both. I had operations to stabilise the patella (the kneecap), my right one as a teen and then my left in my early twenties.
Just under ten years ago I slipped during the winter on a patch of black ice, twisting as I fell. I spent the next five years recuperating, finding it difficult to walk and do many of the things most people take for granted. But I was raised with a work ethic, something my Father instilled into me from a very young age, so I tried to once again return and work.
Within two years I found myself worse than I had ever been, in daily agony and unable to walk more than a few feet without immense pain and having to rest. I now cannot walk without the aid of a walking stick and crutches, and walking around anywhere other than at home is almost impossible.
Without my Disability Living Allowance life would be extremely difficult for me. I wouldn't be able to get out, becoming a virtual prisoner in my own home. The DLA means I am able to lease a car through Motability, giving me a much needed way to get around. I cannot begin to describe how important this is to me! I also cannot put into words how scary the current Welfare Reform Bill is for someone like myself who relies on this benefit in this way.
I struggle every single day with my disability - I hate saying that about myself, believe me. I am in pain all the time, and there are many more people out there with similar and worse stories and experiences.
The Welfare Reform Bill is an ill-conceived piece of legislation, which targets the most vulnerable in our society. It will cause true hardship and I am proud to add my name to the growing list of people determined to fight the Coalition's plans.
I am Spartacus. Alone we whisper, together we shout.
As a child I had to deal with daily exercises that were excruciatingly painful and weekly physio and hydrotherapy. And then my knees started to dislocate - my right knee first and then both. I had operations to stabilise the patella (the kneecap), my right one as a teen and then my left in my early twenties.
Just under ten years ago I slipped during the winter on a patch of black ice, twisting as I fell. I spent the next five years recuperating, finding it difficult to walk and do many of the things most people take for granted. But I was raised with a work ethic, something my Father instilled into me from a very young age, so I tried to once again return and work.
Within two years I found myself worse than I had ever been, in daily agony and unable to walk more than a few feet without immense pain and having to rest. I now cannot walk without the aid of a walking stick and crutches, and walking around anywhere other than at home is almost impossible.
Without my Disability Living Allowance life would be extremely difficult for me. I wouldn't be able to get out, becoming a virtual prisoner in my own home. The DLA means I am able to lease a car through Motability, giving me a much needed way to get around. I cannot begin to describe how important this is to me! I also cannot put into words how scary the current Welfare Reform Bill is for someone like myself who relies on this benefit in this way.
I struggle every single day with my disability - I hate saying that about myself, believe me. I am in pain all the time, and there are many more people out there with similar and worse stories and experiences.
The Welfare Reform Bill is an ill-conceived piece of legislation, which targets the most vulnerable in our society. It will cause true hardship and I am proud to add my name to the growing list of people determined to fight the Coalition's plans.
I am Spartacus. Alone we whisper, together we shout.
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