I was interviewed by the BBC for the Breakfast show on DLA linked to the Disability Alliance initiating legal action re the consultation on DLA.
The crew came to me and did a long interview and filmed aspects of my home that indicated extra costs I had as a disabled person.
All well and good a great interview and interested journalist.
Then late in the day a man phoned from the BBC asking if they could use some of the interview on the BBC news, he asked me questions about my impairments which I declined to share publicly as I have multiple health issues as well as a spinal condition.
He asked how much I received in DLA so I explained about the two components and that my Mobility fund was spent on a wheelchair adapted car leased via Motability and that half my high rate care component was taken in charges for Independent Living Fund support for care so in reality I receive only £125 per month.
So I was shocked and surprised to hear him state I received this per week!
Also my surname was not pronounced properly , it became ‘Nevis’ not ‘Novis’ and the MBE I received this year was not noted on my name as it was in the morning.
Although he stated I had a spinal condition he did not state I had multiple health issues too.
It seemed to me the stance of the piece shown was different from the Breakfast show piece and so much was left out of my interview.
I had explained about the multiple impact of all the cuts on disabled people, the closure of the Independent living Fund, the anxiety caused to so many due to lack of appropriate consideration of our views on the proposed changes to DLA.
It seemed in the morning the genuine concerns of disabled people were to be heard but by the evening I became a burden too far as Maria Miller and the tax alliance focused on misuse and how ‘unsustainable’ DLA is, also the ignorance of disabled people not understanding the government stance which is oh so clear these days was also the focus by Maria Miller.
We have to ask why the approach to this information changed from the morning sharing real concerns and anxieties to the evening where the focus seemed to be more on disabled people expecting too much.
Anne Novis, MBE
The BBC seem increasingly to be biased against us. It's awful that they misrepresented you Anne. Have you considered complaining to Ofcom? Here is the link you need
ReplyDeletehttps://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/tell-us/specific-programme-advice-3
Or alternatively you could contact ITN or Channel 4 who are far better - they might do a proper report? If you can face going through it all again that is!
You must be so diappointed having gone to all that trouble only to be portrayed inaccurately. Awful.
Thank you for trying on behalf of us all.
well said Fiona!
ReplyDeletenot sure that the BBC is biased per se but the BBC1 news broadcasts are notoriously dumbed down compared to other broadcasters or even parts of the BBC
You should definitely complain - misrepresenting you only adds fuel to the fire of the opposers of DLA
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty typical Anne they come to see me a couple of years back but owing to how i looked very thin said it couldn't be broadcast and like you kept forgetting the multiple health issues i have
ReplyDeleteAll in all a complete waste of time one day there'll learn I'm sure when their old i guess
Complain to the BBC Trust at least. They do actually investigate and take seriously such complaints, AFAICT.
ReplyDeleteStrange coincidence !
ReplyDeleteSome friends from Greece told me that last evening greek media stated that from september 2011 will begin the re-examination of the totality of the disability pensions with the pretest that there are cases of fraudster disabled .
British and greek authorities have received orders by the financiers of Atos/UBS ?
Maria Miller (TEXACO) stating that DLA is ‘unsustainable’ is supporting that vulnerable people are the burden of the public budget ?
What insensitive and uneducated puppets politicians that we have in Europe !
TaxPayers' Alliance represents the interests of taxpayers or the interests of big tax evaders, Atos and bankers ?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/163850bn-official-cost-of-the-bank-bailout-1833830.html
Bankers, Atos and big tax evaders agreed that the "stupids", according them, sick and disabled have to pay for them ?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/14/rally-against-debt-westminster-protest
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1363162/Benefit-cheat-UK-How-just-day-court-saw-staggering-23-cases-welfare-fraud.html
However misinforming the citizens abusing of the popular credulity in order to satisfy particular monetary interests is a crime!
Are you still thinking that it is purely a coincidence ?
Anne: I do hope that you've made a formal complaint about this to the BBC Trust and that your complaint will be upheld.
ReplyDeletexJ