In Defence Of Iain Duncan Smith - By Hossylass

As if.

To be honest, I think that IDS is indefensible.

I have this to say to him, and all those other MP’s who “met a man”;

to all those neighbours who are expert medical consultants, but prefer to be bin collectors, lorry drivers and administrators;

to those Atos Doctors who don’t even try to be fair;

to social service workers with preconceived ideas;

and to those who should know better but can ignore their own knowledge in favour of easier to enjoy bigotry;

this is for you.

So, so you think you can tell,

Heaven from Hell, 
blue skies from pain. 
Can you tell a green field,

from a cold steel rail? 
A smile from a veil? 
Do you think you can tell? 

And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts? 
Hot ashes for trees? 
Hot air for a cool breeze? 
Cold comfort for change? 
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war,

For a lead role in a cage? 

How I wish, how I wish you were here. 
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year, 
Running over the same old ground. 
What have you found? The same old fears. 
Wish you were here. 


Living in a country that promotes people to consider themselves capable of judging blue skies from pain and a smile from a veil, and to condemn those who are judged to be “undeserving”.

Spinning lies on the spinning wheel of hatred, convincing the public that 75% of people are faking, and then patting yourselves on the back for "saving" billions.

Removing benefits from sick and disabled people and spinning it that they are “trapped on benefits, which is not fair on them”  is like raping a 10 year old girl and then telling her that at least she won’t still be a virgin at 50.

Indefensible doesn't even come close.

Lyrics by Pink Floyd.

The Road To Wigan Pier - By Hossylass

If you are expecting Orwell from me, you can forget it. I’ve been to Wigan, and on one un-momentous evening, to Wigan pier. Actually I have to confess to having been to Wigan a lot, though I can’t for the life of me remember if George actually went there or just liked the the word wigan.

I admit to liking the title though.  I am pretty sure I liked the book, but not sure I could read it now.

It’s that ole love of my life crippledom and foggy finking that stops me devouring anything more complex than a blog, which is why I am pretty ecstatic that Benefit Scrounging Scum has been shortlisted for the Orwell blogging prize.

At this point I will declare an interest  - BendyGirl is my phone mate. A little tiny bit like a soul mate or a best mate, but it’s a relationship where we cannot see each other’s  expressions  - a fact that I think we are both quite chuffed about. Also there is a real chance that the physical meeting may cause distortions in the time-space-disability continuum.

It’s not a healthy relationship for any  given definition of healthy (we are not) or relationship (yeah, right). Examples being BendyGirl frightening me witless by dropping off the phone when her larynx collapsed, and me having an instantaneous and drastic asthma attack by slurping what I thought was water and turned out to be soluble aspirin. However these types of incidents are rare, no more than once a week anyway. The more common “talking on the phone” injury is dislocated ribs.

I’ll be honest here, our lives are crap. Other disabled people’s lives are crappier.  And trying to save the Welfare system from your bed/chair/floor is about as much fun as trying to retrieve Grandma’s antique wedding ring from a blocked toilet using only your teeth, whilst simultaneously being rogered up the arse by an angry elephant with herpes.

But oddly, as depressing and exhausting life may seem BendyGirl is my laughter, my moral guidance and my sanity. And for those who know her well, you now have a pretty good idea how baseless, coarse and mental I am.  If BendyGirl is the datum point, you have to work backwards from there quite a long way. And that is where you will find me, grinning and gurning like an evil toad on acid.

I am deeply suspicious of everything, and everyone. As luck has it, this is exactly what you need when debating disability related politics. BendyGirl can sniff out the morally inept, the cruel and the legally  dubious  -  I am usually busy sniffing out the money behind it, or rather who’s up who and who aint payin’.  But BendyGirl is a moral compass, a natural wit and a superb debater who is dedicated enough to write a regular and entertaining blog about life in a broken and borked body.

So if you are thinking when you read that a disabled writer has been short-listed for the prestigious Orwell Prize for blogging something along the lines of Variety Club Sunshine coach, please readjust your thinking.

Its far more akin to St. Trinians meets Private Eye, and please don’t ever say I didn’t warn you.

Read it here;  http://benefitscroungingscum.blogspot.co.uk/

Is The Tide Starting To Turn? By Jane Young

 Originally posted by Jane Young here

I get the feeling that the tide may be starting to turn in relation to welfare reform. This is just a gut feeling, nothing more, but I have some evidence – not that the Government is starting to  listen, yet, but that other organisations and individuals are finding their voice and that the media is starting to listen.

So where’s this evidence? Here’s just some:

• Welfare Reform and DLA reform in particular is discussed today on the BBC – on the Daily Politics on BBC2 and on Women’s Hour on Radio 4. OK, maybe the coverage isn’t as impartial as we’d like, but it’s a start, and it’s a lot better than what we’ve seen from the BBC until now.

• Disability Rights UK today publishes its economic impact assessment of the abolition of DLA and its replacement by PIP: Impact assessing the abolition of working age DLA – Disability Rights UK

•  I have recently had encouraging contact with the Chief Executive of Motability and one of the organisation’s governors. They are very much aware of the risks to disabled people’s independence of the mobility criteria of PIP and are doing all they can behind the scenes to help us.

• The publication in early March of the 23rd report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights: Implementation of the Right of Disabled People to Independent Living. The committee expressed the fear that DLA reform (the abolition of DLA and  the introduction of PIP) would restrict disabled people’s right to independent living enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was ratified by the UK Government in 2009.

However, the problem is that these achievements in themselves will not make enough difference. We need to build on them to ensure the Government cannot continue to ignore us. Since protesting in central London doesn’t even get reported on the BBC and is ignored by the Government, we need to think of something else to get their attention.

Ideas, anyone?

Blue Badges For People Given Wheelchair Prescriptions

 Guest blog from Helen Page

I recently lost my DLA higher rate mobility and was therefore unable to renew my blue badge. This has left me really struggling - just weeks after receiving a wheelchair from my local wheelchair service. I could try and apply but would have to go for a medical and reading the criteria I wouldn't qualify. Basically because I can walk across the carpark I can't have a blue badge, even though if I can't walk around the shop.

Already this has meant that my husband has had to push me half way across a stone carpark and when I go to guiding events I won't be able to park near to the entrance so I won't be able to use my wheelchair. On a trip to Filey I was unable to park where I wanted to be which meant I couldn't spend time with my kids in the way I and they wanted. Absolutely barmey when you consider that just over a month ago I received a prescription and voucher for a new wheelchair! The wheelchair had to sit in the car because I had to climb down steps and the extra painkillers I had to take as a result have caused 2 days of side effects.

It's crazy enough that I have lost my DLA mobility which has caused me considerable stress and has meant my parents have had to purchase me a new car but losing the blue badge has been a nightmare. The decision is a farce. They didn't write to my GP initially and when I asked for a reconsideration they contacted my GP asking her to comment on my dementia presumably because I have written about my memory problems. I'm 29 years old so it's fairly clear I don't have dementia i'm sure. To top it the letter saying there would be a delay as they wrote to my GP was addressed to the wrong address and was luckily found by one of my Brownie mums in the flats nearby which have half the same name!

Addressing the blue badge situation I have created a government e-petition as it seems totally ludicrous to me that you could be given a wheelchair and not be given a blue badge. It appears that in Scotland that I would have been given one so it's not an unreasonable request. If you'd be able to sign it it would be much appreciated.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/32844

#PIP Survey - Please Help

The wonderful Sam Barnett-Cormack and wearespartacus.org have designed this survey to help them put together an official Spartacus response to the PIP consultation.

We'd be REALLY grateful if you could spare a few minutes to take part. The more people that reply, the more reliable the results will be.

We don't feel that we should speak for you - but would love to base our response on what YOU think and need.

Thank you so much.

SURVEY