Time Limiting ESA - We MUST stop it.

It seems that the Conservatives are simply not willing to give an inch on Time Limiting ESA.

Just to be clear, this means that if you have worked and paid national insurance contributions you will face an assessment. If that assessment finds that you are indeed unwell, but may be able to do some work at some point, you will only qualify for support for a year.

At the end of that year, no matter how ill you remain, if you have a partner who earns just £7,500 or more, or limited savings, you will lose all ESA. All of it.

Those with long term, serious illnesses, mental health conditions and learning disabilities are likely to be the worst affected. Sickness benefits as we know them will become a thing of the past. Just 6% of new claimants will qualify for long term support, the rest will have just one year.

I have written about time limiting extensively here (click for article)

The government accept that 94% will not have found work at the end of that year. They accept that they will not have recovered. They simply say "We can't afford it"

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmworpen/1015/101502.htm

The only way we can now stop the government from going ahead with this most horrifying of policies is for Lib Dem Lords to vote against it.

Earlier this year, Lib Dem grasroots members voted for a motion and amendment at their conference opposing an arbitrary time limit for ESA. The vote was overwhelmingly in favour.

Here is the amendment in full :

After C. (line 25), insert:
D. That vulnerable cases like this, where a welfare recipient’s income is threatened ,should qualify
for free legal representation.

Delete 2 (line 35) and insert:

2. Liberal Democrats in Government to oppose an arbitrary time limit on how long claimants can
claim contributory ESA.
In 3. (line 36), after ‘representation’ insert: ‘and expert advice, and for Government to reconsider
the exclusion of welfare benefits casework such as this from the scope of legal aid.

After 3. (line 36), add:
4. A presumption that ESA claimants with serious and uncontrollable life-threatening conditions
should be allocated to the support group rather than the work related activity group.

5 A review of ATOS performance in delivering the Medical Services Agreement contract with
DWP in respect of the quality of medical assessments.

6. Effective contract compliance for contractors carrying out ESA eligibility assessments to avoid
poor performance, and a presumption that in future ESA eligibility will be carried out by the
public sector or non-profit organisations.

Once this vote was carried, opposing the time limiting of ESA became Liberal Democrat policy.

Today, I'm asking all of you - Liberal Democrat or not - to write to a Lib Dem peer and beg them to oppose the one year time limit. Here is a list of Lib Dem peers http://www.libdems.org.uk/peers.aspx

Simply click on a letter at random, pick one and write to them. Beg them. Explain it to them. Feel free to send them my articles. Remind them about their conference pledge.

They're our only hope. If they support the Conservatives on this, despite the wishes of their members, 700,000 people will be affected. People with Parkinson's, Bowel Disease, MS, Cancer, Heart Failure, Kidney Failure, Lung disease, Schizophrenia, Bi-Polar and any other condition you can think of.

Please, write today. Then write again. Pick another peer and then another and keep writing until after Xmas.

Very early in the New Year, Lords will vote on this issue for the final time. It is only this vote now that stands between time limiting ESA becoming policy.

Please, if you've ever sent one of my letters, every RTd an article because I asked, every written to your MP, every written a blog post or an article, please, do this. Keep doing it until the day of the vote. Tell everyone and ask them to write too.

The welfare reform bill is almost law now. We don't have very many opportunities to make a difference. Let's make a difference over this.



**Feel free to re-post, share, RT and generally make sure that everyone knows, thanks.

The following articles may help:

http://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.com/2011/03/today-im-launching-my-new-campaign.html

http://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.com/2011/09/funds-already-in-place-to-go-ahead-with.html

http://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.com/2011/05/why-labour-still-have-it-wrong-on-esa.html

http://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.com/2011/03/welfare-reform-that-must-not-go-ahead.html

A Cripmas Lunch And Spoonie Secret Santa

Christmas can be a difficult time for many people, especially those who are disabled whether that be through a long term sickness, a fluctuating condition, a mental health issue, learning disability or the traditional image of a wheelchair or white stick. For many of us on low incomes buying gifts or travelling to be with loved ones can be impossible, or just practically too exhausting.



Anyone in receipt of benefits will be receiving their annual Christmas bonus soon. Before anyone not in receipt of benefits gets too excited about us 'scrounging types' getting a free, state funded Christmas party this bonus is a one off payment of £10 which has not been increased since it was first introduced. From an initial joke on twitter between @zoesmith, @gentlechaos @Imogen_May @techiebabe and myself the idea of a Cripmas Lunch was born. 

We'd like to make sure that for anyone who's alone this Christmas or who needs to spend time with other people in a similar situation that there is an online meeting point where it's easy to gather together to find company, support and hopefully a few laughs. The old BBC Ouch message boards were always busy over Christmas and in recent years other sites disabled people could congregate such as 'yourable' have disappeared leaving a bit of a gap for people to try and find each other. We'll bring you the meeting details as we get more organised but for now there will be a #cripmaslunch tag on twitter so you can search on that and find others. We'll also direct people to particular facebook pages and hopefully a forum venue. People can chat, share music, jokes, find support, whatever they want and we're all looking forward to a fantastic cripmas tale written by @creativecrip

The fantastic Flash Bristow has volunteered to run a Spoonie Secret Santa and all the details are on her blog page here. We're particularly keen for anyone who's isolated to join in, so everyone can receive at least one gift this Christmas and know that someone cares, but it's open to all Spoonies, which means anyone with any kind of sickness, disability, learning disability or mental health problem.

Time is short to participate in the Spoonie Secret Santa because of the last posting dates, but we've set the budget at £5 per gift to try and ensure as many people as possible can afford to take part. Flash needs your details by midnight on Sunday 12th of December so she can assign Secret Santas and people have time to post their gifts.

So, don't be lonely this Christmas - come and join everyone in our Spoonie Secret Santa and Cripmas Lunch!

Pat Says "Our Voices Will Be Heard"

Since its launch in early November, Pat’s petition  has reached out to thousands of disabled people, carers and friends. Magnificent backing has come from all walks of life including charitable organisations, voluntary groups and my own MP! 


Far and wide it finds members of the public who care enough and want to help. It is going from strength to strength as more hear about it and want to sign. The offers of support from MIND, Disability Alliance, RNIB, RADAR and so many more, has been truly amazing. Their newsletters will be heard and seen by tens of thousands.

To my small band of ‘warriors’…..disabled or carers themselves, who have all been invaluable friends…….I thank you. You have all made this possible so keep spreading the petition.
Determination to succeed grows ever stronger. Money is, apparently, ‘needed’ elsewhere which the government deems ‘more important.’ The first to get hit, yet again, are those who can least afford it. So where do they get that money from? Of course there is no problem. They move our goal posts ever further apart and steal from those who can least afford it. Sorry – I don’t accept this – I say NO. 

I need YOUR  help to reach my target of 100,000, so take Pat’s petition and tell everyone.

Together……. ‘I’ becomes ‘we’ and our voices

WILL BE HEARD

Please sign and share this link with as many individuals, groups, charities and organisations that you can, and ask them to share it in newsletters.

Any questions can be sent to 

Pat Onions c/o admin@carerwatch.com

We'll Be Back Soon!

Dear all,

We at The Broken of Britain HQ are having a break for a while.  At the moment, we don't know how long we will be away for, but it will, most probably, be around a month.

Usually, we have someone manning (womanning!) the fort whilst others take a break, but at the moment, we all need some time away.

Various things, be they physical, mental, emotional, or life events, have left us rather frazzled, and we just cannot keep up with everything that we need to to run TBofB properly.

What we write about is so important to so many people, that we would rather not do it, than provide false or erroneous information.

Some of us will still be using Twitter and Facebook, or writing on our blogs, but there is no pressure on us to keep up with the pace on our own our personal accounts, as there is on The Broken of Britain's.

We very much hope you understand, and will still be supporting our cause when we get back.

All very best wishes,

Kali, Rhydian, Lisa, Sue and Melissa xx

Pat's Petition

Pat Onions has submitted an e-petition to the government website. Pat is blind and Pat is also a carer. When we asked her why she submitted this petition she said -

We were determined to attend the Hardest Hit rally in Edinburgh. Determined, in spite of disability, to stand with the others who had made the long and difficult journey. Determined to show we were united as one voice against the vicious cuts we are all enduring. We knew there were many thousands who couldn’t make it. Disability, ill health or cost would prevent them coming. We made it.
To the many there and those who came in spirit……….this petition is for us all.

Pat’s petition reads –

Stop and review the cuts to benefits and services which are falling disproportionately on disabled people, their carers and families.

You can see the full petition on the Government website here 

The Broken of Britain are supporting Pat’s petition.  If Pat gets 100,000 signatures it could generate a debate in Parliament.

There is massive concern over the huge extent of both the welfare reforms and the cuts. Too often when people speak up, their voice is fragmented and discounted. This is an opportunity to get everyone together to speak with one voice, and to register in one place, how many people are asking the government to listen.

Firstly – obviously – we ask you to sign this petition and persuade all your family and friends to do the same. The name of the game is numbers ; so please ask friends, family and any organisations you belong to to sign and get others to sign.

When you sign the petition you will see buttons for twitter and facebook; so please share it with others on Twitter and Facebook.  Let Pat know she has your support by leaving a comment here too.
The first signatures will be the hardest to get, while we get this juggernaut rolling, so please help now and make sure that this petition really takes off.

This petition will only succeed if everyone joins together to support it and TBofB are delighted that  organisations are joining our ranks and offering support.

Organisations on board so far that have agreed to help raise awareness of Pat’s Petition are :

RADAR
Disability Alliance
CarerWatch
The Broken of Britain
CarersUK
DPAC
Benefits and Work