Disability cuts - this government has no shame

[O2Trees]

Ive just read this in the Guardian.  This woman was made medically redundant by her employers.  Then Work and Pensions, after she was discharged from hospital having had pneumonia and pleurisy, told her she had to engage in "intensive work related activity".  

theguardian.com/society/201...

Surely the BLF has something to say here.  They won't be able to change the ruling but they could make a very powerful and public protest.  The medical charities should be getting together and making interventions with stuff like this.

(sorry to anyone who's already read this, just re-edited as it didn't make sense )

[Dedalus]

I totally agree - BLF can you not help with this type of problem, which is getting worse and worse?

[knitter]

The government has announced that charities will no longer be allowed to spend government grants on lobbying ministers.

But ' can use privately raised funds to ' campaign ' as they see fit' 

( bond 11th Feb 2016 and Civilsociety.co.uk 8th Feb 2016)

More laws to try and keep us quiet and powerless I guess

[O2Trees in reply to knitter]

Thanks knitter - i didn't know that. It figures though, you're right in your interpretation imo.

[Hidden]

This is awful and just shows what an uncaring society we live in now.   

Where are the employers these days who will take on someone not fully fit,  when there is a choice of healthy applicants?   It is criminal.  x

[sassy59]

Hearing too many stories like this O2 and it's not right. Government has no right to gag charities either. They should all stand together in protest. This sort of cruelty should be stopped immediately. Xxx 

[stilltruckin in reply to sassy59]

Not "gagged" at all. Seems perfectly reasonable to me.

telegraph.co.uk/news/politi...

Quote:

' A new clause to be inserted into all new and renewed grant agreements will make sure that taxpayer funds are spent on improving people's lives and good causes, rather than covering lobbying for new regulation . . .

Chris Snowden, head of Lifestyle Economics at the IEA, said: “This is very good news for taxpayers who will no longer be forced to pay for the government to lobby itself.

“At every level - local, national and European - people have been subsidising political campaigns that they may not know about and might disagree with.

“Campaigning is an important part of a thriving democracy but charities and pressure groups should not be doing it with taxpayers’ money.” '

[sassy59 in reply to stilltruckin]

I stand corrected stilltruckin and yes it is reasonable. Thanks for that. Hope you are well. xx

[knitter]

Hi stilltruckin, just wondering if a charity is given government grants as well as receiving public donations..they can use the charitable donations to lobby but not the government money....have I got that right.

How about a charity such as Action on Smoking and Health ....they campaigned against smoking in public places, for the good of all

[stilltruckin in reply to knitter]

Yes, that's right.

' The exact phrase that will be inserted into all new and renewed grant agreements reads: “The following costs are not Eligible Expenditure:- Payments that support activity intended to influence or attempt to influence Parliament, Government or political parties, or attempting to influence the awarding or renewal of contracts and grants, or attempting to influence legislative or regulatory action”. '

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actio...

Quote:

' ASH is a charity describing itself as a "campaigning public health charity that works to eliminate the harm caused by tobacco".

Its funding for its core campaigning programme comes from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Cancer Research UK (CRUK). It has also received funding from the Department of Health under its Section 64 grant programme, which is earmarked for specific projects to further the department’s public health objectives, and cannot be used to lobby the government. '

[O2Trees]

I see the logic of what you are saying ST, but alongside that, charities such as health and disability ones set themselves up precisely to campaign for the benefit of those they seek to represent, whether through instigating research, providing support or lobbying for reasonable living standards.  Charities also have independent money from public donations.  They may well be using this to campaign.

[knitter]

thanks stilltruckin ...I guess it will mean more admin costs for charities 

[onamission]

I have been banging on about this for ages this wouldn't have happened pre Atos and this is happening every day because the were give the right to treat us in any way they feel fit.

Lack of knowledge or ignorance call it what you will but this will continue until we all stick together and kick off.😈

[O2Trees]

". . . people have been subsidising political campaigns that they may not know about and might disagree with."

Id like to point out that my taxes are constantly used for stuff i totally disagree with.  That charities may lobby on our behalf just goes some way to right the balance imo.

[Hidden in reply to O2Trees]

I am totally with you there O2.   x

[Toci in reply to O2Trees]

Totally agreed. x

[medow in reply to O2Trees]

I'm none too pleased that my tax goes to landlords that are setting unfair rents, and people have to claim housing benifit in order to have a roof over their heads, tenants do not set the rent, and ............ Yada yada yada xxxx

[medow in reply to medow]

I'd like my tax money to go to Tom Carter, an amputee, through bone cancer, who's just lost his mobility car, leaving him housebound and unable to get to hospital, under his own steam, for appointments to see if his cancer is returning, maybe the powers that be think his leg will grow back, I would like any cancer charity to be shouting the odds about him, in fact they can up my taxes just for that. This is survival we are talking about xxx

[warwickstag]

Me too. Suppression of protesting is one step closer to State Fascism. This government can seriously damage your health.

[O2Trees in reply to warwickstag]

Way to go WS

[stilltruckin]

Suppose someone working on your property gives you an itemised bill which includes £xx for the time they spend trying to persuade you to give them more work?

Isn't this essentially the same as including Lobbying the Government as an 'Eligible Expenditure' on a Government Grant application?

[O2Trees in reply to stilltruckin]

So what? Logic and morals don't cut it any more ST. The rich - by which i mean bankers, corporate bodies, Bullingdon MPs etc - are busy looking after their own and have no thought or feeling for the suffering or problems of the majority of ordinary individuals. They mostly don't even pay their taxes, or nowhere near enough anyway.  We have to do whatever we can in order to get by.

And btw, speaking as an ex-freelancer, you can be sure that your invoice will be worked out to include time spent advertising, looking for work etc. Time is money and people have to live. It just won't be itemised as such.

[stilltruckin in reply to O2Trees]

iea.org.uk/publications/res...

[Hidden in reply to stilltruckin]

Interestingly, the Conservative Chair of the Commons Health Select Committee has spoken out against these new anti-lobbying rules civilsociety.co.uk/governan...

And the CEO of Children England is quoted thus "It is often charitable and community organisations who are the only voice of vulnerable groups such as children, older people and disabled people, in this process. To expect these organisations to choose between advocating for the vulnerable people they serve or accepting grants that would support but silence them in their work, is a Hobson’s choice.”

I think we should also remember that the role of charities has become much more important and wide-ranging as a result of austerity measures imposed by this government. This has led, amongst other things, to increased homelessness (resulting from the age limit for housing benefit, and the benefit cap) and has made it much more difficult for disabled people to live independent lives - just two examples.

It may seem perfectly reasonable to you, but not to me.

[O2Trees in reply to Hidden]

Cheers Hanne, couldn't have expressed it better.

[stilltruckin in reply to Hidden]

No one is going to be 'silenced' - unless they are entirely funded by Government Grants (which would make them a branch of Government in effect). Privately raised funds are exempt from any such restrictions.

[O2Trees in reply to stilltruckin]

Politically speaking, we live on different planets ST.  So we will have to agree to disagree, probably about almost everything.

[hufferpuffer]

The whole stance the government is making against people with disabilities and without suitable work and means to live on is shameless alright. They certainly are good at kicking people when they are down.

It's bad enough finding yourself in a compromised situation without being punished for it.

To take 30 pounds per week from people already struggling to make ends meet proves how very real the divide between rich and poor is.

huff, huffing and puffing with disgust!

[onamission]

The government can dress this up any way they choose but none of us with this condition will improve unless we have a lung transplant  

[stilltruckin]

Aug 2013: ‘Charity’ Chiefs’ Critical Role in Lobbying for NHS and Welfare State Privatisation Exposed: blacktrianglecampaign.org/2...

[Hidden in reply to stilltruckin]

Hi stilltrukin..ever since I have been a member on this forum you have always come up with good links and replys to posts....Including this one.

I do agree with you in what you say.

I was trying to make some sence of this link you put on..I couldn't work out what David Worskett roll was ..

It said  that he was the leader of partners network .....but when I looked it up it was a supply company 

I only found him interesting as I know him very well...he used to be the   head of PR for the R A C..

I haven't seen his face in 12 years. .

If your interested in a bit  background I will happy to PM you...

Anyways i hope you  keep up the good work that meny ..meny members appreciate you for.

Your a star on this forum. 

Andy.

[stilltruckin in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for that.

Sept 2009 David Worskett, Private Prophet: theguardian.com/society/200...

March 2013 Unhealthy influence: The rise of the NHS Partners Network: socialinvestigations.blogsp...

Dec 2014 Reaction to BMJ reports – damning indication of privatisation and management consultants cashing in on our NHS: nhap.org/reaction-to-bmj-re...

July 2015  Private health lobby advised on NHS privatisation review: theguardian.com/society/201...

March 2016 Former NHS Money Boss Richard Douglas Is Now Working for the People Trying to Dismantle It: vice.com/en_uk/read/richard...