Disability & Money-saving ideas for our Government.

[jonbon]

Hi Everyone,

I have completed an e-mail form to Mr. Cameron & thought I would post a copy on here for everyone to see. I am upset, scared, feel under threat and am so cross that people who have absolutely no idea what it's like to live with a debillitating condition should be considered to be "experts" & decide what constitutes being disabled enough to receive the financial help we need & have paid into the system to receive. I am sorry for ranting but I am so upset & shaking as I write. Needless to say there has been no acknowledgement or reply.

Dear Mr Cameron,

I write to you with a money saving idea for our poor cash-strapped country.

I am a white British female, 48 yrs old, a single Mum to one & diagnosed 4 yrs ago with Cerebellar Ataxia,a progressive neurological condition affecting only 10,000 so you won't be familiar with it or how debilitating it is. Until then I worked hard as an RGN. Now I can no longer work, though would love to be able to do so, so I have become a burden on society, a second class citizen! People like me, the poor, homeless & the millions of others who are a drain on society, should be consigned to workhouses & forgotten about, doing this, scrapping all benefits & privatising everything will save billions that can be spent on vital things like firework celebrations & Olympics to show the world how great Great Britain is. Who needs the threat of IS when we are being terrorised, bullied, targeted and discriminated against by our own Government. Shame on you. What does the future hold for us worthless citizens?

Sent via e-mail 14.3.16.

Much love to you all for all your support and helpful ( often humerous posts)

Nicky X

[xray25]

well done Nicky for penning what a lot of us think

[Hidden]

Hope you get a positive response jonbon. I too have Cerebellar Ataxia. At the moment I receive DLA. Shortly after I was awarded the benefit the now Tory government decided to make radical changes by changing DLA to PIP. I had already went through a stressful time trying to receive the DLA benefit especially when I was turned down and had to appeal. I am at my wits end waiting for the change from DLA to PIP where I will have to go through it all again! Wish you luck.

[jneilw51]

Hi, Jonbon. Just be grateful that you live in Briton, and not the US. Here, the government's attitude, particularly with the Republican Party, is that the federal government needs to be kept out, as much as possible, of the lives of individual persons. For persons with disabilities, about half of our representatives believe that they should be assisted through churches, charaties, relatives, and local government agencies. They feel that, once allowed to participate in individual lives in one way, federal governments will always try to run other aspects of our lives. So, every time that the government wants to cut expenses, the more conservative politicians look first to see what they can cut from programs for the poor, disabled, and the unemployed. These politicians also see the more socialistic governments, like Britain, Sweden, Canada, and most of Europe, as having moved closer to being a Communistic state. What I am trying to say is that I think that you need to make any effort that you can to keep, and improve upon, any governmental benefits that you should be entitled to. I commend the effort that it took for you to write to Mr. Cameron. If you become complacent, then it could open the door for your government to move closer to the philosophy held by our Republican Party. In the US, we have further to go than in Britain to obtain decent benefits, caring, and respect for the disabled. But, if more of us follow your example, I feel optimistic that the future can be a little better for all of us suffering from the awful effects of disabilities like Ataxia. Best Wishes.

[Smallblackdog]

Hi Nicky, you've prompted me to write to my weaselly MP!

Dear ....

You may remember canvassing me before you were elected in 2010, I’m one of your constituents with a rare neurological degenerative condition called Cerebellar Ataxia which I’ve had since my teens.

In 2010 I was still working for the disability ‘charity’ Shaw Trust where I’d been working in Corporate Communications for 15 years before being made redundant as part of a general cost cutting measure. Needless to say, having made around 400 applications with 50 interviews; aged 54 I’ve been unable to find another job and receive both ESA and DLA, after working most of my adult life, I find I simply can’t work any more.

I have an Honours degree in Philosophy (London 1984) and a Diploma in Marketing (UWE 2000). I’ve studied Logic, Ethics and Political theory, I understand on a practical level both the social and medical models of disability.

I can see neither rhyme nor reason in the reasoning behind the eligibility criteria for the new Personal Independence Payments and the recently proposed changes in the criteria threshold for the budget have completely baffled me.

No doubt you understand the fiscal reasoning behind tinkering with the definition of disability but these definitions make no difference to me on an every day, personal level.

I wonder if, having voted for the introduction of PIP you can personally explain it’s rationale and how changing your definition of my disability makes the slightest difference to my difficult life? (other than funding tax breaks for the better off of course).

I look forward to your reply,

[jonbon]

Hi Smallblackdog,

Thank you for responding. Your letter to your MP is very eloquent & makes your point very well. Mine is a rant in comparison! However we are both 'singing from the same hymn sheet' as they say, in fact I think we all feel the same, as xray25, Iain25 and jneilw51 in the US have confirmed. It is a very worrying situation and it doesn't help any of us when we are made to feel it is our fault that we have a disability.

Writing it down does help and certainly makes me feel a little more empowered!

Nicky x

[nigelrheath]

Nicky et al.

Seems like your letters worked! I hear today the plans are to be scrapped.

If we don't tell them they won't know.

Nigel H

[Hidden]

Lets hope you are correct nigelrheath. How on earth can our Conservative Tory government justify cutting disability benefits and at the same time give tax rises to the middle classes? Its a total disgrace! I guess they were thinking that the best way to reduce the UKs deficit is to target the less well off and the disabled? Beforehand they attempted to cut Working Tax Credits for low pay earners which was kicked it into touch by the House of Lords. They have now decided to target the disabled instead! Shame on them!