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Sunday 1 November 2015

Philip Davies Tory MP

Not blogged for a while but after hearing about the Tory MP Philip Davies blocking the free hospital parking for carers I just had to put finger to keyboard.
Lets start with some history about this nasty little Tory-

He has called for government to scrap the Human Rights Act for foreign nationals and chuck them out of the country. After an act of vandalism initially alleged to have been perpetrated by Muslims, The Sun quoted Davies as saying "if there’s anybody who should f*** off it’s the Muslims who do this sort of thing.

He asked whether it was racist for a policeman to refer to a BMW as "black man's wheels" and whether the Black Police Association breaches discrimination law by restricting its membership to black people.In March 2007 he voted against the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 which proposed to allow the Secretary of State to make regulations defining discrimination and harassment on grounds of sexual orientation.

He has said in Parliament that disabled people are "by definition" less productive and could work for less than the minimum wage. He was criticised by disabled charities for his comments and the Conservative Party quickly distanced themselves from the suggestion. Davies' initial response was that the furore over his comments was "Left-wing hysteria".

He is an organiser for the economically right-wing Taxpayers Alliance, which is merely a branch of the Conservative Party who's actions are questionably corrupt and bordering criminal behaviour.

He has called for the scrapping of the minimum wage in the UK.

Said in the House that the Bill to make rented property fit for human habitation was "a burden to landlords like himself".

In 2012, while a member of the parliamentary select committee looking into gambling law, he failed to register £10,000 in benefits from companies with links to the gambling industry.

In 2012 went to America paid for by the BBC to "research" how they put criminals to death as he supports the death penalty.

So when he claims he blocked the parking in hospitals for carers but was doing so for their own good you know you cannot believe this ethically and morally corrupt little man.

Still what amazes me is that carers are doing nothing to challenge this sort of actions by the government, I cannot believe that they have been so quiet.
Not me, I straight away emailed this repugnant example of a politician to register my disgust over his actions. His response was to blame the fact that 100 other MP's didn't come in to force the vote through, "not my fault guv it was the other fella's" seems to be this arse's attitude.

I also issued him with a challenge to meet me - a carer- in person, I'd even pay my own car parking fee! I'd offer to pay Philip Davies car parking fees but he claims his back on expenses, nice to see such good use of the tax payers money eh Phil? Of course the arrogant excuse for a human being declined, seems he is lacking a backbone.

So Phil, name the time and place mate, I back down from no man, care to take on a carer?

Friday 3 July 2015

Disabled People Being Assessed By Ambulance Men And Women???

While we all know that the Conservative Party have abused their position in government to attack disabled people by denying them the same disability benefits that David Cameron claimed for his late son Ivan it beggars belief that the "health care professionals they are using have little knowledge of complex disabilities.

How can you expect a midwife to know about complex disabilities? You can't.
So what about an ambulance man or woman? Yes that's right, the DWP seem to accept that it's fine for someone who drives an ambulance around to carry out medical assessments! So what next? Perhaps a hospital porter?

How about the hospital car park attendant? The guy who fixes the snack machines, he must be able to work for Maximus diagnosing disabilities surely?

The more you look into how the government is fucking over disabled people the worse it gets.

Lets expand this a little and get the guy who does the National Lottery results to look into finances at the Bank of England.
How about the bloke who plays Zak Dingle taking over the National Farmers Union. Some crack sniffling, prostitute user becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer...okay bad example.

Once again we see government corruption and a complete disregard of what matters to disabled people.

Can it get any worse? I'm not going to bet against it.

Friday 26 June 2015

Iain Duncan Smith, Doofus?

When you think that Iain Duncan Smith cannot say anything more stupid he stoops to new lows. IDS welcomes food banks it seems, even though his boss David 'we're all in this together...honest' Cameron has said otherwise



of course Cameron was leader of the opposition when he hated hearing that people had to have food parcels. Now he uses those food parcels to subsidise benefits they seem like a jolly good idea!

You have to admit that IDS has form when it comes to making stupid comments, one being

"My Catholic background has certainly affected the way I view life and it has become integral to everything I do. It has given me a belief in things like structure, marriage, family, compassion for the poor, the importance of community",

seems his belief is to destroy all those things and make sure people know they are poor and to put the boot in as often as possible.

Many people think he is stupid, an American version being a 'Doofus' and the description sums up Duncan Smith to a tea

"a clueless person, most always lacking even the most basic social skills. a doofus often thinks they are a bit smarter then everyone else.
A doofus views defeating a 6 year old at a game of tic tac toe as an accomplishment to be bragged about. A doofus does not understand why you are not fairly impressed by this"

though I prefer to think of him as the worst sort of Tory, a vile piece of shit that enjoys the distress he causes to others as can be heard here.

And to think that IDS founded the Centre For Social Justice, I'll tell you what, there ain't no justice if you ain't a millionaire.

Sunday 14 June 2015

Definition Of A Carer?

So what is a carer? Easy question isn't it? Well not really.

Why ask the question? Well if you go to most carer forums, even the national charity ones you will see that almost every one of those who post on them say that Carers Allowance is too low. I don't think many people would disagree with that, but here's the thing, is there really over 6 million carers in the UK? National charities seem to include people who just support older people in that 6 million but they would not be eligible for Carers Allowance so should they be classed as “a carer”?
I've always said that carers need to have an actual 'definition' of what a carer is, for example: Carer Worker, Foster Carer, Care Support Worker, the list goes on, hell there’s even an Animal Foster Carer (link http://www.woodgreen.org.uk/how_to_help/animal_foster_carer) . The statistics pushed out by Carers UK (link http://www.carersuk.org/) are absurd! 45% of people have given up work to care for someone? Absolute nonsense.


To be eligible for Carers Allowance you need to fulfil a set of rules, the government states-

Carer’s Allowance is £61.35 a week to help you look after someone with substantial caring needs.

You don’t have to be related to, or live with, the person you care for.

You must be 16 or over and spend at least 35 hours a week caring for them.

The person you care for must already get one of these benefits:

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) daily living component

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) - the middle or highest care rate

Attendance Allowance

Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the normal maximum rate with an Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, or basic (full day) rate with a War Disablement Pension

Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP)

Going by that there are about 1.5 million people getting or should be getting Carers Allowance so where does the “6 million carers” come from? I’ve been shouted down about this before but the thing is you cannot get justice for carers if their numbers are falsely inflated, the opposite will apply. Including people who do the odd bit of shopping for a pensioner or does their garden once in a while as being carers is insulting to actual carers anyway but this is what’s happening and it’s stupid, damn stupid.

This is where the idea of an actual definition for those people who get or should get Carers Allowance comes into play. It’s simplistic but it seems you need to start somewhere. Petitions and mass email campaigns to MP’s have done nothing to raise Carers Allowance no one can say it has. So go back to the drawing board, start with those carers that can be defined by the Carers Allowance they receive or should receive (there are people that should be eligible for Carers Allowance but the overlapping benefit rule hits them like people who draw the state pension or they are children who are carrying out a caring role for example).
Okay this is rehashing an idea from when I ran UK Carers (link http://www.ukcarers.net) but it is still valid, and to this day I still cannot work out why national carer charities want to falsely inflate the number of carers.


Stop mixing carers in with every other group or organisation that is connected to “carers”, define us - pay us, simples.

And while we are stop excluding carers. The list of groups that needed reminding that carers actually exist is pretty astounding, the WOW petition group, Labours Disability Poverty Taskforce, the Spartacus group to name just a few. Oh, even the People’s Parliament (link http://thepeoplesparliament.me.uk/) doesn’t seem to have a single mention of carers. Are all carers feeble-minded simpering old biddies? No we are not! I’ve seen groups saying that there should be unity between online disabled groups and still fail to grasp the fact we carers exist.

Being the realist I am though I know that there never will be unity. I know that there are those online like myself that people hate, personally I don’t give two hoots (*though I toned that down) Anyone that is different to the norm, has ideas that others don’t like such as refusing to accept anything that carer charities pump out tend to be taken as weirdos to be avoided. That’s fine, I have no problem with that, safe to say though that in the many years campaigning for carers the one issue that comes up time and time again is the fact that Carers Allowance is too low. So perhaps we ‘weirdos’ aren’t the problem after? I‘ve even been called a “dangerous man“ for challenging one national carer charity to work ‘for’ carers rather than to decide what is ‘best’ for carers.

Define us - pay us, it isn’t rocket science, it’s not that hard to do at all. Carers need to get out of the mind-set that they are a shadow of the disabled person they care for. They aren’t shadows they are an important part of the lives of our carees. But the thing is getting carers to realise they are important because they damn well are.

Saturday 30 May 2015

Morning Star Thanks As Usual & Caroline Flint

It seems the only newspaper that is constantly interested in highlighting the plight of disabled people and carers is the Morning Star.

Once again this excellent newspaper allowed me to do a piece about Conservative attacks on disabled people and their unwillingness to meet with carers or disabled people.
The article I mentioned is about Justin Tomlinson and David Cameron voting against giving disabled people an income that didn't mean they had to endure poverty. Being able to heat their homes, eat decent food and not have to have the added worry about getting a referral to a food bank, not worry about bills. This isn't "welfare dependency" this is about lessening the effects of living a life with a disability for Gods sake!

Labour still haven't learnt that an opposition "opposes" attacks on disabled people and the poorer in society not supports cuts to benefits. Another good example would be Caroline Flint who said that Labour should be comfortable giving those it thought were choosing to live on benefits a “kick up the backside”.

This shows that Labour haven't moved from being "Tory-lite" and will be destined to stay in opposition for years.
Also those who haven't chosen to "live on benefits" but have no choice but to exist on benefits for one reason or another will continue to be the targets of millionaire out-of-touch politicians.
Lets add an honorary mention of Iain Duncan Smith's plans to plunge 40,000 children into poverty
Disabled people and those that cannot find work need to fear the Tories, even if those "Tories" are Labour politicians like Ms Flint who seems to have failed to research why Labour came into being. There could always be the alternative of the Lib Dems led by Tim Farron, the politician who opposes the Tories bedroom tax so much that he voted in favour of it almost every single time.

Tuesday 26 May 2015

Social Media And Anti Disabled People Comments

I've always said that being "reasonable" gets you no where when it comes to dealing with the likes of Daily Mail/Sun/Torygraph readers, the sort of people that say in the comment section of articles that "there's loads of fraud in disability benefits, we all know someone who cheats the system".


As I said many years ago you have to be proactive against these internet idiots, put the facts in front of them, if they get stroppy then get stroppier. Make these people realise that disabled people and carers are ready to fight back. Hell, take on Katie Price if you feel like it. If you can make these people realise that their bullshit will be called out and virtually slapped around till they either accept they are wrong or block you.


After some idiot decided to say there are many who defraud disability benefits by "needlessly" claiming them (*cough-multi millionaire David and Sam Cameron-cough*)  for their child that had ADHD was forced to face facts and after exchanging insults, anger and foul language they decided to call me a bully and block me.


That's great, maybe next time @claytonrogers18 on Twitter decides to attack disabled people because of their ignorance or bigotry they will think twice.


There  morons have to be faced down, disabled people and carers cannot allow their misinformation to go unchallenged. If anyone is struggling with a tory troll then give me a call @ukcarers   


Be as "unreasonable" as you possibly can, being reasonable does nothing      

Friday 22 May 2015

Justin Tomlinson Minister For Disabled People And Cameron's Puppet

 
It is with some fear that disabled people will have to have Justin Tomlinson foisted on them as the latest Minister for Disabled People, the latest in a long line of totally inadequate Ministers as I've said before.


Being a carer and a campaigner for carers for almost 20 years now I’ve seen them come and go. I cannot recall one Minister from any party that actually wanted to help make things easier for disabled people let alone carers.


Justin Tomlinson has voted against protecting the benefits of disabled children and those undergoing cancer treatment but why did he vote against this?


Now perhaps when it comes to children David Cameron has a poor memory, but surely he remembers he had a disabled child? And that David Cameron himself was so pleased that Disability Living Allowance was there to help with the extra expenses for Ivan? Things must have been hard for a multi millionaire family that they needed to claim disability benefits, the same benefits that Tomlinson would rather wasn’t ‘protected’. That should have made him think twice about giving Tomlinson his position.


Disabled people were scared when hearing that the Tories had won the General Election, they can now move that up a notch to ‘being petrified‘. He will not only be Cameron’s lapdog but Iain Duncan Smith’s puppet, and we all know that IDS has no sympathy for people who are not millionaires.


Tomlinson will be the worst Minister for Disabled People ever. I’m not saying this because I hate the Conservative Party I am saying this from experience AND because I hate the Tory Party. The man has no morals.


Tomlinson does know about carers as he has taken part in many ‘Carers Week’ events so he must also be aware of their worries like 40 to 50% of carers that will lose their Carers Allowance if the Tories have their way. This is on top of the 25,000 former MP (and it’s so nice to be able to say that about this woman) Esther McVey
.
The blame for Tomlinson’s views about disabled people cannot be completely placed at his door, in fact if you look through the “They Work For You” website you will see many or most Conservative and Lib Dem politicians from the coalition have all voted the same way when it comes to providing vital financial help for disabled people.


So the big question is who instructed these politicians to be so anti disabled people, it has to come from the top, the Prime Minister surely? David Cameron who had a disabled son, a son he loves to use as a tool when it comes to the NHS and benefit system so how did he vote when it came to paying higher benefits for those unable to work because of being disabled?


After checking the way many ConDem MP’s voted I found out that David Cameron voted against paying higher benefits over longer periods for those unable to work due to illness or disability! How can he keep using poor Ivan when he has no time for disabled people at all? Or was Ivan the only disabled person David Cameron cared about?


Justin Tomlinson will do whatever the Prime Minister tells him when it comes to disabled people, if David Cameron thinks so little of his late son Ivan then he will have no trouble making the lives of other disabled people hell.


It’s going to be a very long, very miserable 5 years if you are disabled or unemployed or both.











Sunday 17 May 2015

Justin Tomlinson - Just No Backbone

             I challenge any of these MP's to meet withcarers and disabled people


Well I got my reply from the DWP for a meeting with the Minister for Disabled People requesting a meeting regarding the removal of Carers Allowance for up to 50% of carers, the reply should come as a surprise to no one

            Dear Mr Arnold
Thank you for your email of 12 May to the Minister for Disabled People about Carer’s Allowance. Government Ministers receive a large volume of correspondence and they are unable to reply personally on every occasion. I have been asked to respond.

The Government recognises and applauds the enormous effort and commitment of those who have the responsibility of caring for others. However, I am sure you will appreciate that owing to his commitments, the Minister will be unable to meet with you.

As you know, Carer's Allowance is a non-contributory benefit available to people who have given up the opportunity of full-time paid employment in order to provide substantial care, of at least 35 hours a week, to a severely disabled person. The person being cared for must be receiving either the highest or middle rate of the Disability Living Allowance care component, Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance at the appropriate rate, the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment or Armed Forces Independence Payment. In addition, recipients may qualify for higher rates of Pension Credit and of income-related benefits like Income Support or Housing Benefit.

All Governments keep the benefit system under continual review, but there are no plans to remove support for carers.
Yours sincerely
John Herron


This is a 'par for the course' reply when asking to meet a Minister, also the usual patronising platitude is rolled out to attempt to placate any carer that contacts them. After 20 years that don't work! I was getting the same replies from Labour last time they were in power.

I've emailed back saying I don't accept their refusal to arrange a meeting and would travel anywhere even for a couple of minutes to speak to the guy who voted to take away vital financial support for disabled children. Hell I even said I'd accept a meeting via Skype to get to talk to this Minister.

If politicians from any political party decide to attack disabled people and carers at least they could be brave enough to face the people whose lives they are going to decimate. I'm ready, I'm here, talk to me Tomlinson, I've no fear of you why do you fear a humble carer?

Anyone media sources want to help make this happen? Anyone want to join in a Skype meeting with Justin Tomlinson? How about anyone else from IDS's department? It's time to fight, no one else will speak for us effectively so it's time to get out of your comfort zones and get in their faces

















Saturday 16 May 2015

Justin Tomlinson - The Hypocrite Stoops Lower Still

Just when it seems like the Tories can't stoop any lower we have a great example of how our latest Minister Against Disabled People Mr Justin Tomlinson paying a visit to Swindon Down’s Syndrome Group







If readers might care to remember Mr Tomlinson is the MP who voted against protecting benefits for disabled children. What on earth persuaded Swindon Down's Syndrome Group to invite an MP who would deny these children vital help? This blatant PR exercise shows Tomlinson has no morals, no ethics and will exploit disabled children in the same way  David Cameron exploited his own son!




As a carer I've seen many mistakes made by campaigners, hell I've made quite a few myself and I'm not afraid to admit it, but I've yet to see a full-blooded attack on Justin Tomlinson's appointment. There's been the odd mention, loads of comments on Twitter, but no 'go for the throat' attacks, and that is a mistake.


This 'man' has shown himself to be a bigot, someone that views disabled people as not worth helping, a burden on society. Tomlinson must face disabled people and carers anger, lets hope the groups that are left discover that change won't happen from being reasonable,
won't happen from some online petition,
won't happen by selling out to the enemy (Sue Marsh reference)
won't happen by relying on charities,
things will happen when disabled people and carers finally get it through their thick heads that they need to demand they speak for themselves and demand that MP's face them to give them answers.
My only question to Justin Tomlinson is "why"?

















Wednesday 13 May 2015

Justin Tomlinson And Carers.....And Hypocrisy

Seems Justin Tomlinson can't help being a hypocrite or a self-serving 'toe-the-line' Tory.



The article here shows Mr Tomlinson meeting with carers and pledging his support. It's a shame that he didn't tell them that he will be voting with the government to scrap Carers Allowance for up to 50% of carers.

I'd like him to prove me wrong but lets see how this picture


 comes back to bite him on his a$$ given that he is highly likely to vote to scrap Carers Allowance for approximately 40% of carers.

Placing this man in a position of fighting for disabled people is a very callous  move by David Cameron. Cameron knows this man will vote against any measure to help disabled people and carers.



Due notice is being given David Cameron on Justin Tomlinson, your actions are now being monitored. You might have conned the likes of the Daily Mail and Sun readers but most other people with a consciance know what you are doing.

Cameron's Casualties is nothing to be proud of


Tuesday 12 May 2015

Justin Tomlinson The Latest Minister for Disabled People???

David Cameron shows exactly what he thinks of disabled people with the appointment of Justin Tomlinson as the latest Minister for Disabled People.


Tomlinson isn't the man to fight for disabled people, hell his voting record shows he has a dislike of disabled people, the nastiest little example of this politician being



Justin Tomlinson voted not to make an exception for those with a cancer diagnosis or undergoing cancer treatment from the 365 day limit on receiving contribution based Employment and Support Allowance.



How can anyone who has any knowledge of disability allow Tomlinson to be "Minister for Disabled People"? "Against Disabled People" maybe. He has shown himself to be a good little foot soldier for a Prime Minister who seems to be so jealous other disabled people are living that he has to make their lives even worse that when leader of a coalition government.


How can you place a politician to look after the interests of disabled when his voting record shows things such as



Justin Tomlinson voted not to halt further spending and welfare cuts and not to investigate the impact of austerity measures on the incidence of poverty and inequality.



David Cameron has made a very  callous appointment in Tomlinson, one that should make all disabled people and carers ask "why did you give him this brief?"


I suggest as many disabled people and carers get in touch with him via their own MP to demand a meeting with him.


The Tories might have won the general election  but they have no rights to inflict this person on them.

Tuesday 21 April 2015

Maximus Assessment Centres

After seeing that many Maximus Assessment centres see to be difficult to access for people with disabilities by using this link and following up by using Google Maps to see the buildings and surrounding areas I sent the DWP a Freedom of Information's Act request, this is the reply-


You asked:
‘Could you please tell me


1 - The exact number of Maximus assessment centres in the UK.
2 - How many do not have disabled access.
3- How many centres have designated parking.
4 - How many are located on the ground floor.’


In response to your questions:
1, The Centre for Health and Disability Centre (CHDA) has 141 Assessment Centres in the UK.
2, Please can you provide clarification of the information you wish to receive since the definition disabled access covers a broad spectrum of conditions and associated adjustments.
 Please note that if I do not receive appropriate clarification of your information requirements within three months from the date of this letter, then I will consider your request closed.

3, 42 Assessment Centres have on-site parking.
4, 110 Assessment Centres are located on the ground floor. In cases where a centre is not based on the ground floor CHDA can offer an assessment at an alternative centre or arrange a home visit.

If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely
DWP Central FoI Team


Regarding question two, I'd have thought disabled access would be obvious, wheelchair access, ramps for people with mobility issues, hand rails, automatic doors, disabled toilets, is it really that difficult for the DWP to work out?




141 assessment centres but only two have "on site parking", no clarification if there are disabled bays or if it's a free-for-all where you have to hope there is a place. If that is the case then what about getting in and out of parking spaces if someone needs to get a wheelchair out?


Also it seems that 31 assessment centres are above ground floor, no clarification as to if there are lifts in those buildings or not or indeed if any have the assessments above the second floor.


Seems there needs to be a follow up to this FoI but what does strike me is that there seems to be no indication that the Maximus will be any better than Atos.


Seems their "Head of Customer Experience" the traitorous Sue (donate money to me now) Marsh is doing an absolutely spiffing job though







































Friday 9 January 2015

Sue Marsh - Suey2y Screws Over Disabled People

As the header says, WOW campaigner Sue Marsh/Suey2y has accepted a job offer by disability deniers Maximus.


I distinctly remember Marsh and her online buddies savaging Simon Stevens for admitting he worked for Atos, but now she excuses herself for accepting £60,000 a year bride by Maximus by saying "I hope I can make a difference, and I'm confident that if I can't, then no-one could have", which is similar to the excuse Simon Stevens used. It's bullshit basically.




Marsh has always been money orientated, she just got brought and owned by Maximus, but here's the kicker for her faithful (stupidly naïve) followers and defenders, the laptop they donated money for has been used to get her nose in the trough. Remember she applied for the job they didn't give it to her, and that application will have been done on the laptop she conned her followers into paying for! Stunning way to rub peoples noses in the sh*t.


No self respecting disability/carer campaigner would work for Maximus (Atos by another name), but Sue decided she would, why? 60,000 reasons why and they all carry a pound sign on them. She sold out, she is brought and owned by Maximus and the government now.


But still her gullible naïve sheep think she is fighting for them, dear God may these fools see the error of their ways, and when you read some of the comments on her blog such as -


"A staggering about face. I see you're already using their language about there being 'too many in the Support Group' who would 'like to work'"


"Can't imagine what the salary will be for joining the enemy."


"I am not comfortable with your view that there are many people in the Support Group who "want to work". I really doubt that, frankly"


"I think that you are being naive in the extreme if you think that this job will benefit any of your new "customers"


Volte-face.... sad :(


perhaps Sue may even join the tories policy unit with White Dee


and the last one says it all

"You've joined the enemy, now. Enjoy your retirement from activism. You sold your soul and good name for a pot of gold. What were you thinking? God only knows."




I've always said that you don't work with your enemies and Sue Marsh/Suey2y has proved me right in a way I could not have predicted.

Shame on you Marsh, you are disgusting, but enjoy the money because your reputation has just gone down the crapper






Tuesday 6 January 2015

Can We Talk?

Hello dear readers. Lets start the latest piece by saying I am not allowed to say anything. That’s right, nothing. So I hope you enjoyed this article as much as I enjoyed not writing it, see you next time……….
I suppose I’d better explain a little, I’ve been trying to formulate a complaint about a certain bald-headed politician who had an inability to tell the truth. Having found a possible breech of Parliament’s own Code of Standards (link = http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmcode/1885/188502.htm#a4) which states


Openness


Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands.

Honesty


Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest.
Accountability

Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office.

The bald headed one has deliberately failed to adhere to the rules. Openness? Nope, he fails to answer questions and points people to mindless surveys to prove his point.

Honesty? A huge great big NOPE! A complete failure to understand the concept of the word “honesty”.

Accountability? As of yet the bald headed one has yet to make himself available to “the public” because he would not have the guts to face to people who’s lives he has blighted.

Who upholds the Code of Standards? Why it’s the Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards that’s who. When I complained about ‘Mr I Daren’t Say’ a member of that organisation (who’s name I cannot reveal) said it was not in their remit to deal with complaints about ‘Mr I Daren’t Say’s’ flouting of their Code of Standards. It doesn’t matter that a politician can openly break their own rules and laws, the fact is that the body that enforces their code cannot act and I cannot say why or prove what they said because I cannot reproduce any of the email exchanges because they have refused me the right to do so.

I don’t know if I am allowed to tell you that today is Tuesday, the sky is blue or that birds fly, I’ll have to leave you to find out for yourselves.

What it all means is that politicians are allowed to lie through their teeth without fear of being brought to book for doing so.

Suicides Due To DWP Cuts




 

 

From the gentleman who tied himself to railings outside a jobcentre and set fire to himself (link = http://www.gazetteherald.co.uk/news/10360733.Benefits_withdrawal_led_to_man___s_suicide/) , to the farmer who shot himself (link = https://welfaretales.wordpress.com/category/death-after-fit-to-work-decision/) to a partially sighted & suffered from mental health problems there is a record of people who are committing suicide because of cuts and sanctions to benefits.



Many (*1) bloggers, websites, Facebook pages and Twitter feeds are people keeping track of those people who are in such dire circumstances that they are taking their own lives because of cuts and sanctions to benefits.





Just a few of the hundreds of sites, pages and media mentions to highlight the effects of the direct cuts to disability benefits (they are not reforms they are cuts)



It is obvious how bad things are when (*2) Job Centre managers warn staff of suicide risks among those that are/will be affected by these cuts.





It doesn’t matter what the likes of Iain Duncan Smith, Esther McVey, David Cameron, George Osborne or Mike Penning say, the truth is that the cruel cuts and sanction regime that the Conservative AND Lib Dems have brought in people are taking their own lives. And not just one or two people but many.



The GMC seem more concerned about the (*3) suicides of doctors rather than the suicides of disabled people and I can not understand why disabled people are seen as lesser people.



There were warnings to the GMC about the assessments which Atos carried out, they came from individuals, bloggers, campaign groups etc yet still- despite what the GMC have stated (*4) The first duty of all doctors is ‘to make the care of your patient your first concern’. But that is not the only duty doctors must observe. Being open and honest and acting with integrity is also an essential part of medical professionalism" their members did as Atos and the DWP told them regarding the flawed assessments and helped remove benefits and allowances from disabled people who then went on to commit suicide or died shortly after being passed as ‘fit for work’.





This isn’t acting with integrity and honesty, it was purely mercenary because Atos paid them well for the damage they did to disabled and sick people.

It has been shown that (*5) suicides increase under a Conservative government, this latest one seems intent on driving the more vulnerable off the planet via suicide or removing them from the benefit system by sanctions and making them homeless (bedroom tax)



The GMC knew that suicides were occurring because of benefit cuts and sanctions. It has been (and probably still is being) contacted regarding this matter yet it fails to acknowledge or take responsibility for being complicit in these suicides.

 

When people are saying:

Totally humiliated today after running out of food and money. I have had to go and phone my Uncle to get me a weeks worth of food just about manage with the Electricity now . Hate this situation”
“I’m feel so drained and tired, and last weekend I attempted suicide. I have lost everything, including my dignity as a human being. Next month I will probably be living on the streets”
“I also recorded the 'medical' and told the 'doctor' after it that I had done so. They are also threatening me about that. I only done it as I want to send the recording to a newspaper if I decide to commit suicide over being bullied off 'the sick' by these Nazis. I can't fucking take it any more”
“I was worried I would do something silly to be sectioned and put in hospital. I was almost suicidal"
"i am beginning [sic] to think that my wife and kids would be better without me"
“David Cameron has betrayed disabled people and carers and spat on the memory of his late son Ivan”“
 
 



then the GMC should realise something is very, very wrong with the system and come out fighting for the most vulnerable people in society. Instead carers- like myself, are left to try to protect or pick up the pieces of the person we ‘care for’, as if we don’t have enough on our plates anyway!

 

The GMC needs to focus on the damage that has and is being done to the lives of disabled people, when they get to such a dark low place that they think the only relief from the constant attacks and lies of the coalition government is to:

Stab themselves through the heart
Hang themselves
Drown themselves
Take an overdose of medication
Shoot themselves



something has to be done to save any future deaths, and they are deaths of people who are teenagers to pensioners. Those that have died needlessly should be the catalyst to ensure there are no more deaths or suicides.



Mr Iain Duncan Smith has proved that he doesn’t care less how many disabled people die as long as his reforms (cuts in reality) go through. Some people are saying between 32 and 73 people a week are dying after being classed as “fit for work”. He has constantly ignored deaths and suicides of disabled people as if they don’t exist, well they do but he hides the figures and then insists his “beliefs” are more accurate than accurate statistics.



A good example would be a reply I received from Iain Duncan Smith where he says

"An over reliance on self assessment is resulting in inconsistent awards; more than half of all decisions require no additional medical evidence".








Now this is quite an obscene manipulation of the facts. If someone fills in a form which obviously shows someone is disabled then the fact that the decision maker didn’t need to ask for any additional medical evidence does not mean that the award is made to someone defrauding or attempting to defraud disability benefits. One good example would be those that are terminally ill, why would any further medical evidence need to be provided above the evidence sent in with the application form?



IDS whole attitude seems driven by hatred towards people who have disabilities or are frail or poor, which is odd coming from the founder of the Centre for Social Justice- or as it is known by many, the Centre for Social Injustice.


In fact Mr Iain Duncan Smith has been shown to be wrong/lying at every swingeing cut to disability benefit and allowance cut he has maniacally made. Consultations have shown huge opposition from almost every organisation or individual campaigner to these ill thought through plans to claw back money from the poor and vulnerable. The Conservatives and Iain Duncan Smith decided to ignore the opposition. In fact on one episode of the BBC’s Question Time Mr Iain Duncan Smith almost said that the deaths were justified as long as the reforms went through!



David Cameron should have some form of empathy for disabled people. He had a disabled son (RIP Ivan, may you forgive your father for how he has treated disabled people) and father, yet since he became Prime Minister he seems to have had an ‘empathy bypass’ operation. Any suggested help for disabled people when he was leading the opposition has vanished like a Liberal Democrat promise. His emphasis has been to cut and cut again at disability benefits and allowances.



It is plain that the actions of this coalition- because disabled people and carers hold the Liberal Democrats equally responsible here, have led to suicides of vulnerable people, suicide notes verify this statement.





The GMC should recognise and confirm the fact that deaths have happened because of government policy. Should the number of deaths and suicides have happened in a hospital there would be charges of negligence due to lack of care. If any other company or organisation had presided over these many deaths of vulnerable people there would have been uproar. Because a government has caused these deaths in the name of ‘austerity’ and the disgraceful manipulation of the media it is allowed.



Any medical person that worked for ATOS that can be connected to a suicide should be investigated and appropriate action taken.



Disabled people and we carers have no one to stand up for us, we have been abandoned, it seems even the GMC is content to leave us to the wolves.

Norman Lamb stated during last years Carers Week (link = http://normanlamb.org.uk/wp/2013/national-carers-week-2013/) "We owe our carers an immense debt of gratitude. In this week’s National Carers Week" yet he is part of a government that has made carers lives worse.



The people we care for are being hit thanks to measures he has voted for:

Voted strongly for reducing housing benefit for social tenants deemed to have excess bedrooms (which Labour describe as the "bedroom tax")

Voted very strongly against raising welfare benefits at least in line with prices

Voted very strongly against paying higher benefits over longer periods for those unable to work due to illness or disability

Voted strongly for a reduction in spending on welfare benefits

Voted strongly for increasing the rate of VAT

Voted strongly against a banker’s bonus tax

Voted moderately against an annual tax on the value of expensive homes (popularly known as a mansion tax)




 



These are things that affect the people carers look after. If the people we care for feel distress at being hit by constant sanctions or new taxes then we carers have to try to reassure them that everything will be alright, when we know it won’t be. We are made to lie to the people we care for. How does the establishment think that makes us feel?



There has been at least one suicide due to the bedroom tax

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/bedroom-tax-blamed-for-suspected-suicide-of-grandmother-8612647.html

Stephanie Bottrill said she could "simply could not afford to live any more". So Mr Lamb defends millionaires from the Mansion Tax but fails to defend the poor and vulnerable by voting for the bedroom tax? The Minister for Care Services has failed in his duty by simply not caring, except for caring to maintain a well paid position of power.





Mr Norman Lamb is excited by the Liberal Democrats idea of a carer bonus of £250.00 each year which will probably not cover all the extra expenditure we carers have to find to replace all the taxes Mr Lamb has helped hit us with. After many emails to Mr Lamb I have come to the conclusion that he is part of the problem, like every other organisation he/they/you fails to listen to us even while proclaiming that we are an important part of the health service and that we should be listened to because of our experience. No one listens, be it the Conservative party, the Labour party, the Liberal Democrat party and even the GMC.

 

It’s well documented that suicides have happened because of negligence on behave of the government, but what has been the results of these suicides on the families of these poor people? Have they been followed up and had counselling offered? Have the families been spoken too at all?



Has there been any investigation into failed suicides and if there is any correlation between them and the constant financial increases? Had the previous winter been as extreme as recent ones would we have seen thousands dead through hyperthermia because they could not afford to heat their homes?



Are there suicide attempts which failed but have worsened existing disabilities? What about suicide attempts that have caused disabilities?



The suicide rates in the UK are at an all time high, there has to be a relation to the cuts to benefits, this can only be laid at the door of the people who voted in the cuts to benefits and allowances.



All this will inevitably push up spending on the NHS, Social Services and the many other supporting agencies so the cuts will likely cause extra spending on other organisations so are counter-productive.



For the GMC failing to speak out is in my eyes a failure to follow correct procedure, it has failed to provide a duty of care

 

 

 

Take prompt action if you think that patient safety, dignity or comfort is being

compromised.

Protect and promote the health of patients and the public.

Listen to, and respond to, their concerns and preferences.

Support patients in caring for themselves to improve and maintain their health.

Work with colleagues in the ways that best serve patients’ interests.

Never abuse your patients’ trust in you or the public’s trust in the profession.








 

The GMC should be helping carers to help the people we care for. At present the GMC is failing carers and those that have made the ultimate sacrifice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://margaretmccartney.com/2011/03/07/the-gmcs-response-to-that-atos-article/ “The first duty of all doctors is ‘to make the care of your patient your first concern’. But that is not the only duty doctors must observe. Being open and honest and acting with integrity is also an essential part of medical professionalism.”





Why should we trust you, why should we believe you?

 

 

 

*1 http://www.ukcarers.net/ukcarersdotnet_004.htm

https://www.facebook.com/ATOSM/posts/623940184301787

http://www.mssociety.org.uk/forum/everyday-living/1666-welfare-reform-deaths-calums-list

http://dwpexamination.org/forum/general-discussion/calums-list-death-toll/

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/benefit-cuts-blind-man-committed-2965375

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/dad-two-killed-himself-because-1844633




 

 


*2 http://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/jun/20/jobcentre-supervisors-suicide-risk-benefit-claimants




 


*3 http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/your-practice/practice-topics/regulation/gmc-launches-internal-review-of-suicides-among-doctors-facing-fitness-to-practise-investigations/1/20004473.article?&pageno=1&sortorder=dateadded&pagesize=50#.U7_zKzhOWUk




 


*4 http://margaretmccartney.com/2011/03/07/the-gmcs-response-to-that-atos-article/




 


*5 ) http://www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/corporate-right-wing-agenda-driving-thousands-americans-attempt-suicide?paging=off

Carers UK, Helpful or Hateful?






People who know me will tell you I have a huge issue with the national charity Carers UK, in my opinion they are corrupt to the bone. They make a living out of helping the government of the day keep carers in poverty and misery.

The statistics they pump out to the media cannot be proven as they ‘direct’ whoever carries out their surveys so their figures are slanted or biased to come out at the highest number possible, in other words they are wrong/incorrect or just a plain and simple lie.



For the past 5 or 6 years I have been highlighting how they let carers down, not just by being inept but by being devious and aggressive in the defence of their generous salaries. Compare the fact that one of the charity employees receives between £70,000 to £80,000 a year while a carer gets Carers Allowance of £61.35 though many carer receive nothing because of the overlapping benefit rule.



When I attempted to set up a charity to oppose them and have the aim of being run BY carers 4 carers they complained long and loud, as did my stalkers. They defend what they perceive as ‘their realm’ of speaking for carers with savage conviction even though their main staff are not carers. The attempt to set up a charity was something that I hated though as I don’t consider carers as charity cases, they/we are hard workers who deserve more respect than they get.



Most carers struggle to get respite or even a single day off from their caring role, Carers UK’s employees get paid holiday leave. One of Carers UK’s members Ms Madeline Starr even gets free holidays to Australia, Canada and Helsinki- all expenses and travel paid for, well they aren’t classed as holidays they are to “discuss and compare carers’ rights and support for carers in different parts of the world”.
 

These visits will be entirely useless for carers in the UK, nothing will come of it for carers here. Will other countries get the benefit of Carers UK’s wisdom and expertise? God I hope not! Promoting incompetence to other countries carer support networks would be awful.



When things are getting desperate for carers and the disabled people we carers look after, when the bedroom tax, disability allowance cuts and other benefits and allowances are being cut and are driving people to commit suicide Carers UK decide it’s best to send someone all over the globe to “discuss and compare carers rights”!
I can sum up our “rights” in a five words ‘we don’t have any rights’.

Carers UK fail to tell carers just how much money some of their staff are raking in. Take Imelda Redmond their former CEO, she didn’t mention anywhere that she held a position of non-executive director of Homerton University Hospital NHS Trust which added around £10,000 to £15,000 pounds a year to her salary of over £70,000 a year as CEO of Carers UK. A woman who lives in an area of London where flats are selling for over £1,000,000 must be holding down other salaried work yet had the nerve to refuse to fight for a decent level of Carers Allowance for people who work a damn site harder than she did.



I have had countless run ins with this charity, stand up to them and you get subjected to attacks most carers would not be able to counter or stand up to. One particular incident stands out as a shining example of why Carers UK should not ever be trusted.



After a former employee/trustee/director of theirs started an online stalking campaign against my wife and I- which included making a false allegation of benefit fraud and countless false complaints to my local police force, I had Carers UK’s Gavin MacGregor phone social services and my local police force to check on my wife’s safety as they thought she might be in danger from me!
It isn’t the first time Gavin MacGregor has behaved in a way that would have had him removed from his job in any other walk of life, he was the person who helped get a strong campaigner for carers removed from her post (link = http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Carers-champ-ejected/story-11434416-detail/story.html) He is also the holder of a restraining order after his behaviour towards a friend of Ms Gross’s. I am not the only person who has been attacked in this way, Ms Wendy Maxwell who runs Chill4Us (link = http://chill4uscarers.co.uk/) or a good friend of mine and fellow campaigner for carers and those who claimed DLA Mr Ian Sandeman.




Naturally I complained to the charity and the Charity Commission after Mr MacGregor’s actions as did Ms Gross, but it seems if you work for a charity you can do what you want with impunity as I found out after I complained to another charity about the behaviour of a Mr Charles Huddleston who found it great sport to make fun of my wife’s cancer scare. He wasn’t sacked or sanctioned either, in fact he is now manager of CLASP The Carers Centre, or so I hear.



It has been said by Carers UK that if you don’t agree with the way it is run then you should join them and try to change things from ‘the inside’. After seeing this I stated I wanted to join them as I didn’t agree with their emphasis on staff salaries over helping carers themselves. I was refused membership because… ta-dah I “didn’t agree with their aims”. You can’t make this stuff up can you? 
 

How about their head of technology sending out a complete list of email addresses of members and organisations they work with. Yup they did that as well, and the really pathetic thing about it is there was under 200 email addresses. For a charity that claims (falsely) that there are 6 million carers! And it was my fault they sent them out apparently.



I have always advised carers to steer clear of Carers UK because they cannot be trusted, put peoples good names at stake and- as I said, if you challenge them they then become very unprofessional and try to intimidate you. Apart from that I find it incredibly insulting for carers to be seen as charity cases, we are not, we are hard-working people providing a service to the country and saving the NHS and Social Services a fortune. But if you try to get a self-proclaimed “voice of carers” to fight for “carers” you will be branded a “dangerous person”, well that‘s what they have emailed other carers, organisations and media outlets. A national charity scared of little old me and the truth?

Hopefully they will keep in mind that until carers get a standard of living that befit’s the work and sacrifice they have to do, and until carers are allowed to speak for themselves (because Carers UK hand pick the carers they feel should be spoken too by the media, the sort of carer that does as the charity tells them), then I will continue to be “dangerous” and expose their parasitic feeding off of our lives and work, their abuse of trust and their insidious little ways to as many people as I can.

Carers deserve better