Well the website is back up at our old URL (ukcarers.net) and contrary to what some people are saying I have never "been away".
Even though I having further health problems I have been had interesting contact with Labours Liz Kendal's office, which showed that Labour are still not able or willing to stand up for disabled people and carers. It would have been good if they understood the overlapping benefit rule when it came to Carers Allowance and the state pension, but it seems not.
The Lib Dems Norman Lamb was another of the main parties that won't work in the interests of carers. His siding with the Conservatives over the scrapping of DLA in favour of the cost cutting exercise that is PIP appear to indicate he is more interested in keeping his position rather than defending disabled people and carers.
The Tory response was to be expected.
UKIP surprised me though. They have a disability spokesperson that is disabled, replies to emails herself and takes on-board what people say. She also fights hard on disability issues. I have been very impressed by her even though I told her there is no chance I will be voting at the next election.
There have been other things like reminding various campaigning groups that carers exist, because the likes of the WOW petitions and Spartacus groups didn't mention carers till they were reminded about carers. So much for 'together we are stronger'.
There have been countless reports to the Press Complaints Commission about Daily Mail articles. Freedom of Information Act Requests that showed hardly any people managed to access the governments 'extra room for a stay over carer' payment.
This group http://www.dwpexamination.org/ showed promise when it first started, but it's similar to what UK Carers was doing years ago to be honest.
So yes, I am stepping up what I am doing, I certainly haven't been hiding or lazy, it's just that the game has changed, forums aren't 'productive' anymore, social media has been useful but things change so quickly you have to react as quick as possible.
So that's the start of a new phase. There are still fighters out there which is good to see, but the same old boring people are still trying to do the same old boring things, perhaps- like Carers UK's Gavin McGregor - they will land up with a restraining order on them?
