Today: protest against the welfare reform bill: manchester
Sheffield Welfare Action Network | 25.09.2006 08:49 | Sheffield
just a reminder that today is the day disabled people and their allies will be taking the message to bin the bill to the labour party conference in manchester, we will end up outside
Gmex and the delegates will be able to hear us.
Gmex and the delegates will be able to hear us.
Coalition Against the Welfare Reform Bill
Simone Aspis
020 8459 2998 07778569053
cawrb@welfare-reform.org.uk
24th September 2006
PRESS RELEASE - for immediate use
Disability coalition to lobby Labour Party conference
All Roads lead to Manchester for disabled people as they, their organisations and allies from across the UK gear up for a 'Stroll, Roll and Rally' to lobby the Labour Party Conference on Monday September 25th. The lobby is in opposition to the proposed Welfare Reform Bill. John McDonnell, the high profile Labour MP who recently launched his bid for the Labour leadership, will be in attendance. Speaking alongside him at the rally will be the national officer of the NUS Disabled Students’ Campaign, Alex Kemp, as well as Simone Aspis of the British Council of Disabled People (BCODP) and many others.
The Bill will see disabled people threatened with the loss of benefits and forced into unsuitable work or medical treatments, on top of abolishing housing benefit. The bill fails to address major issues such as incorrect medical assessments and discrimination by employers.
Alex Kemp says: "The NUS Disabled Students' Campaign is very concerned about the Welfare Reforms proposed by New Labour. We know that implementation of these reforms would lead to further abject poverty for disabled people. We know that disabled people will be forced into work that they cannot do and do not want to do. Its about time the government sat up and realised that, as disabled people, we know what is best for us - we are the experts on our own lives''.
Notes for editors
The Welfare Reform Bill is being introduced by John Hutton MP, Secretary of State Work and Pensions, who will be speaking on Monday at the conference on the topic of Prosperity and Work.
Stroll and Roll begins at 3pm from Exchange Square (opposite the Arndale Centre) on Corporation St, through Manchester centre to the Rally
The Rally is at the G-MEX centre on Lower Mosley St (Labour Party Conference location) from 4pm. Speakers include Simone Aspis (BDCOP), John McDonnell MP and Alex Kemp (NUS DS).
A Labour Party Conference fringe meeting, including the official launch of the CAWRB, is being held at 8pm, Chetham Suite, Novatel Hotel, Portland St.
The Coalition Against the Welfare Reform Bill is a wide grouping of many different user led disability groups: it includes the British Council of Disabled People (BCODP) which represents some 80 groups run by disabled people in the UK who between them have a total membership of around 350,000 disabled people. Other affiliates include: National Union of Journalists Disabled Members Council, United Kingdom Advocacy Network, Alliance for Inclusive Education, National Union of Students Disabled Students Campaign (NUS DS), UK Coalition of People Living with HIV and AIDs, the Trade Union Disability Alliance, the Spinal Injuries Association, Disabled Peoples Direct Action Network, National Centre for Independent Living, Developmental Adult Neuro-Diversity Association, Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People and over 20 other groups so far with more joining daily.
For further information, please contact:
Simone Aspis
Tel: 020 8459 2998
Mobile: 07778569053
email simone@bcodp.org.uk
Steve Blake
Tel: 01362 850130
Mobile: 07910106943
e-mail: cawrb@welfare-reform.org.uk
John McDonnell MP is also willing to be interviewed on this matter and can be contacted on: 07956 292576
Resources:
www.welfare-reform.org.uk/
www.bcodp.org.uk/campaigns/wrb.shtml
www.dlahelpgroup.com/main/index.php
www.swansheffield.org.uk
Simone Aspis
020 8459 2998 07778569053
cawrb@welfare-reform.org.uk 24th September 2006
PRESS RELEASE - for immediate use
Disability coalition to lobby Labour Party conference
All Roads lead to Manchester for disabled people as they, their organisations and allies from across the UK gear up for a 'Stroll, Roll and Rally' to lobby the Labour Party Conference on Monday September 25th. The lobby is in opposition to the proposed Welfare Reform Bill. John McDonnell, the high profile Labour MP who recently launched his bid for the Labour leadership, will be in attendance. Speaking alongside him at the rally will be the national officer of the NUS Disabled Students’ Campaign, Alex Kemp, as well as Simone Aspis of the British Council of Disabled People (BCODP) and many others.
The Bill will see disabled people threatened with the loss of benefits and forced into unsuitable work or medical treatments, on top of abolishing housing benefit. The bill fails to address major issues such as incorrect medical assessments and discrimination by employers.
Alex Kemp says: "The NUS Disabled Students' Campaign is very concerned about the Welfare Reforms proposed by New Labour. We know that implementation of these reforms would lead to further abject poverty for disabled people. We know that disabled people will be forced into work that they cannot do and do not want to do. Its about time the government sat up and realised that, as disabled people, we know what is best for us - we are the experts on our own lives''.
Notes for editors
The Welfare Reform Bill is being introduced by John Hutton MP, Secretary of State Work and Pensions, who will be speaking on Monday at the conference on the topic of Prosperity and Work.
Stroll and Roll begins at 3pm from Exchange Square (opposite the Arndale Centre) on Corporation St, through Manchester centre to the Rally
The Rally is at the G-MEX centre on Lower Mosley St (Labour Party Conference location) from 4pm. Speakers include Simone Aspis (BDCOP), John McDonnell MP and Alex Kemp (NUS DS).
A Labour Party Conference fringe meeting, including the official launch of the CAWRB, is being held at 8pm, Chetham Suite, Novatel Hotel, Portland St.
The Coalition Against the Welfare Reform Bill is a wide grouping of many different user led disability groups: it includes the British Council of Disabled People (BCODP) which represents some 80 groups run by disabled people in the UK who between them have a total membership of around 350,000 disabled people. Other affiliates include: National Union of Journalists Disabled Members Council, United Kingdom Advocacy Network, Alliance for Inclusive Education, National Union of Students Disabled Students Campaign (NUS DS), UK Coalition of People Living with HIV and AIDs, the Trade Union Disability Alliance, the Spinal Injuries Association, Disabled Peoples Direct Action Network, National Centre for Independent Living, Developmental Adult Neuro-Diversity Association, Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People and over 20 other groups so far with more joining daily.
For further information, please contact:
Simone Aspis
Tel: 020 8459 2998
Mobile: 07778569053
simone@bcodp.org.uk Steve Blake
Tel: 01362 850130
Mobile: 07910106943
e-mail:
cawrb@welfare-reform.org.uk John McDonnell MP is also willing to be interviewed on this matter and can be contacted on: 07956 292576
Resources:
www.welfare-reform.org.uk/
www.bcodp.org.uk/campaigns/wrb.shtml
www.dlahelpgroup.com/main/index.php
www.swansheffield.org.uk
Sheffield Welfare Action Network
e-mail:
sheffieldwelfare_an@yahoo.co.uk
Homepage:
http://www.swansheffield.org.uk
Comments
Hide the following 2 comments
The Govt and local councils are daily breaking existing welfare laws
25.09.2006 15:30
The original post states the following:
The Bill will see disabled people threatened with the loss of benefits and forced into unsuitable work or medical treatments, on top of abolishing housing benefit. The bill fails to address major issues such as incorrect medical assessments and discrimination by employers.
“
This would suggest that they think that the forcing of disabled and other genuinely ill perosns is not already taking place!
Shows just how out of touch they must be.
The truth is that disabled people are already denied benefits, hosing and council tax benefits are also withdrawn and also daily, and evictions are being sought against people so deprived .
But there is no big movement against any of that.
The propsoed Welafre reform Bill is not the issue. The issue is what is happening by the DWP and local Council breaking existing law. They are breaking those parts of the so-called welfare legislation that allows some protection to the disabled and other people in genuine need of so-called welfare.
The given and local councils are breaking existing law.
Where is the camapgn a against any of that?
agenda against poverty
Yes but soon they won't even have to break the law...
26.09.2006 00:58
The truth is that disabled people are already denied benefits, housing and council tax benefits are also withdrawn and also daily, and evictions are being sought against people so deprived."
Yeah but should that be enshrined in law? Because that is what is going to happen. Granted liberties are already taken, there is already injustice, but that is nothing to the hammer blow that will ring out if this thing goes through without a fight.
If you have stories of injustice then post them, or send them to us, or make them known!
We are not a great big campaign, we are just a few people who have been pushed this far and are shouting loud and punching above our weight. We are for positive welfare reform, for a better system. We don't say everything is hunky-dory now, just that if it gets any worse it will go from being the frying-pan to being the fire.
Jason
e-mail:
sheffieldwelfare_an@yahoo.co.uk
Homepage:
http://www.swansheffield.org.uk