Yesterday, the welfare reform bill had its second reading,this is a brutal vindictive bill which
should and will be challenged
should and will be challenged
Yesterday, the welfare reform bill had its second reading, despite being one of the most
significant bills in welfare history and affecting millions, there were only about 30 M.P's
in the chanmber. Basicially it seems as if all of them supported the bill, only raising some caveats and technicalities. If anything shows the disconnection between parliament and its people it is this: many disabled people and members of the public have, once made aware of the reforms, been shocked at the vindictive nature of the bill whcih could see cuts of more that 40 a week from Incapacity Benefit and housing benefit or forced to take unsuitable work or even medical treatment,
Disabled people and their allies will be launching a national campaign against these ereform,. we will put pressure on M.P's, charities, the TUC (yes , they support the bill!)
churches, and the rest of civil society. We intend to demonstrate at the Labour Party
conference in Manchester and lauch other activities, don't ignore this important issue, support us, join us
from SWAN
To all media: Press Release: 24/July/2006
Sheffield Welfare Action Network (SWAN)
The Welfare Reform Bill: A move to a 21st Century version of the Workhouse?
Today the Govt’s Welfare Reform Bill is having its second reading, Sheffield Welfare Action Network (SWAN) has been campaigning against the Bill since it was first floated and has serious reservations about its content
The government is targeting millions of disabled people with the threat of losing up to 30 pounds per week if the claimant does not comply with their plans. The proposed replacement to Incapacity Benefit (IB), the Employment Support Allowance (ESA), will only rise above £56 a week (JSA levels) if the claimant meets very strict requirements.
The reforms also propose ever more medical assessments through a more stringent Personal Capability Assessment (PCA)
The government also proposes to abolish housing benefit and replace it with a fixed housing allowance so that claimants get a flat allowance rather than the full rent charged by the private landlord
Summary here:
http://www.disabilityalliance.org/ibchange.htm
Our concerns
While welcoming any genuine help for those who can and want to work, SWAN asserts the new system will not only be unsuccessful in its aims, but will cause further stress and illness for claimants. SWAN will ask why are the reforms ‘target led’ with the aim of getting one million back into work? If the reforms are so positive, why do there have to be sanctions and coercion? This punitive approach will mean many thousands of the most vulnerable in our society who simply cannot work will face ever more coercion and harrassment. Further, as some excellent research on our website indicates where are all these many jobs going to come from? unemployment is now rising and employers themselves admit they discriminate against people with disabilities. The reforms also do nothing about the extremely robust medical assessments, which although described as ‘the toughest in the world’ still wrongly fail 80’ 000 people a year (source: BBC). Abolishing housing benefit will mean disabled people will, if in the private rented sector, have to leave their homes, (losing their informal networks of support in the process) and move to unsuitable areas. In our view, the reforms do nothing to provide people who are disabled with suitable jobs free from discrimination and do nothing to gain the trust of claimants or give them pressure free time to heal.
Jayne Edwards of Sharrow, Sheffield said "I want to work but I can't and people really look down on me, like I'm faking it or it's my fault. The very idea of being forced to work, to attend interviews when I can hardly stand up is making me worse, its just cruel!
Already, one has to fill in 40 page forms which go into the minutae of your personal life and where one has to detail exactly your medical condition, however embarrassing.
You can be spied on by fraud investigators to see if you are secretly working. Even if you have nothing to fear, this creates a climate where the claimant feels a far from benign state is omnipresent in his/her life. In Swan’s view, if the bill goes ahead, it can only get worse: the new welfare reform bill will mean disabled people will have to accept certain forms of medical interventions such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) or face benefit cuts, there will be ‘Work Advisers’in G.P’s surgeries and no matter how ill you are, disabled people will have to attend a number of interviews to ‘discuss’ what work the person can do. One can argue as a commentator has that ‘this is a move to 21st Century version of the workhouse.
A more humane system
SWAN argues there is a strong need for the welfare system to be made more humane,
At our recent national rally concurring: Sheffield Green Party Councillor, Bernard Little said:
"the whole of our benefit system is built on the myth that if we are not in paid work we are up to no-good. Swinging the lead. Shirking. Pretending we are ill. And this cruel myth hits the most vulnerable the hardest .We need to have a far more flexible benefit system that breaks down the barrier between paid and unpaid work. That recognises the reality of life with it ups and downs, good days and bad days, our sickness and health. A benefits system that recognises that we are all different."
Sheffield Liberal Democrat councillor and group leader Paul Scriven agreed, stating "The benefits system should not be used by government to further alienate and penalise disabled people. It should be used to support and empower them to lead full and independent lives as possible. The changes that the government are introducing are trying to be used as a tool of conformity rather than using the benefit system to empower and support disabled people."
SWAN will continue to campaign vigorously against these reforms and will be a significant part of the emerging campaign against the Bill and for a decent more flexible and less punitive welfare system.
Regards
John Rogers
For SWAN
contact details
www.swansheffield.org.uk
sheffieldwelfare_an@yahoo.co.uk
tel Chris Taylor 07903453006
Note SWAN is planning to become a national organization in the near future
(1) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/4995078.stm
significant bills in welfare history and affecting millions, there were only about 30 M.P's
in the chanmber. Basicially it seems as if all of them supported the bill, only raising some caveats and technicalities. If anything shows the disconnection between parliament and its people it is this: many disabled people and members of the public have, once made aware of the reforms, been shocked at the vindictive nature of the bill whcih could see cuts of more that 40 a week from Incapacity Benefit and housing benefit or forced to take unsuitable work or even medical treatment,
Disabled people and their allies will be launching a national campaign against these ereform,. we will put pressure on M.P's, charities, the TUC (yes , they support the bill!)
churches, and the rest of civil society. We intend to demonstrate at the Labour Party
conference in Manchester and lauch other activities, don't ignore this important issue, support us, join us
from SWAN
To all media: Press Release: 24/July/2006
Sheffield Welfare Action Network (SWAN)
The Welfare Reform Bill: A move to a 21st Century version of the Workhouse?
Today the Govt’s Welfare Reform Bill is having its second reading, Sheffield Welfare Action Network (SWAN) has been campaigning against the Bill since it was first floated and has serious reservations about its content
The government is targeting millions of disabled people with the threat of losing up to 30 pounds per week if the claimant does not comply with their plans. The proposed replacement to Incapacity Benefit (IB), the Employment Support Allowance (ESA), will only rise above £56 a week (JSA levels) if the claimant meets very strict requirements.
The reforms also propose ever more medical assessments through a more stringent Personal Capability Assessment (PCA)
The government also proposes to abolish housing benefit and replace it with a fixed housing allowance so that claimants get a flat allowance rather than the full rent charged by the private landlord
Summary here:
http://www.disabilityalliance.org/ibchange.htm Our concerns
While welcoming any genuine help for those who can and want to work, SWAN asserts the new system will not only be unsuccessful in its aims, but will cause further stress and illness for claimants. SWAN will ask why are the reforms ‘target led’ with the aim of getting one million back into work? If the reforms are so positive, why do there have to be sanctions and coercion? This punitive approach will mean many thousands of the most vulnerable in our society who simply cannot work will face ever more coercion and harrassment. Further, as some excellent research on our website indicates where are all these many jobs going to come from? unemployment is now rising and employers themselves admit they discriminate against people with disabilities. The reforms also do nothing about the extremely robust medical assessments, which although described as ‘the toughest in the world’ still wrongly fail 80’ 000 people a year (source: BBC). Abolishing housing benefit will mean disabled people will, if in the private rented sector, have to leave their homes, (losing their informal networks of support in the process) and move to unsuitable areas. In our view, the reforms do nothing to provide people who are disabled with suitable jobs free from discrimination and do nothing to gain the trust of claimants or give them pressure free time to heal.
Jayne Edwards of Sharrow, Sheffield said "I want to work but I can't and people really look down on me, like I'm faking it or it's my fault. The very idea of being forced to work, to attend interviews when I can hardly stand up is making me worse, its just cruel!
Already, one has to fill in 40 page forms which go into the minutae of your personal life and where one has to detail exactly your medical condition, however embarrassing.
You can be spied on by fraud investigators to see if you are secretly working. Even if you have nothing to fear, this creates a climate where the claimant feels a far from benign state is omnipresent in his/her life. In Swan’s view, if the bill goes ahead, it can only get worse: the new welfare reform bill will mean disabled people will have to accept certain forms of medical interventions such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) or face benefit cuts, there will be ‘Work Advisers’in G.P’s surgeries and no matter how ill you are, disabled people will have to attend a number of interviews to ‘discuss’ what work the person can do. One can argue as a commentator has that ‘this is a move to 21st Century version of the workhouse.
A more humane system
SWAN argues there is a strong need for the welfare system to be made more humane,
At our recent national rally concurring: Sheffield Green Party Councillor, Bernard Little said:
"the whole of our benefit system is built on the myth that if we are not in paid work we are up to no-good. Swinging the lead. Shirking. Pretending we are ill. And this cruel myth hits the most vulnerable the hardest .We need to have a far more flexible benefit system that breaks down the barrier between paid and unpaid work. That recognises the reality of life with it ups and downs, good days and bad days, our sickness and health. A benefits system that recognises that we are all different."
Sheffield Liberal Democrat councillor and group leader Paul Scriven agreed, stating "The benefits system should not be used by government to further alienate and penalise disabled people. It should be used to support and empower them to lead full and independent lives as possible. The changes that the government are introducing are trying to be used as a tool of conformity rather than using the benefit system to empower and support disabled people."
SWAN will continue to campaign vigorously against these reforms and will be a significant part of the emerging campaign against the Bill and for a decent more flexible and less punitive welfare system.
Regards
John Rogers
For SWAN
contact details
www.swansheffield.org.uk
sheffieldwelfare_an@yahoo.co.uk tel Chris Taylor 07903453006
Note SWAN is planning to become a national organization in the near future
(1)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/4995078.stm
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