Several years ago I had a life threatening condition. I'm fully recovered btw!
I had to claim Incapacity benefit, and this was before Broon decimated the DSS and closed the offices. The staff were very supportive and could tell when someone was trying defraud the system.
Now we have the one-size-fits-all approach which is simply not fit for purpose. Means-testing for certain benefits is essential, as there are those who will commit fraud. But not carried out by a profit-driven private company who must be getting a bonus for everyone declared fit for work, whether they are or not.
The worst case must have been the gentleman who was declared fit simply because he had managed to attend the assessment centre. This despite being chronically ill and most certainly unable to work.
I've seen some of the questions and the marks for the answers, Anon. Being able to attend, particularly on one's own, is a mark down, as you say.
Having contact with family is another; having a hobby, yet another.
They neglect to consider that, whist technically, someone, somewhere might be able to find a job for a seriously ill person, it is unlikely that most employers will, quite simply becasue they want a pound of flesh for their £ of wages, then they want some more.
There are some disgusting stories about the private companies doing these tests, indeed some from ex employees who have had to leave because they couldn't handle the immorality of the decision making.
We are in this situation,not because of the f'n Tories (to paraphrase Cameron) but because of the pretendy Scottish Labour Party. Pretendy Scottish and pretendy Labour. These creatures would rather see Pol Pot in power at Westminster than a social democratic democratically elected government in Scotland. The reason for this is the threat to their internal power structures posed by an independent Holyrood. The Tories do what they do and no one should be surprised by their antics,completely within character but I hope that Scots realise at the next couple of elections that without Labour support,none of this would be possible. Labour are just as complicit as the Tories as far as the voodoo economics being imposed on Scotland from London.
Well, it's fair to say that Labour introduced this system, and the Tories grabbed it with both hands and tightened the noose a bit more.
It's also true that austerity doesn't work, but that both Labour and the Tories want to apply it. In fairness so, to a far lesser extent, does the SNP...
The recent figures from Iceland show that their approach worked far better than the Brits one. Jail the bankers, help out the people. They are above the economic level of 2008.
Yet Cameron is or was quite prepared to shroud wave his disabled son who died to gain some kind of sympathy/empathy from the voters. some may consider my comment as beyond the pale but that is what he did and now ha has a limited time in no 10 has no compunction in using sanctions /financial penalties upon others less wealthy than he......
Thats what he done and any one he disagrees should open their eyes wide.
bringiton
whist agreeing that new labour tilted the political ground in a way which has made the going far easier fro the Torys many labour supporters did not and do not accept austerity. a few (wrongly )even joined the snp did they then cease to be pretendy. perhaps the pol pot comment was a Freudian slip .
No Niko. It's not beyond the pale. The Camerons claimed all the benefits they could for that poor wee lad who died. They are now denying people in similar situations to them, the benefits they got. And your right. he did use the wee guy's death for political purposes. (It would be fair to say that Brown did the same when his little lad died and again in the election after it, when he spoke about it in tears.)
So I completely agree with you. It may be a horrible thing to say, but it's true and he is a horrible person.
A multi millionaire claimed benefits! I doubt he did. I think he paid it out of MP's expenses. These folk are insulated from reality. If you or I had millions of pounds behind us, we too would do everything we could for our child.
The difficult part comes next.
It is absolutely ridiculous that chinless wonders with millions of money should be able to preference their offspring, not exactly at the expense, for Cameron could and did pay for it, but in a 'well we've got the money, hell mend you', whether your child had a better survival prospect than his.
He's got the money, and hell mend you.
Or, he has got the power, and hell mend us.
That seems to me to be Mr Cameron.
Absent making an issue of personal tragedy. That went way beyond what I expect from a politician but it is what we get from the Eton boy....
Sorry, this is how I feel about millionaires talking down to the rest of us. Thank fuck we have a vote!
Although it is always possible that he didn't, but he said that in the run up to the 2010 election to make him sound like a human being...which is didn't.
However, I completely agree with the universality of benefits. Someone once pointed out that benefits for the poor are poor benefits. I just object to people who profited from them denying them to other people.
It's the same with his university education. He and all his colleagues got it for nothing, even if their daddies could have afforded to buy the university but they now thing that students should pay £9,000 a year.
Still, it is not all bad news. Just heard on Radio 4 that tax-payers' contribution to the maintenance of the monarchy is only rising by 6.5% this year and the estimated cost of Buckingham Palace refurbishment will only be around £150 million. However, the bad news is that Queenie and co will have to move out for the duration. We can only hope that some kind friends or relatives will offer her temporary accommodation. I believe Greece is quite nice at this time of year?
In these hard times, which in the Uk (unlike Iceland) just go on and on and on... we must all pull together to ensure that Her Majesty lives comfortably in her old age. We can't have her sitting shivering in front of one bar of an electric fire, wearing gloves and a scarf, just like an ordinary pensioner.
We need to make certain too that the likes of Fatty Air Miles can afford his ski lodge in Switzerland and his free Queen's Flight transport to his chosen gold course. Queuing up at Heathrow like other 50 somethings, is hardly dignified for a person of his quality.
Fortunately for HM and HRH they have many other palaces and castles into which they can transfer their meagre belongings, again unlike most people of their age, who'd probably be put in the nearest old folks home, so they may be able to afford to miss out on the pleasures of Greece.
I wonder if the MPs and Lords couldn't have a look at how little it costs to renovate palaces. £150 million as opposed to something between 5 and ten billion seems quite a bargin.
I wonder if the nurses would like a 6.5% pay rise this year? Oh no sorry, I forgot. Theresa may is going to deport them all.
Well, first of all I'd like to thank Anon for his impolite post. In reply I'd say that the list is endless... What was it Winston Churchill once wrote: "I don't care how many heathens have to die as long as the will of His Majesty's government is carried out."?
Of course ,as John says, Iraq is a perfect example in recent times. That of course was all down to Labour. Then there's Libya, which was all down to Cameron. Chaos ensued as a result of the Anglo French intervention there. But the Brits have been doing it forever.
We shouldn't forget that the clamp down on anyone who still have breath in their body trying to claim Incapacity Benefit has seen a few off. Unfortunately Iain Duncan Smith refuses to answer MPs' questions about quite how many saying it is a "disgusting question".
Let's hand it to the man, when it comes to "disgusting" he has a head start on understanding the concept.
Labour certainly contributed to untold deaths, by keeping the poor; poor, useful voting fodder, don'tcha know. And by building substandard damp ridden housing, copied from eastern block countries at the time. War in Iraq, playing the big boys with America. And lest we forget, they came up with means testing in the first place.
I am not sure how many people have died or taken their own life as a result of the draconian erosion of social security in this country but certainly tens of thousands will have been adversly effected by it. My brother, who has learning and physical diffculties, recently went through the PIP process but we did a lot of prep and ensured that he had professional support to go through the process. Most people people don't have this kind of support and it's ridiculous that people basically have to learn law now to understand their rights, but even worse than that what sort of decent society treats people like this.
The simple fact is Labour, Liberal and Conservatives have no shame. They are happy for the poorest to pay for the criminality of the bankers and the stupidy of zero regulation brought in by Westminster Parliaments. I am ashamed to think that in the eyes of the law I'm British, what a truly horrible label to hang around my head. This country is a shameful place. On the day that we learn the Queens house needs £150 million in repairs, the civil list is going up by 6.5% and wealthy landowners are bleeting about the Scottish Government daring to challenge their right to own the land that was in many cases stolen from the people, all be it hundreds of years ago, I just get depressed by it all. It's one of the reasons that I am going to try to get active within the Liberal Democrats, it's time that I tried to tell some of the politicians that what they are doing in our name is immoral.
Blogging is great and it does reaches people, I am amzed by the amount of people who actually read my blog but I think now we have to get involved in the process, it's not going to change by marching or blogging, it's not enough. If we really want change then we have to try and get enough people involved and try to wrestle control of these parties away from the minority and get our voice heard.
You won't know how many people have died, Bruce, because the cretin Smith refuses to answer the questions in parliament, which means that they are probably horrific. For a "person" ;like Smith to be ashamed of them, they must be pretty bad.
But it's a win win for them, because if they get rid of the person that's a pile of money they save.
In my opinion, if the queen wants Buckingham Palace sorted, she should sort it. Otherwise they should move out to Windsor Castle and leave the palace as a paying museum.
Your blog is excellent. I read it too, but it won't allow me to comment!!! You're in good company though. I can;t comment on Wings either!
Depressingly, true.
ReplyDeleteSeveral years ago I had a life threatening condition. I'm fully recovered btw!
ReplyDeleteI had to claim Incapacity benefit, and this was before Broon decimated the DSS and closed the offices. The staff were very supportive and could tell when someone was trying defraud the system.
Now we have the one-size-fits-all approach which is simply not fit for purpose. Means-testing for certain benefits is essential, as there are those who will commit fraud. But not carried out by a profit-driven private company who must be getting a bonus for everyone declared fit for work, whether they are or not.
The worst case must have been the gentleman who was declared fit simply because he had managed to attend the assessment centre. This despite being chronically ill and most certainly unable to work.
I've seen some of the questions and the marks for the answers, Anon. Being able to attend, particularly on one's own, is a mark down, as you say.
DeleteHaving contact with family is another; having a hobby, yet another.
They neglect to consider that, whist technically, someone, somewhere might be able to find a job for a seriously ill person, it is unlikely that most employers will, quite simply becasue they want a pound of flesh for their £ of wages, then they want some more.
There are some disgusting stories about the private companies doing these tests, indeed some from ex employees who have had to leave because they couldn't handle the immorality of the decision making.
We are in this situation,not because of the f'n Tories (to paraphrase Cameron) but because of the pretendy Scottish Labour Party.
ReplyDeletePretendy Scottish and pretendy Labour.
These creatures would rather see Pol Pot in power at Westminster than a social democratic democratically elected government in Scotland.
The reason for this is the threat to their internal power structures posed by an independent Holyrood.
The Tories do what they do and no one should be surprised by their antics,completely within character but I hope that Scots realise at the next couple of elections that without Labour support,none of this would be possible.
Labour are just as complicit as the Tories as far as the voodoo economics being imposed on Scotland from London.
Well, it's fair to say that Labour introduced this system, and the Tories grabbed it with both hands and tightened the noose a bit more.
DeleteIt's also true that austerity doesn't work, but that both Labour and the Tories want to apply it. In fairness so, to a far lesser extent, does the SNP...
The recent figures from Iceland show that their approach worked far better than the Brits one. Jail the bankers, help out the people. They are above the economic level of 2008.
tris
ReplyDeleteYet Cameron is or was quite prepared to shroud wave his disabled son who died
to gain some kind of sympathy/empathy from the voters.
some may consider my comment as beyond the pale but that is what he did and now
ha has a limited time in no 10 has no compunction in using sanctions /financial
penalties upon others less wealthy than he......
Thats what he done and any one he disagrees should open their eyes wide.
bringiton
whist agreeing that new labour tilted the political ground in a way
which has made the going far easier fro the Torys many labour supporters
did not and do not accept austerity. a few (wrongly )even joined the snp
did they then cease to be pretendy. perhaps the pol pot comment was
a Freudian slip .
Abstention is no different from acquiesence.
DeleteNo Niko. It's not beyond the pale. The Camerons claimed all the benefits they could for that poor wee lad who died. They are now denying people in similar situations to them, the benefits they got. And your right. he did use the wee guy's death for political purposes. (It would be fair to say that Brown did the same when his little lad died and again in the election after it, when he spoke about it in tears.)
DeleteSo I completely agree with you. It may be a horrible thing to say, but it's true and he is a horrible person.
You might be interested in this petition.
Deletehttps://www.change.org/p/hm-courts-and-tribunal-service-publish-stats-showing-how-many-people-have-died-after-their-benefits-stopped/u/11164878?tk=MA8a28sGfETRDJBLg-z6IqBqpdVnwyUts5ANzCQZ3Wo&utm_source=petition_update&utm_medium=email
tris,
ReplyDeleteA multi millionaire claimed benefits! I doubt he did. I think he paid it out of MP's expenses. These folk are insulated from reality. If you or I had millions of pounds behind us, we too would do everything we could for our child.
The difficult part comes next.
It is absolutely ridiculous that chinless wonders with millions of money should be able to preference their offspring, not exactly at the expense, for Cameron could and did pay for it, but in a 'well we've got the money, hell mend you', whether your child had a better survival prospect than his.
He's got the money, and hell mend you.
Or, he has got the power, and hell mend us.
That seems to me to be Mr Cameron.
Absent making an issue of personal tragedy. That went way beyond what I expect from a politician but it is what we get from the Eton boy....
Sorry, this is how I feel about millionaires talking down to the rest of us. Thank fuck we have a vote!
Douglas, he admitted taking DLA for Ivan.
DeleteAlthough it is always possible that he didn't, but he said that in the run up to the 2010 election to make him sound like a human being...which is didn't.
However, I completely agree with the universality of benefits. Someone once pointed out that benefits for the poor are poor benefits. I just object to people who profited from them denying them to other people.
It's the same with his university education. He and all his colleagues got it for nothing, even if their daddies could have afforded to buy the university but they now thing that students should pay £9,000 a year.
Still, it is not all bad news. Just heard on Radio 4 that tax-payers' contribution to the maintenance of the monarchy is only rising by 6.5% this year and the estimated cost of Buckingham Palace refurbishment will only be around £150 million. However, the bad news is that Queenie and co will have to move out for the duration. We can only hope that some kind friends or relatives will offer her temporary accommodation. I believe Greece is quite nice at this time of year?
ReplyDeleteIn these hard times, which in the Uk (unlike Iceland) just go on and on and on... we must all pull together to ensure that Her Majesty lives comfortably in her old age. We can't have her sitting shivering in front of one bar of an electric fire, wearing gloves and a scarf, just like an ordinary pensioner.
DeleteWe need to make certain too that the likes of Fatty Air Miles can afford his ski lodge in Switzerland and his free Queen's Flight transport to his chosen gold course. Queuing up at Heathrow like other 50 somethings, is hardly dignified for a person of his quality.
Fortunately for HM and HRH they have many other palaces and castles into which they can transfer their meagre belongings, again unlike most people of their age, who'd probably be put in the nearest old folks home, so they may be able to afford to miss out on the pleasures of Greece.
I wonder if the MPs and Lords couldn't have a look at how little it costs to renovate palaces. £150 million as opposed to something between 5 and ten billion seems quite a bargin.
I wonder if the nurses would like a 6.5% pay rise this year? Oh no sorry, I forgot. Theresa may is going to deport them all.
Anyone fancy a nursing career?
No?
Oh well... who needs them anyway?
Please explain how this or even a previous Labour government has killed tens of thousands of people you are talking utter shite !
ReplyDeleteIn Iraq, for example??
DeleteThat slipped his mind.
DeleteWell, first of all I'd like to thank Anon for his impolite post. In reply I'd say that the list is endless... What was it Winston Churchill once wrote: "I don't care how many heathens have to die as long as the will of His Majesty's government is carried out."?
DeleteOf course ,as John says, Iraq is a perfect example in recent times. That of course was all down to Labour. Then there's Libya, which was all down to Cameron. Chaos ensued as a result of the Anglo French intervention there. But the Brits have been doing it forever.
We shouldn't forget that the clamp down on anyone who still have breath in their body trying to claim Incapacity Benefit has seen a few off. Unfortunately Iain Duncan Smith refuses to answer MPs' questions about quite how many saying it is a "disgusting question".
Let's hand it to the man, when it comes to "disgusting" he has a head start on understanding the concept.
Labour certainly contributed to untold deaths, by keeping the poor; poor, useful voting fodder, don'tcha know. And by building substandard damp ridden housing, copied from eastern block countries at the time. War in Iraq, playing the big boys with America. And lest we forget, they came up with means testing in the first place.
DeleteThat help, Anon?
DeleteTris
ReplyDeleteI am not sure how many people have died or taken their own life as a result of the draconian erosion of social security in this country but certainly tens of thousands will have been adversly effected by it. My brother, who has learning and physical diffculties, recently went through the PIP process but we did a lot of prep and ensured that he had professional support to go through the process. Most people people don't have this kind of support and it's ridiculous that people basically have to learn law now to understand their rights, but even worse than that what sort of decent society treats people like this.
The simple fact is Labour, Liberal and Conservatives have no shame. They are happy for the poorest to pay for the criminality of the bankers and the stupidy of zero regulation brought in by Westminster Parliaments. I am ashamed to think that in the eyes of the law I'm British, what a truly horrible label to hang around my head. This country is a shameful place. On the day that we learn the Queens house needs £150 million in repairs, the civil list is going up by 6.5% and wealthy landowners are bleeting about the Scottish Government daring to challenge their right to own the land that was in many cases stolen from the people, all be it hundreds of years ago, I just get depressed by it all. It's one of the reasons that I am going to try to get active within the Liberal Democrats, it's time that I tried to tell some of the politicians that what they are doing in our name is immoral.
Blogging is great and it does reaches people, I am amzed by the amount of people who actually read my blog but I think now we have to get involved in the process, it's not going to change by marching or blogging, it's not enough. If we really want change then we have to try and get enough people involved and try to wrestle control of these parties away from the minority and get our voice heard.
Bruce
You won't know how many people have died, Bruce, because the cretin Smith refuses to answer the questions in parliament, which means that they are probably horrific. For a "person" ;like Smith to be ashamed of them, they must be pretty bad.
DeleteBut it's a win win for them, because if they get rid of the person that's a pile of money they save.
In my opinion, if the queen wants Buckingham Palace sorted, she should sort it. Otherwise they should move out to Windsor Castle and leave the palace as a paying museum.
Your blog is excellent. I read it too, but it won't allow me to comment!!! You're in good company though. I can;t comment on Wings either!