ive just read about the latest plans to make the disability assessments even MORE severe and its just strengthened my last post. infor here
Quote:
Is there anyone claimants can vote for?
Benefits claimants are faced with a tough task at the coming general election: finding any party they can vote for with enthusiasm or even a glimmer of hope for better treatment in the future.
Labour’s endless attacks on claimants – the introduction of employment and support allowance (ESA); the latest plans to make it even harder to pass the ESA medical; potential threats to DLA from the National Care Service, to name just a few – will probably discourage many claimants from supporting them.
The Conservatives did at least stand up for DLA in relation to the National Care Service. But they seem to be even more gung-ho than Labour in their desire, spearheaded by David Freud, to pay vast sums to the private sector in return for forcing the sick and disabled into work. As far as the Conservatives are concerned, Labour have simply not gone far enough or fast enough.
The Lib Dems have chipped away at some of the worst elements of welfare reform as bills have gone through the parliamentary process. But, by and large, they have been at best lacklustre in their defence of sick and disabled claimants and there has certainly been no sign of aggressive campaigning in their support. For some people, though, a vote for the Lib Dems and the possibility of a hung parliament might seem the least worst option.
And then there’s the Greens. They certainly have much more progressive and claimant friendly policies than any of the major parties. But will claimants feel that a vote for the Greens is a wasted vote because they have so little prospect of gaining a substantial number of seats?
http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/blogs/ ... /#commentsQuote:
Dear Subscriber,
Having read members comments in the blog: Is there anyone claimants can vote for? and on the forum: Response from my MP about the blog it's clear that we got it wrong.
There appears to be no chance of making the planned, harsher work capability assessment for employment and support allowance any sort of election issue. Politicians are generally ignoring your communications, pleading ignorance or saying they’ll look into it after the election.
We’ve certainly had no more success than you have in this regard.
We even tried emailing Steve Webb, the Lib Dems work and pensions shadow . . . twice. Mr Webb emailed us before Christmas to complain about our comments on the his party’s lacklustre performance in relation to welfare reform. We thought we’d give him the chance to let us say something complimentary about him. All he had to do was speak out against the unfair treatment of sick and disabled claimants.
Sadly, he never replied.
Though to be scrupulously fair, we did get an email from Peter Black, a Lib Dem member of the Welsh assembly who told us that “the party is broadly opposed to the changes in the test for employment and support allowance.”
We didn’t even attempt to reason with any Labour or Conservative politicians.
So, it looks like it’s going to be a long, hard fight after the election, if the DWP’s planned ‘simplification’ of the work capability assessment is still on the cards.
29 Apr 2010, 4:35 pm
