The Chance Of a Lifetime -Missed Opportunity!

Trigger warning this is brutally honest.

It is with a broken heart that I write this blog after spending the day feeling angry and hurt, this old bastard socialist was hoping to see a Labour government in power before my toes curl up. We have missed the opportunity of a lifetime to elect a principled man who put decency and decorum back into the political arena.

It is well known that many socialists have always been resistant to the EU project and Jeremy himself hid no opportunity during his career to attack it when the opportunity rose, however we live in a decade where that can no longer be ignored or taken into account and that I’m afraid  is part of what cost us the election and Jeremy his golden opportunity to implement some of the best socialist policies in decades. Ones that would have lifted the very people it needed to out of suffering of the political ideology that is Austerity! Granted Corbyn wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea as leader.

I have heard some pretty heated debates since the result but one thing is certain, people voted without seeing the wider impact that would have on the future of this country and those on their bones of their arses suffering under austerity.

Under Thatcherism many of those leave constituencies suffered greatly and never recovered with many closures of what built this country into a thriving one ,even though as a result, it also added to climate changes re pollution. Many voters who have turned the country blue by voting against Labour candidates because of their many hardships in their areas,  from central government cuts which hit many Labour councils the hardest ,it was by design so you would blame the council not the Tories, that lead to public services cut to the bone or non existence , to the shops closing on the high street, to rising crime and drugs with not enough police to safeguard them and their families. Those communities that felt left behind so voted for Brexit in 2016 and used this election as a re -run to assert the notion they were not being listened too, BUT YOU WERE ,YOU DIDN’T LISTEN !

Not stupid, Just politically ignorant  living for decades under what effectively has become a society ruled by the greedy  because you know nothing else, it is why he appealed to young people and that’s why Political Education needs to be back on the curriculum but the Tories wont offer that cos they like it that way. Civics of how Parliament works and what Capitalism is and Socialism and many others to either far right to the far left. that is the future debate to be had. The young listened and so did many of us old bastards who remember the last left Labour government  .

Many swallowed the soundbites, the lies and smears the deep state of 1% threw against Corbyn ,from Communist to Terrorist to Venezuela and everything in between by the Tory run right wing media. the resounding noise of ‘Get Brexit Done’ was a subliminal message that seeped into the brains of many fighting to survive, and social media which turned into info wars of click bait on both sides, of what was a two horse race. Those messages aided and abetted by the likes of Farage,Tommy Robinson, Trump,and others fueled the skewed debate so you stay slaves to the 1% and doff your caps like the good servants that you are. They removed the fixed term parliament act before the election so now you are trapped into subservience , while they reign supreme masters over your every waking moment of the lives you lead.

No socialist worth their salt should have voted against their own interests to enable the Tories to remove hard fought Workers Rights and Human Rights that they have been afforded under the EU , but recognize that while EU needed reform to enable us to trade ,freedom of movement etc it was designed when the world was different and needed to change, We should have stayed and reformed it, as this was something Corbyn realised, which is how he was persuaded to call a second vote based on the impact of Brexit would affect us as a country, and you never turned up for the lesson he was trying to get through to you because you thought he was denying your original vote…….He Wasn’t!

You are not going to get your country back under Boris and the nationalist agenda which has lurched to the far right, where racism and many other ism’s are now front & centre stage by slick oil salesmen in suits with a clown in charge of the circus pretending to be the class clown who will brutalize the many groups in society at will. While people laugh because they think he is funny, as he is as openly misogynist and racist as the country is reminiscing of the once colonial power it once had. You have condemned yourselves and many others to untold misery you took to the streets over regarding Austerity, Foodbanks , Universal Credit, NHS , the many deaths under successive governments the last decades etc you have sealed their fate with a stroke of the pencil.

Congratulations you have prevented the change the country desperately needed for the many not the few. A country where insurance profiteers will empty your wallets and purses,where healthcare is for those who can afford it, no social housing or educational program ,no safety net for those in need and where your bosses can use and abuse you at will ,without recourse ,because  your tick box gave them permission to do so.

The party will have to change  and rebuild and continue under another leader with possibly not the same insight as Corbyn , as those who could have stepped into his shoes were the very ones who lost their seats. Its time you took a long hard look in the mirror to reflect what you have done, and recalculate your moral compasses.

The future is bleak for the many, many more lives will be lost, the blood on your hands wont wash off, you are complicit in enabling your class destruction and noone will be at your grave to weep as you are surplus to requirements and your replacement is already in place. I may not be around to see this in full tilt who knows, but while I am, I will continue to fight for those you abandoned and left behind while you carry on living your Brexit dream.

When a Rebellion is Controlled by the State-Updated

I’m most likely going to upset many people who have a genuine concern over climate change, it’s not like that we don’t know it happening, we can see that daily with extremes of weather and animals being endangered among many other things. But is it really a new phenomena given our planet has undergone changes for billions of years, or is it just another cycle of our planet Earth?  A complete smoke and mirrors job.

However that doesn’t mean we should not challenge the status quo and ideology behind the latest headlines that has thrust one particular phenomena  that came out of nowhere to hit front pages around the globe. When the anarchist federation speaks out against it warning people to be wary, as have many others, I thought it was at least worth a dig around.

Well what a surprise I got . “The new group, Extinction Rebellion, is another incarnation of Climate Camp and Reclaim the Power. They make money by selling “activist courses” to innocent people. They are astroturfers – fake grass roots and their style comes from the Tavistock Institute or Common Purpose leadership training. These are the controllers who steer real activists into illegal activities so that they get arrested, a police record and never get a decent job again.” says one blogger. Well Green Party activists are also behind this movement and many of them genuinely believe in the cause while others have called them the New Occupy which no doubt has attracted many activists  from wider circles  and groups. but it is a middle class  movement which drags others along in the back-draft.  Joining in some fake rebellion controlled by state henchmen whose objective is to clamp down on citizens rights and control any dissent and gather data on the activist movement just for starters.

Well what I found was a movement inspired  that a 16yr old child state patsy, encouraging kids and workers alike to take days off school/work to join in the huge protests happening in London and many other places around the UK and Internationally which has attracted many big names such as David Attenborough, Chris Packham, Emma Thompson ( who got trolled for flying) and many other big celeb supporters , yet when asked who is funding them we get told activist donations and a few small donations from persons unknown. Their Fundraiser currently stands at 82k. Calls for this child to be nominated for a Nobel prize no less , echo amongst the supporters of Greta Thunberg who has Aspergers.

Make no mistake what they have achieved in shutting down London is no mean feat, but it begs to question where were these people when the UK has suffered nine years austerity? People are homeless, thousands have died under welfare reforms and a Government that is in meltdown over a political mistake called Brexit which has divided the nation. Austerity and capitalism go hand in hand and maybe they will expand their remit but it is unlikely. Is it more sinister about controlling resources like food, water etc?

The Main four people claiming to be behind it from Rising Up have some interesting links  yet say Greenpeace have not pushed hard enough. Call outs for people to come down to be arrested and then the Police move in when they arrive is somewhat of a PR stunt while the Mayor of London is left to foot the rising bill  and the Tory ministers go full attack mode saying round them up and a army on standby to quell any uprising. One thing for sure is the working classes of the UK will get the blame for a clampdown just in time for the announcement of a new bill of rights and a activist hit list is complete as the intel will have been garnered. Many good campaigners and activists will be sucked into this data black hole who are frustrated that the UK has a Dictatorship in control of the country, it is all part of the plan, but not like the agenda 21 type that’s banded about idly by conspiracy theorists.

I and others I speak to find it astonishing that many cant see they are being hoodwinked by the state to enable them to  oppress UK citizens even more than they already do so.

Below you will find links to the company details of the main 4 people of Rising Up  it makes interesting reading as does a few other of their cohorts and a couple of  bloggers who calls them out. Make your own mind up don’t be taken in!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uECIlfoDe2VsCUzNccv2adcSzR8BmU3pnz0RTFpE418/edit?pli=1 Funding

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1G641513ojN0wKtUaGu2JTRLssn-SzT7NFSwHRB1VyX0/edit?usp=sharing  

https://journal-neo.org/2019/09/27/greta-thunberg-and-big-biz-climate-charade/

https://lisamckenzie1968.wixsite.com/website/blog/it-s-capitalism-stupid-extinction-rebellion-can-t-do-it-with-flowers

https://steemit.com/news/@francesleader/from-occupy-to-extinction-rebellion-exposing-the-common-purpose?fbclid=iwar0ilgp0-nqrsjp0xiwans_m9itz8otk4zyfhrdkywvciu7ttgj0s7g5yai

http://www.commonwealnonviolence.org/blog/hope-dies-action-begins-an-interview-with-risingups-gail-bradbrook#more-853

http://www.theartofannihilation.com/the-manufacturing-of-greta-thunberg-a-decade-of-social-manipulation-for-the-corporate-capture-of-nature-crescendo/

https://radicalthinktank.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/how-to-win-10-15.pdf

https://drillordrop.com/2018/07/11/breaking-judge-grants-cuadrilla-injunction-over-lancs-fracking-site-to-2020/

https://radicalthinktank.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/how-to-win-10-15.pdf

http://www.weatheraction.com/resource/data/wact1/docs/ScientistsAgainstExtinctionFAKErebellion1.pdf

https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/how-the-internet-can-overcome-the-collective-action-problem(7043d36c-a77f-4304-85ce-8987b4ba2903).html?fbclid=IwAR0XzZUjfKZ8j64AnEgYfsxUo8AAPF82Uvn5MJ9LtfxSHaCFDFh2OHAGjM4

https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/roger-hallam(a8c519a2-c149-4ada-9deb-0bf09f0fad02).html?fbclid=IwAR3UGuOAH8qeChE978Kk9xuTO17hQVYABCdN7LQpUeXcSJCNh3WkG2vOQtg

https://www.theelders.org/news/elders-stand-solidarity-students-striking-climate-action

https://barbaramckenzie.wordpress.com/2018/12/15/more-child-exploitation-as-the-globalist-climate-project-creates-its-very-own-bana-persona/

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/09622618/officers?fbclid=IwAR2o2Iuhg6WPaiWisYSxzpmW6L69NQ7LM2sQVDcGT4AR9RyjuO9P9HYBi-k

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/03963007/officers?fbclid=IwAR3bCr4wp5uuG7ygOSriL4jeY4IHSCdb1FTxGRTvxE8ktVJLXEGaY7f2Sag

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/nVSRl-xqh_Xca07MV5JOv4SvCJg/appointments?fbclid=IwAR3mq91TWn41a6bXR94JVQmBX-lOB7IGkNSVl9X7hlcU64GY8Pdhvsxj7_Q

https://youtu.be/-f34TZ-k9AU

https://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news-analysis/3074451/xr-business-green-business-leaders-rally-in-support-of-extinction-rebellion?fbclid=

https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkobayashisolomon/2019/01/04/climate-change-investing-the-greatest-opportunity-in-history/?fbclid=IwAR3LUOoy9VeF17l0jEmcQwnBrwuBLd5f0RjghNkulrOD8Zc4aOuD_AJcfCU#12ecd4c83e34

https://youtu.be/m6pFDu7lLV4

The Death of the Welfare State-Joining the Dots Series -Part 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By blueannoyed and Paula Peters

Finally we get to to the next stage of government bullying via the NHS. How this links in to Social Security Claimants and their ability to keep some sort of financial security while fighting off the despicable onslaught of the Government who is out of control  , whom have sociopathic  tendancies.

Today I discussed the situation of the NHS  10 year plan , The new 5 Year GP Contract , Social Prescribing,and the  needs of claimants trying to get support or access to services they need to maintain their well being, in this survival of the fittest campaign launched by their government with Dr Bob Gill,  a GP who has spoken out against the great NHS heist of Privatisation.

I asked Dr Gill How he thought the relationship between patient and claimant could be damaged with the new GP Contract which every GP will have to sign up to in May 2019?

I also asked him about social prescribing and its potential impact on patients who need state support and claim Social Security?

 

He described to me that Patients are already coming to surgery with anxiety and depression or ill health due to hostile environment that austerity is creating, and the system is making people ill, or in a lot of cases more ill than they were.  Making it unlikely they will be able to manage their conditions in same way they currently do.

He stated that perverse financial incentives for ‘sociopathic ‘ assessors are leading to really bad outcomes for claimants and  pressures upon the public purse, as well as increased workload on GP’s whose patients need help with appeals etc. This contract will effectively making GP’s Gatekeepers which is not what they chose to be when studying medicine to become a GP.

He said the Government is driving a wedge between the patient and their GP and pitting them against each other,  and that will most likely mean the good GP’s will leave while those without no consciousness will reap the rewards offered by the Government and DWP .

Social Prescribing, is blaming the patient for their situation and the whole treatment process of being denied to the proper care that the patient needs. I asked him about the potential that with ‘patient coaches’ (aka work coaches) who have too much power could lead to those who most need support and are extremely vulnerable ,are likely to  disengage with their GP and fall through the cracks and could ultimately end in their demise which he agreed with my assumption. He stated that Patients/Claimants and GP’s are victims of a government who doesn’t care.

 

The definition;  Sociopathic tendencies in people are often marked by lack of conscience within the person. They just care about their own needs and desires

 

Video:

 

This is the tip of the iceberg of how it could impact on claimants needing further medical evidence support, getting a Fit Note if they are off work through ill health to claim state support, which under Universal Credit they would need to do so repeatedly.

The breakdown of trust between claimants and GP or other NHS staff has the potential to cause a rise in further deaths which have happened already under its predecessor ESA. That’s without the 120,000 who died due to poor care in NHS, etc as diseases previously eradicated are now making a comeback due to austerity measures and abject poverty.

This is Government Quackery on the cheap by unqualified people, dismissing medical opinion of professionals while eroding our NHS services and underfunding essential services that patients need and a NHS they can trust and flogging it to their mates. It beggars belief that the public would allow this to continue or collude with the government by being taken in about better services and cutting waste of NHS resources, or blaming migration, when they have slashed NHS budgets for decades along with New Labour who are not blameless in this re PFI acceleration under Blair.

Below Published with Kind Permission of ck999 Blog Page which has lots more  information,  link is  below in further reading.

Instead of caring for a few thousand patients, a primary care network will have anywhere between 30K-70K patients on its list. In order to provide out-of-hospital care, as hospitals are centralised and cut, it will “integrate” a range of services, provided by a “multidisciplinary team”.

 

A number of primary care networks will be linked to a “locality hub”. There are various versions of what this is, but the British Medical Association has endorsed locality hubs as “ alternative mechanisms to meet the urgent needs of patients when local practices have reached capacity”

 

 

A BMJ graphic shows other activities taking place at Locality Hubs, as well as handling GP “overspill”.

Only patients with complex needs will see GPs

Many GPs are not at all happy about this fundamental change to their role.

The way it works is that a care navigator signposts patients to other services, with no reliance on GPs. This has already been happening in GP surgeries for some time and as all GPs are forced to join Integrated Primary Care Networks, it will now become the norm.

Patients with complex needs – who are at risk of admission to hospital through A&E – will be identified through a process of “risk stratification” which segments patients into various categories.

Risk stratification requires the use of digital health technology (so called telehealth and telecare) and shared electronic patient records.

The concern of primary care networks is to cut the costs of the most expensive categories of patients

These are broadly:

• Frail elderly with complex health problems
• Mothers and babies
• People suffering from the “modern epidemics” of obesity, diabetes, heart and respiratory problems
• People with disabilities

However there is no real evidence that the “care models” designed to treat these categories of patients cut costs. Or give them better care.

Cutting most patients’ access to GPs will have extremely damaging effects on patients who need a Further Medical Examination for benefit claims, because they need access to a doctor to write letters. Without a Further Medical Examination, a disabled person won’t be able to claim benefits. This is about the destruction of the welfare state. It’s about taking rights away.

The DWP now have people in mental distress top of their target list to get back to work. Which is where Universal Credit will really come into play with this.

The mental health charity MIND won the Individual Placement Support contract – part of the DWP/NHS Health and Work Programme. Individual Placement Support is about the ‘health and work conversation’: Work is good for Anxiety and Depression. What barriers are there to you working?

This is where social prescribing link workers come into play – where they look at barriers to you working. And then prescribe self management. Self care. Via a behaviour change scheme most likely run by a cash-strapped 3rd sector organisation with no therapeutic skills.

The “work is a health outcome” programme – a dangerous partnership between DWP and the NHS – is creating a toxic environment that is compromising doctors’ ethics of Do No Harm.

This link between the DWP and the NHS needs to be broken once and for all.

But the NHS Long Term Plan has no such intention. It name checks Sheffield City Region’s “Working Win” large scale research trial.

It focusses on using a new type of Individual Placement Support to get people with mental health and musculoskeletal conditions into employment. (These are the two main conditions that prevent people from working.)

This list is in NHS England’s new Health Services Support Framework, which identifies approved suppliers that NHS commissioners and providers can hire to tell them how change to the way they work in order to fit the global corporate model of healthcare.

Unsurprisingly the approved suppliers include all the usual suspects and then some:

How did this happen?

The government and its quango NHS England – official name NHS Commissioning Board – have engineered this by drastically cutting primary care funding and driving hundreds of GP practices into bankruptcy, while GPs in droves have been taking early retirement or emigrating to places like Australia where the GP workload is far more manageable.

GP practices are folding at the rate of one a week. In the last year, tens of thousands of patients have found themselves losing a practice, or having it merged with some random practice more or less in the same neighbourhood.

Simon Stevens, the NHS England Chief Exec, has been saying for years that the corner shop version of family doctors has to go, to be replaced by a supermarket version of large scale integrated primary, community health and social care services.

Now he is making that happen.

 

Your NHS is on life support, welcome to the American style  health care system you allowed to happen, hope you got deep wallets or insurance which is the real end game , if not  you will be one of those unfortunate that will meet a early end of life because you happen to be poor and can’t afford Insurance.

 

 

Gp Contract 2019 by Gail Ward on Scribd

https://www.scribd.com/embeds/403999299/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-Jj5snwwqSUkSKkijC8SX&show_recommendations=true

 

Further reading can be found below: Also check out my Social Prescribing Blog

 

 

http://www.hcbgroup.co.uk/is-there-a-cure-for-the-healthcare-and-wellness-marketplace-confusion/

https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/sites/default/files/media/commission-appendix-uk-private-health-market.pdf

https://www.nhsconfed.org/resources/key-statistics-on-the-nhs

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/benefits-staff-want-permission-to-trawl-through-patient-records-qgfx3qwv6?fbclid=IwAR2_NnYlbY30iDY0R7A5g1kDduyMYQyz3jSVSEtwvuHDauSi2qFIBjQT7GI

https://www.digitalhealth.net/2019/01/hancock-gp-it-systems-shake-up/

https://digital.nhs.uk/services/gp-systems-of-choice?fbclid=IwAR17Oz6RjrDf3JwafPgYKoYNZpZaer6PccQ6CAfpp3F1UCILUbM0yM_NQ5Y

Scotland : https://bjgp.org/content/67/660/294

https://www.hsj.co.uk/policy-and-regulation/all-gps-expected-to-sign-up-to-network-contracts/7024128.article?fbclid=IwAR2n3-PhhNIqkIyk7koL68UUJgbjRvwfUk7oozFRn0r9sKT4j6a4hqkuQl4

https://calderdaleandkirklees999callforthenhs.wordpress.com/2019/02/16/large-scale-integrated-primary-care-networks-what-lurks-beneath-the-buzz-words/?fbclid=IwAR1UKBhGpV9lrEyZNHJAlrbIUhn4gyf1LTZzUhzwgXZY2zBeUDDl5RKvhDI

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nhs-can-move-towards-more-coordinated-and-continuous-care?fbclid=IwAR1dV1Lsx0UW-eryC0hphKqR9H_kV8g7urVdcWRBRo8eMI14U1oueyonVi4

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nhsx-new-joint-organisation-for-digital-data-and-technology?fbclid=IwAR2ekyJayhEU-K3qMZWBETmBEnj3JpLWxEDbhfjOADCSL-MrM85Fdu0nH9E

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/02/12/nhs-ends-block-smartphone-gps/?fbclid=IwAR2UprOiA8MK8gTpJtKHcKw2wzFj4XZYvCVvVXFx5i67dCuiacfXBxMSVUk

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/02/19/dwp_health_data_tool/?fbclid=IwAR1fIqnGW0naqOcwRhVigQvi7RELPmbsnkcL58r8_dKMY8R9r-rhbqEKFvY

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/02/12/nhs-ends-block-smartphone-gps/?fbclid=IwAR2UprOiA8MK8gTpJtKHcKw2wzFj4XZYvCVvVXFx5i67dCuiacfXBxMSVUk

https://www.england.nhs.uk/2016/11/back-to-work-support/

https://kittysjones.wordpress.com/2019/02/15/the-dwp-is-trying-to-co-opt-gps-in-forcing-ill-people-into-work/?fbclid=IwAR1DcTZFX3tIyJ4ogkvYaSf-p-y3zktL7W1mPqUYcRYVlZcmWotLlJe2I30

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/hot-topics/gp-contract-2019/20/all-the-headlines-from-the-2019/20-gp-contract-at-a-glance/20038181.article?fbclid=IwAR3mfOnFVg97TfSd0z2MwbdC_3SlFDzhi45MX350SynIJihZl3Ij7GpCw5U

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/tory-austerity-deaths-study-report-people-die-social-care-government-policy-a8057306.html?fbclid=IwAR2A_EzuW0s_CCrblXJMqvI5MlVwj6aT8Ca5GVeXiyGmp53lqvSz6aJNBKA

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/physician-associates-can-do-gps-work-more-cheaply/20009818.article#.XGgjirXD-vI.mailto

Panorama -Universal Car Crash

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BBC  Panorama Highlighted some of the issues with Universal Credit  with the focus on Housing Benefit Direct Payment process. While this may have been a overall a shock for those who watched the programme who may have never even heard of it, It wasn’t a shock to Disability Campaigners and those who need to make a claim!  The Media has been in full swing recently highlighting the many issues this controversial benefit failings, forcing the Government to make significant changes to the managed migration process as MP’s,charities,many DPO’s including CPAG (Child Poverty Action Group) and SSAC (Social Security Advisory Committee) all advising the Government that changes must be made before the next cohort is transferred Secretary of State Ester McVey made considerable concessions to appease the outrage,which combined with fact the UN Rapporteur Philip Alston was visiting the UK looking at Welfare Reform and Poverty felt like a PR stunt to fend off recent criticism.

They focused on 3 Groups of the many that will be affected Unemployed,those who are Sick, and Low Income families. Using Government rhetoric of ‘making work pay’ more than benefits which the government has successfully ingrained into the mindset of many in society through the scrounger rhetoric since 2010.

Anthony the first  man lost his job is 63 so found that while he thought work was out there couldn’t secure employment and had 4K of rent arrears and had had been sanctioned losing 200mth just because for whatever reason  he had failed to comply because no phone or computer skills to manage his claim, and facing eviction, and even when he did make contact was sanctioned again as the advisor was not in the Jobcentre. One can only assume while he was doing everything required to look for work this was due to failed appointments which are generally online or via text notifications. Many in society will most likely exclaim well he was smoking roll ups and not attract much sympathy such a sly move by BBC to present him in this manner, saying well he can afford fags although I’m certainly they will defend this as usual.

Second Guy James Dade was single dad reliant on the food bank for survival but very little was said about his circumstances.

We then saw a Councillor state when people have limited choices they will choose to feed their kids and stay warm than pay their rent  nugget dropped into the programme implying reckless budgeting decisions. even though across the UK the average rent arrears is £663 compared to £263 on legacy benefits which on average is 2 and half times higher and recently over 1/2 claimants found online process difficult hinting yet again that its the claimants fault rather than a design fault.

The next couple Richard and Rita  claimed the benefit as Richard had a car accident  and consequently lost his job telling the public they were forced to sell things in the home to manage due to the fact the design features within the system were paying them less than they should have got, and being taken to court for council tax arrears while they tried desperately to sort their claim out leaving them in debt. they both eventually found Jobs.

Keith  the next claimant was a fellow suffering depression who admitted he was hopeless budgeting relying on the local food bank had lost his job, and faced eviction in November,due to rent arrears and without support unable to cope with system.

Professor Paul Hickman was interviewed  saying that direct payments to claimants rather than landlords as the previous system did was ignored by the DWP. Alok Sharma from the DWP was then interviewed spouting the same Tory script they must have learnt verbatim just like the actors they are, and displayed typical indifference to the plight of those on the receiving end of this vile policy claiming 90% of social sector will soon be signed up to the Landlord Portal which is being rolled out.

With 5821 evictions in the UK and many already homeless on the streets struggling we then had the council highlighting cuts from central government have left councils UK wide unable to pick up the slack and find homes due to lack of Social Housing properties that the country so desperately needs. Councils have seen their landlord lists plummet as many private landlords  refuse to let to those on social security and those needing Alternative Payment Arrangements such as Domestic Violence  victims  unable to get this arrangement and councils unable to help as the agreement has to be done via the landlord not a third party.

 

This programme really barely scraped the surface of the design faults within this policy, many things are changed as an after thought because the policy wasn’t properly thought through and administration is so bad and training is so bad that even those who should be helping haven’t a clue about the constant changes and are mis -informing claimants causing further chaos with long waits on the phone which campaigners call the ‘Vivaldi Line’.

In July 2019  as the Government rolls out a pilot sample of approx 10,000 claimants with many transferring in November 2019 in tranches this chaotic policy is only going to cause considerable harm to many families across the UK. The government knows fine well many of these  families will face hardship and tells them to stand on the beach looking at the wave that is a reality a tsunami waiting to hit them and their children. Yes done properly with support people could transition more easily hence the CAB contract of Universal Support recently announced will help many navigate the complex process of doing so, but support is soon going to be difficult to get appointments due to the volumes involved.

The most severely disabled will if they don’t have change of circumstances will start this process in 2020.

One thing is for certain is the noise about Universal Credit will get worse and louder as this government tries its best to hang on bloody mindlessly instead of scrapping it and admitting this policy should never have been introduced without making sure it was robust,practical to implement and the structure was sound. Now it is only fit for the waste basket of many government projects which has wasted Billions of Taxpayers money while UK citizens find themselves back in Victorian times and seen by the elite as undeserving and feckless poor who situation is their fault, absolving themselves of any responsibility for this total failure ,while the architects have long since retired with a golden peerage  and a hefty financial handshake.

If you missed it here it is;

 

Transgender Wars- Silencing the Debate-Updated

 

I have watched with dismay the fight for Gender Recognition and the proposed GRA, which has been very divisive and nothing short of vicious by some on both sides of the debate. Unscrupulous press articles which lack content by some are scandalous and harmful to both sides . It seems common sense has left the building altogether. I am not going into too much depth in this blog or it would resemble something fitting a masters degree thesis but I will be  attempting to engage in rational debate and provide a balanced argument for both sides , but if you want drama look no further than social media. It has also split the communities affected, the Unions and Political Parties

One thing this debate is about is ‘Human Rights’ to live in peace and have respect for each others differences. Secondly this debate is deeply entrenched with patriarchy as well as misogyny and religious fervour governing  the  social control of the masses to conformity of ideology,and plenty of hormones.

The GRA as it is Since the passing of the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) in 2004, the UK has had a mechanism by which a person can acquire a legally recognized gender different from their sex. Under that law, a person with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) becomes legally the other sex for most purposes, though there are exemptions set out within the GRA itself. For example, the inheritance of aristocratic titles is exempt, as are what are termed “gender-affected” sports. This was passed under Blair’s Labour government after a decade long campaign by Press for Change, and a number of important legal cases about privacy and the right to family life going to the European Court of Human Rights.

To be able to get a Gender Recognition Certificate currently, one has to be over 18, diagnosed with gender dysphoria, have lived in one’s acquired gender for at least two years, and intend to do so permanently.

In 2010, the UK’s legislation on sex, race, and disability discrimination was brought together under the Equality Act, together with six other protected characteristics, one of which is “gender reassignment.” This is a broader category than people with GRCs, and protects from discrimination anyone proposing to undergo gender reassignment, as well as those in the process of doing so and who have done so.  At the same time, the Equality Act has exemptions that permit single-sex services, occupations, communal accommodation, and sporting activities where these are a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

 

The Change The proposals put forward by Justine Greening MP who was, until recently, the Minister for Women and Equalities, would allow applicants who wished to achieve legal recognition of a gender status on their birth-certificate that accorded with their gender identity, to do so by a simple process. They would be able to self-declare without the need for a ‘diagnosis’ of gender dysphoria. The Exceptions above in the Equality Act 2010 would also be removed to allow those who transition into spaces that they identify with.One way to simplify things for trans men and women would be to allow individuals to self-declare the gender in which they choose to live, without the need for medical evidence or proof.

 

 

Over the decades the rights of women have been in the spotlight, highlighting the positive rights that have been hard fought and won by many who suffered greatly to ensure they had a voice, from the right to vote to equality in many areas of life which is still ongoing, equally that also included gay women who fought for the right to be accepted into the women’s movement  because they are biologically females. Society has moved on to a more liberal footing encouraging acceptance & tolerance in many areas of life, then along comes other differences over the decades including transgender,non binary,and self ID etc. This should be a watershed moment but instead it has turned into a campaign of hate and oppression and neither side is blameless. For decades the warring factions have just got on with it and been accepting and supportive of transgender rights until now, where the threat to women’s rights was met with some anger by the feminist movement and seen as a perceived threat to their hard fought protections, who rightly or wrongly, fear a watering down of  those protections.

• The majority of victims of domestic homicides recorded between April 2013 and March 2016 were females (70%). Two women a week are killed  by their partner/ex partner . Office for National Statistics (2016) Compendium – Homicide (average taken over 10 years) 
  

  In 2013-15, four times more women than men were killed by their partner/ex-partner

  Office for National Statistics (2016) Compendium – Homicide (average taken over 10 years) 

  https://www.refuge.org.uk/our-work/forms-of-violence-and-abuse/domestic-violence/domestic-violence-the-facts/

 

So how can this be resolved to the satisfaction of both sides? Certainly not the way the debate is being framed.

Many feminists see this as mansplaining steeped in patriarchy and misogyny & sexism to invade women only spaces and to eradicate the rights of women per se as they claim that if GRA goes through in its present format it means anyone can call themselves a woman,so therefore their bio-sexual orientation is erased and to a degree I can see that argument particularly for women and children who have suffered domestic violence situations this is only space they feel safe in.  Growing up under male oppression in a society where men had privilege over women  is what some call a ‘lived experience’ from menstruation to childbirth and violence towards them by male counterparts always seen by society as weaker sex to submit to their male counterparts wishes,or the portrayed temptress leading men astray because they are too weak to control their desires. This is one thing that trans women cannot  say is their  lived experience when a considerable part of their lives they grew up with male privilege,however they can identify with the  ‘violence’ they suffer generally by males who feel their masculinity is threatened, the same applies with gay women, as often but not exclusively  the aggressor is male. Women and children are often victims of government policy to keep them in their place, like the hideous rape clause recently introduced.

Violence is ‘violence and abuse of power’ by another, this goes on in relationships regardless of gender and in same sex relationships too, and no one should be subjected to this kind of aggression and those who commit such acts should be called out and prosecuted accordingly.

 

The trans women feel that this harms them considerably and imagine feeling trapped in the wrong body and unable to express their natural feelings it most certainly is going to damage you mentally and emotionally in the same way an abused child is affected for life by their experiences and no human being should suffer ,because it is seen by society as outside the majority lived experiences. According to the recent ITV programme Transformation Street which was portrayed positively, As of April last year, there were 280 patients in the UK on the list for gender reassignment surgery and another 169 consulting on the process, according to the Imperial College Health Care Trust. Figures published in July showed that the number of children being referred to gender identity clinics has quadrupled in the past five years.  Since 2010  650,000 people have come forward to ID as Transgender with 86% not having fully transitioned.Prices at this clinic start at £5,000 for procedures such as Adam’s Apple reduction, chin shaping, brow contouring or a nose job, rising to £35,000 for full gender confirmation surgery, which is a four- to five-hour operation and only lower surgery is on NHS.Historically, female to male transitions have been less common but now they are on the rise — and patients are getting younger. The minimum legal age for gender reassignment surgery is 18 so many young people that have attempted suicide, or have been estranged from their family because of gender identity .

Guardian Update:

Schools are supporting increasing numbers of transgender students, using a variety of guidance from the teaching unions and charities such as Mermaids (which has a grant of £35,000 from the Department for Education to deliver training to 35 schools).

This rise is reflected in referrals to the children’s Gender Identity Development Service (Gids), run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS trust, which increased by 1,978% – from 97 in 2009 to 2,016 in 2016-17. Of those children, 70% are biologically female.

Bernadette Wren, a clinical psychologist at Gids, says many young people seen by the service have been bullied or self-harm, and a number are on the autistic spectrum.

They feel they have a right to be included in society and treated like any other person and live the life they chose in the gender they feel comfortable.

The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) asserts that medical evidence should not be necessary for trans people to gain legal gender recognition. WPATH says “no particular medical, surgical, or mental health treatment or diagnosis is an adequate marker for anyone’s gender identity, so these should not be requirements for legal gender change.”Indeed, 17 countries, including the UK, have already adopted the approach that medical treatment is not a prerequisite.

 

The amount of reading I have done to understand the issues from both sides has been phenomenal and lengthy. There is an awful amount of misinformation in both camps about the real issues and heavily influenced by the USA and the intersectionality argument which originated  regarding a court case about women of colour ,facing racism and sexism being used by some as the way forward,which to my mind only clouds the issue further.I get the argument for it but the origin has seemingly been hijacked to justify a course of action.

Intersectionality is a term that was coined by American professor Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989. The concept already existed but she put a name to it. The textbook definition states: The view that women experience oppression in varying configurations and in varying degrees of intensity.15 Jan 2014

1.Political intersectionality is a form of structural intersectionality that addresses sexism, racism, class exploitation or homophobia in policy-making processes and policies. It indicates how inequalities and their intersections are relevant to political strategies.

2.Structural intersectionality refers to how a person’s legal status or social needs are marginalized (Shields, 2008). Representational intersectionality refers to the cultural construction of the identity, including the production and the contemporary critiques of the identity (Crenshaw, 1991).4 Feb 2016

 

Journalist Eleanor Robertson wrote in the Guardian 2017

Intersectionality is the buzzword to end all buzzwords, the term that launched a thousand hot-takes, a discursive sinkhole where political disputes go to die. Depending on who you ask, it’s the most important theoretical innovation in feminist history; the cancer that’s killing the left; a critical tool in on-the-ground organising; or a totally meaningless liberal shibboleth. I am not overly invested in trying to claw back some kind of clarity on what intersectionality “means”. Like much of the work done by feminists and queer theorists around the same time, there is a certain ambiguity to intersectionality, if only because many of the people interpreting it come from this poststructuralist milieu.

The abuse some face, is both verbal,and physical threats of violence and name calling seems to be most prominent which I will not be repeating or including in this blog because as a decent human being I find them all equally offensive . I have seen some extremely aggressive behaviour by some which I have found unacceptably distasteful and bigoted.  The statistics are flimsy and poorly researched material and quoted regularly. It would do everyone a favour if there was independently fully funded long term study with a long term view of providing accurate research/stats for both sides . According to the Trans Murder Monitoring Project  8 people have been murdered between 2008-2014 in the UK, Home Office Hate Crime figures of transgender   have steadily risen to the current figure of 1,248 between 2011/2012-2016/2017.

The barrage of articles recently from both camps from various journalists and academics leave many affected by the debate more confused than when they started out, as rational debate is silenced and those who shout the loudest seem to get the most coverage. If we are to change with the times then it is a debate that is needed and both sides should be invited  to put their arguments in report form on the table so that they can be independently scrutinised by those tasked to make a decision. Its is reported that the Tory government put this on the agenda when the opposition stated if they didn’t, they would, when in power. A consultation is due to be announced in the Autumn but many have concerns that like many consultations the decision is merely a formality as the decisions have already been made.

I have linked many articles and orgs from both sides below……………You Decide but lets have a real discussion without the abuse

 

Updated study: https://www.segm.org/?fbclid=IwAR3Vb2pWyJJAvwQtFnbuIHY8Yy7PQnuPoNYLtnMaB3UdNVOf7LEQHKYS924

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/535764/Government_Response_to_the_Women_and_Equalities_Committee_Report_on_Transgender_Equality.pdf

https://standpointmag.co.uk/issues/november-2019/discussions-with-a-stone-wall/?fbclid=IwAR2ufE6TyS99PuBT1i40-Y7xZVvHMfwgFK9-ksgeoq_Da3iDMqpIV8KYV5g

https://sexandgenderintro.com/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/30/intersectional-feminism-jargon

https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/transformation-street-itv-transgender-documentary-a3737876.html

https://womansplaceuk.org/

https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/why-do-we-need-new-women%E2%80%99s-movement#.WqQC7UubaG8.facebook

https://medium.com/@julian.vigo/the-invisible-woman-gender-identity-in-the-age-of-neoliberalism-33f9e1203b0a

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-32979297

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/mar/31/man-explains-what-means-be-woman

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/04/private-gentlemans-club-allows-first-woman-member-150-year-history/

http://averypublicsociologist.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/theorising-feminist-transphobia.html

https://medium.com/@GappyTales/a-crisis-of-misogny-a-plea-to-the-labour-party-4ce9d39e11c4

https://www.spectator.co.uk/2018/03/transgender-activists-and-the-real-war-on-women/

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/gender-recognition-act_uk_5a9417f5e4b0ee6416a5400f

https://thedebrief.co.uk/news/politics/gender-recognition-act-law-change-sex-trans-transexual/

https://www.transgendertrend.com/professor-robert-winston-joins-transgender-debate-share-concerns-young-children/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5041267/Backlash-Lord-Winston-gender-operations-warning.html

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lord-winston-warning-on-sex-change-surgery-sparks-abuse-v0c6q95pb

https://www.bmj.com/content/360/bmj.k1312

http://rosieswayne.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/unqualified-lesbian-swerves-abruptly_23.html

https://www.stonewall.org.uk/lgbt-britain-trans-report

https://www.equality-network.org/your-rights/gender-recognition/

https://www.gires.org.uk/

http://www.petertatchellfoundation.org/gender-recognition-act-time-for-reform/

Homepage

http://transcrimeuk.com/2017/11/16/trans-homicides-in-the-uk-a-closer-look-at-the-numbers/?fbclid=IwAR3XbA6Ac5LYSGDxY50-3YLkRBOj2EmJBDXLM-yJ778DurQVK-80VBt9_P8

http://www.edf.org.uk/government-equalities-office-announcement-gender-recognition-act-consultation/

https://www.socfem.net/faq#q1

http://www.counterfire.org/articles/opinion/19538-as-a-trans-woman-this-is-the-unity-i-want-to-see

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/the-current-debate-about-whether-trans-women-are-women_uk_5a71b6a9e4b00248476f1506?utm_content=buffera7be3&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

https://www.sparkle.org.uk/single-post/2016/11/25/Parliament-Debates-Transgender-Equality

https://medium.com/@tom_farr/the-left-are-abandoning-women-and-in-doing-so-abandoning-everything-they-stand-for-51fd63457d8c

https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2018/02/the-violent-misogyny-of-the-gender-debate/

http://www.feministcurrent.com/2018/01/04/thanks-trans-activism-2017-saw-return-old-school-sexist-dismissals-women-womens-rights/

https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2018/03/fear-and-loathing-grips-the-gender-debate/

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/mar/17/elena-ferrante-even-after-century-of-feminism-cant-be-ourselves?CMP=share_btn_fb

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/women-have-every-right-discuss-changes-law-could-affect-them

GENDER IS NOT AN IDENTITY, IT IS A TOOL OF PATRIARCHY: A FEMINIST VIEW OF GENDER-IDENTITY POLITICS

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/may/15/transgender-row-teachers-afraid-challenge-breast-binding#comments

https://notthenewsinbriefs.wordpress.com/2018/07/17/turning-the-tide/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

 

 

The Letter David Gauke will not be expecting and won’t want to receive

Image Courtesy of the The Telegraph

 

Mo Stewart – Independant Researcher WCA……..After her letter to Mansel Alyward one of the architects of the WCA and  her extensive research and publication of her book Cash Not Care , Mo Stewart has sent a explosive letter to the current Secretary Of State David Gauke. I have been granted permission to use it for my blog. One thing that springs to my mind is I would love to be a fly on the wall when he reads this to see his face. For too long now this government as blagged it way to convince the public it is justified to cut benefits to disabled people. This researcher keeps holding them to account.

Redacted Letter to SoS David Gauke by Gail Ward on Scribd

https://www.scribd.com/embeds/368603275/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-OfbQJpuEQVhzoVpl48LA&show_recommendations=true

 

Mo Stewart -Independant Researcher writes to Mansel Aylward -WCA

 

 

Independent Lead Researcher Mo Stewart and Author of Cash not Care has been a thorn in the side of those who came up with the biopychosocial model of disability for many years and has been relentless in her determination to bring to the attention the harm being caused to disabled people by the WCA assessment process which has instilled fear and dread amongst the disabled community. I am publishing her letter to this man  in May 2017 as those in the community and beyond need to read her work and her book, about the demolition of the welfare state. This hasn’t been accidental process but one that has been designed , and even when respective governments have been told this is a flawed process governments continued to use it with deadly effectiveness.

Redacted Letter to Mansel Aylward Public Health Wales by Gail Ward on Scribd

https://www.scribd.com/embeds/368592854/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-Y0JF0JK0uyx1xVvAjeuk&show_recommendations=true

IAPT -The Governments Magic Cure for Mental Health

Most people will have heard of CBT therapy for helping those with mental health problems, some may have received it and felt it helpful,but for the majority with serious mental health problems this will not make a jot of difference and in some cases cause more harm. What is insidious about this is that it will be forced upon those who claim Social Security payments in helping them get back to work with their new  health and work programme which is integral to Universal Credit.

This is most likely going to be part of the so called ”Universal Support’ in Universal Credit where the government has target groups, and I’m sure this isn’t the worst of the many packages this government proposes to force upon those groups mentioned in my other blog ‘Universal Support’.

The government in its wisdom wants to half the disability employment gap which most governments have failed to do consistently for decades. The base rate of 5% has never really changed,so it is folly for them to think so , as employers are reluctant to take on people who have mental health or other disabilities let alone the many with chronic ill health which is never catered for in any policy they dream up.

Work is not a ‘cure for all ills’ as this government would like to peddle to media and swallowed by the gullible public who seem to resent our very existence until they are affected personally because of selfish desires not to pay taxes for those needing support from the state,which I hasten to add have paid their own taxes until they became mentally unwell or disabled, so are eligible to claim payment,after all that’s what NI was all about an insurance to cover you if you fell on hard times .

In an ideal world it should be standard practice for disabled people to obtain work on merit if able, but it all comes back to that real issue of ‘productivity and profit’ so  majority of disabled people don’t tick that box precisely because we are not as productive as our able bodied counterparts by the very nature of disability,being off sick when things are bad, hospital appointments,or regular treatment or surgery.

Its a no- brainer to a rational thinking person, but we know our government don’t think like normal people, they just dream up pointless expensive schemes to waste taxpayers money to show the public they are doing something even though they have demonstrated  most fail and cost more than paying benefits in the first place.

Many more dark oppressive schemes are coming to light so we must be vigilant and stand up against forcing people to be so distressed that they harm or worse death to its citizens. It is not like we don’t know how many have decided to end it all over the constant pressures they are put under daily by the DWP monsters, who are out of control.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 2 yr Job Rule for Disabled on Universal Credit is not True!

 

In the last few days it has been widely reported by various bloggers that those disabled claimants claiming Universal Credit are subjected to finding a job within two years or face a 1 year sanction. This is utter fabrication and feeding many claimants fears which could potentially cause harm. So today I called Welfare Rights ,who called DWP while I remained on the phone, they denied that this information was correct and was downright alarmist and dangerous. That doesnt mean I trust DWP and have submitted a FOI too given 7 years of shenanigans. So you see folks, you can take the fear project and destroy it with Facts!

Those who will be put on Universal Credit (UC) will have to sign the claimant commitment regardless, some will be subjected to full conditionality some will have their conditionality limited depending on the circumstances, and subject to sanctions if they fail to comply with the agreed commitments they agreed with work coach via the Work Plan,My 4 steps,My Values documents.  (Document links provided at bottom of the blog.)

As promised last night, the SKWAWKBOX has been looking further into conflicting reports from DWP insiders concerning the WRAG (work-related activity group) category into which the government, more or less arbitrarily, places some disability benefit claimants and the possibility of sanctions after a fixed period of two years under the Universal Credit (UC) system if claimants have not found work.

Some activists insisted that this was part of the UC system and this was initially confirmed by long-term DWP employees. Others subsequently disputed it. The only thing all were agreed on was that the rules are ill-conceived and extremely confusing.

The SKWAWKBOX contacted a PCS union official who specialises in UC for clarification and received this response:

 

I’ve been looking at the regulations and I can’t find anything that refers specifically to a fixed time limit in which to find employment.

That is right, because no fixed time limit exists in the regulations

 

The ‘disabled’ argument, as I’m sure you are aware, is notorious because ultimately the Department through the provide contractors are essentially able to define who is fit or not for work.

For example, a claimant maybe moved from ESA to UC on the back of a WCA [Work Capability Assessment]. The claimant may disagree with the decision but they are stuck.

If they are adamant they are not fit for work, they could refuse employment in an environment they believe will affect their health.

 

If they have been found to have no Limited Capability for Work, they cannot refuse employment. The fact that claimants think they are unfit for work has been the main issue with the flawed WCA since 2008

 

This is where the sanction process comes in – a 13wk, 26wk and 156wk sanction could apply (although similar regs existed prior to UC and the 2012 Welfare Reform Act if not as harsh or severe).

 

In this case you’re looking at failure to apply, not accepting work or leaving on one’s own accord. Their argument is they aren’t fit, the department will still look at sanctions.

The circumstances described here apply to somebody who has not been found to have Limited Capability for Work.

 

The sanction regime is clearly arbitrary, deeply unfair and dangerous – but there is no rule mandating a fixed time-limit for a claimant to find work.

Again no time limit

 

However, another PCS/DWP source warned that while the rules don’t include such a limit, the way they are applied may not be as clear cut:

I can tell you that we have received complaints from WRAG claimants about having their ESA revoked after two years. And now they are treated as JSA claimants because they are ‘fit for work but not necessarily their precious occupation(s)’.

ESA cannot be revoked. It simply cannot be claimed after a claimant has been found fit for work. Previous occupations are not a consideration. That has always been the case.

 

Sanctions have been applied because the claimant has not fulfilled their requirement to find work. The purpose of the WRAG was to enable people to return to work despite being disabled, but this component has now been removed as WRAG claimants are now treated as jobseekers.

 

WRAG claimants under UC are described as having Limited Capability for Work.. They are not required to search for, be available for and start work, and cannot be sanctioned for not doing so, but they are required to accept work preparation requirements within their commitment and attend WFIs

.

 

Other WRAG claimants have been booted off ESA or the sickness element of UC after a period of two years because they failed their WCA – a deliberate decision to bully them back to work.

 

Some claimants will fail their WCA after 2 years. Others after 6 months, 12 months  etc.

2 years is actually a prognosis period, meaning a number of people are reassessed at this stage. Unless there is any evidence of a pattern, this period of 2 years is meaningless

 

Thanks too to Anita Bellows who has worked with me on this 🙂

 

So you see folks, you can take the fear project and destroy it with Facts! 

https://www.scribd.com/document/353594773/4c-ESAHWC1

https://www.scribd.com/document/353595852/CC-O18-E15

https://www.scribd.com/document/352833734/CC-Work-Preparation-Activities-v1-0

https://www.scribd.com/document/353603319/1359203507-UJcompanyleafletJCP

https://www.scribd.com/document/354185048/CC-Requirement-to-Accept-a-Claimant-Commitment-v2-0

https://www.scribd.com/document/354185364/cc-commitment-not-accepted-v1-0

https://www.scribd.com/document/354185650/My-4-Steps-Template

https://www.scribd.com/document/354187257/1816-my-values-1-pdf

https://www.scribd.com/document/349517725/UC-Claimant-Committment

https://www.scribd.com/document/349520361/FTS-FTP-in-WFI-and-Failure-to-Undertake-Work-Related-Activity

https://www.scribd.com/document/354182466/Dealing-With-Sanctions-Facsheet-4

https://www.scribd.com/document/353627563/HWC-Exemptions

 

Read Frank Zola Blog below;

https://mrfrankzola.wordpress.com/2017/07/18/disability-rights-uk-disrightsuk-questions-why-dwp-esa-health-work-conversation-mandatory-foi/

Update…….. “The Article originally produced by SKWAWKBOX. Claiming to that Disabled Persons could only claim UC for 24 months, is a mishmash of quotes from Gen William Taggart, who was actually talking about an Early ‘Draft’ of the Welfare Reform Acts. At no time did Gen. T directly associate this with Disabled Persons, in fact it was just a heads up for activists/advocates etc, to remember not to get complacent about the Statutory Instrument placed within the Welfare Reform Acts. “

 

Further confirmation from DWP to my FOI

”

My FOI response

“Claimants on JSA or UC, who are expected to look for and be available for work, must do all
they reasonably can to find and take up a job. However, the DWP sets no specific time limit for
how long a claimant is given to find a job.
Sanctions are only used in a minority of cases when people fail to attend work-search reviews;
fail to meet the work-related requirements they have agreed in their Claimant Commitment;
fail to apply for work or take up an offer of work; or leave a job, without good reason.
The DWP does not have any statutory powers to sanction or reduce benefit payments solely on the basis
that a claimant has been trying but has been unable to find work within 2 years.”

 

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/js_a_two_year_clause#incoming-1019979

Nobody is Unfit For Work Anymore

Reblogged from Black Triangle & DPAC

 

More background from Black Triangle Campaign’s sister organisation Disabled People Against Cuts: ‘Claiming ESA under Universal Credit: Nobody is unfit for work anymore’ Wednesday May 25 2017

What you will read may be very distressing for you, but we are looking at the worst-case scenario and identifying measures to help you and other claimants. It would be good to have some feedback on the Health and Work Conversations from people who have made an ESA claim. More we know about it, and more we can fight this.

What you should not do, is to decide not to claim ESA. That is what DWP wants you to do.

Some documents released by the DWP have shown the direction of travel in terms of claiming ESA under UC.

Under the old regime, a person wishing to claim ESA was placed in the ESA assessment phase, attracting the lowest ESA rate (JSA rate), and also no conditionality, and this until a Work Capability Assessment could decide whether the claimant was fit or unfit for work.

The Work and Health Conversation

Under Universal Credit, a person wishing to claim ESA will be first called for a Health and Work Conversation (HWC). This conversation is basically a Work Focus Interview, and is mandatory, which means that a claimant can be sanctioned for not attending. Attending does not only mean being physically present at the interview but also fulfilling all the requirements set by DWP for a WFI:

Regulation 57 of the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008:

57.—(1) A claimant is regarded as having taken part in a work-focused interview if the claimant—

(a) attends for the interview at the place and at the date and time notified in accordance with regulation 56;

(b) provides information, if requested by the Secretary of State, about any or all of the matters set out in paragraph (2);

(c) participates in discussions to the extent the Secretary of State considers necessary, about any or all of the matters set out in paragraph (3);

(d) assists the Secretary of State in the completion of an action plan.

 (2) The matters referred to in paragraph (1)(b) are—

(a) the claimant’s educational qualifications and vocational training;

(b) the claimant’s work history;

(c) the claimant’s aspirations for future work;

(d) the claimant’s skills that are relevant to work;

(e) the claimant’s work-related abilities;

(f) the claimant’s caring or childcare responsibilities; and

(g) any paid or unpaid work that the claimant is undertaking.

(3) The matters referred to in paragraph (1)(c) are—

(a) any activity the claimant is willing to undertake which may make obtaining or remaining in work more likely;

(b) any such activity that the claimant may have previously undertaken;

(c) any progress the claimant may have made towards remaining in or obtaining work;

(d) any work-focused health-related assessment the claimant may have taken part in; and

(e) the claimant’s opinion as to the extent to which the ability to remain in or obtain work is restricted by the claimant’s physical or mental condition.

So the main difference with the previous regime is that people with a fit note from their GP saying they are not fit for work, will be (are being) called for a mandatory WFI.

They also will be asked to fill a questionnaire which is also mandatory and to undertake an optional exercise called My values. There will be another article specifically about the questionnaire

According to the DWP, some ‘vulnerable’ people will be exempted from this conversation. [1]

The DWP defines vulnerability as “an individual who is identified as having complex needs and/or requires additional support to enable them to access DWP benefits and use our services.” but has not yet released the guidance given to Work Coaches on who will be exempted from the HWC. As these conversations have already started, this guidance exists and should be released immediately by the DWP.

Unfortunately, based on the DWP ghastly track record, it is likely that pressure to attend will be placed on people unable to attend because of their health conditions. DPAC has already encountered a case of a person with mental capacity issues and a life threatening health condition being requested to attend a HWC.

After the Health and Work Conversation

Unlike under the previous regime, when ESA claimants with a GP fit note saying they were unfit to work were not expected to fulfil any work related requirements until a WCA said otherwise, ESA claimants under UC will be by default assumed to be fit for work and expected to fulfil all Work Related Requirements until their WCA . [2]

Claimants to whom the All Work Related Requirements apply:

claimants who have a fit note and are awaiting a WCA claimants who have been found not to have limited capability for work at the WCA and are appealing against this outcome

claimants who have some paid work but are earning below conditionality earnings threshold claimants who do not fall into any other group

What All Work Related Requirement means:

Claimants in this group must be available for full-time work of any type and look for this within 90 minute travelling time from their home. Restrictions can be applied to looking for work, the type of work and hours of work where it is appropriate due to the claimant’s capability and circumstances.

Claimants must be engaged in work search and work preparation activities for at least the number of hours they are available for work. Claimants must take all reasonable action to obtain paid work.

Work Coaches must set work search activities for the claimant to search for work for their expected hours (This is the number of hours that the claimant is available for work or 35 hours, whichever is the lower figure) less deductions from this for the allowable time spent undertaking agreed work-preparation activities , voluntary work and paid work.

Only one restriction for people with health conditions is mentioned in the document: claimants who have a fit note will not be required to take up work that they are not capable of doing until their fit note ends

Any other derogation to the All Work Related Requirements will be at the discretion of work coaches. For most claimants, work coaches will not have more medical information than the fit note (the diagnosis) or in some cases, the WCA outcome when they have not be found to have Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity, and they should not be able to ask claimants for this kind of information without breaching the Data Protection Act. These work coaches are also not medically trained. Any Work Related Requirement will be based on the diagnosis, and on what the claimant would have told them during the HWC conversation and in the questionnaire. Also based on that, claimants would have to complete an action plan and sign a claimant commitment. Failure to do so could result in a sanction.

This is deeply worrying because:

1) an extra step is introduced before the WCA which is already stressful enough

2) all claimants assessed by their GP as unfit for work, will be considered by default fit for work by the DWP.

3) work coaches are medically untrained and unable to comprehend whether a work related requirement can have a detrimental effect on the health of a claimant

4) GPs medical judgement is undermined by medically untrained staff.

5) DWP definition of ‘vulnerable’ may be so restrictive that some claimants with very serious health conditions could be requested to attend a HWC and sanctioned for failing to do so

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/398247/response/972681/attach/2/1341%20Reply.pdf

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/301588/response/743734/attach/4/FOI%204794%20part%202.pdf

https://dpac.uk.net/2017/05/claiming-esa-universal-credit-nobody-unfit-work-anymore/

Additional Things I have since found:

https://www.scribd.com/document/349526820/HWC-Claimant-Booklet

https://www.scribd.com/document/349517543/Handout-08-01-Commitment-Pack-v7-7

https://www.scribd.com/document/349517725/UC-Claimant-Committment

https://www.scribd.com/document/349519301/IKB-content-1-2

https://www.scribd.com/document/349520361/FTS-FTP-in-WFI-and-Failure-to-Undertake-Work-Related-Activity

https://www.scribd.com/document/349520880/Customers-With-Additional-Needs