Last night, the House of Lords failed to support an amendment put down by Tanni Grey-Thompson, the most successful paralympian of all time, to protect the benefits of disabled children once Universal Credit is introduced.
You can read more here http://www.family-action.org.uk/section.aspx?id=14225 but effectively, under universal credit, all but the most profoundly disabled children will only get half as much support. Child Tax Credit additions for disabled children will fall from £52.21 per week to £25.95 per week – a loss of £1366 per year, or £20,000 over the course of a childhood.
You might wonder what possible argument a government who promised to “protect the most vulnerable” could possibly make for this change. I myself was fascinated to see how on earth they had justified throwing disabled children to the wolves.
Ready? OK, if they didn’t betray disabled children, it would just have to be disabled adults. After all, disabled children have parents to look after them. What’s more, if they didn’t cut money used to buy wheelchairs and incontinence pads for disabled children, they wouldn’t be able to afford to address the hideous failures of ESA (Employment and Support Allowance or sickness benefit) and ensure that all those who qualify for long term support, get it.
Could there be a more disgusting example of divide and conquer? Each man for himself. The image of a Victorian gent throwing a handful of pennies on the floor and leaving the cripples to fight it out amongst themselves comes to mind.
And remember, this is no longer theory.
I’ve been writing about these issues for 18 months now, sadly my blogs have often contained doom and gloom predictions of horrors to come. Well last night they started to come in a first blaze of in-glory. The Welfare Reform Bill is now at Report Stage in the Lords. These votes will almost certainly decide what becomes law and what doesn’t. For disabled children, now it’s too late.
Shame on us.
There is one more session before Xmas. Then 4 sessions after Xmas, then the final no-going-back vote to pass the bill. There is still time to lobby peers. There is still time to stop the time limiting of ESA. http://diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.com/2011/12/time-limiting-esa-template-letter-to.html There is still time to oppose PiP and abolishing Disability Allowance. http://onemonthbeforeheartbreak.blogspot.com/ There is still time to fight Clause 52 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/dec/08/conservative-compassion-disabled-sick and housing benefit changes that will leave thousands of sick and disabled people at risk of homelessness.
In a week where the government suggested all cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy ought to be assessed to see if they can work or not, I can only wonder where this will all lead. I can only hope history is no guide the future
If I can find any tiny silver lining, it is that we only lost by 2 votes. That is the closest vote I have seen so far.
2 votes. 2 Lords. 2 letters, 2 emails, 2 tweets.
There is still all to play for, but sadly disabled children just fought the last stage of their fight. And lost.
By Sue Marsh
4 Responses
l just feel ashamed, Children have no other words
There is only one choice here.. and one alone. Get rid of them. No matter what the cost. Be rid of these hideous Ministers. We could stand in the middle of London in the rush-hour and throw stones and find more compassionate and responsible people to elect than this pile of undiluted, inhuman excrement! Never mind “Austerity” – where is THEIR AUSTERITY? Where is THEIR loss, THEIR CUTS? What have THEY had to GIVE UP? Because it is WE who pay for THEM – NOT the other way around – and it is time that THEY learned ONCE AND FOR ALL – that it is WE who ELECT and WE who DISMISS.. and, when necessary, it is WE who FIGHT!
Yes, it was an amazing suggestion and Freud has unlimited authority to cut whatever he wants. First cancer patients on chemo, now disabled children to loose half of their funding…. So, why is this gt still in power? Collectively, between us, we have a great deal of expertese. Perhaps, in 2012, we should collectively start to demmand an election and a vote of no confidence in this government.
Clegg has betrayed everyone and I doubt Liberals will get elected again. A little taste of power has gone to his head BUT what about all those election pledges? Only once have the Liberals challenged the Tories, when they all abstained in the vote for Europe. Where are the Liberal protests regarding this planned destruction of the welfare state – to be replaced by insurance – this total removal of care, concern and compassion for those least able to protest, and for justice for the 3 million people we are all fighting to support?
I suggest we forget about petitions. These are crumbs offered by gvt to pretend we have some kind of redress. The movement needs to be much, much stronger and the move needs to be to force another general election.
The BBC are getting interested in my research evidence. If they move on this I’ll let you know straight away.
Meanwhile, let’s end on a better note. Thanks to Phil and his team for BT, to Kaliya & Sue for the Broken of Britain, and everyone whose worked so hard this year to challenge the nearest thing I’ve ever known to gvt funded medical tyranny. Biggest thanks of all of course to Mike Bach, an amazing man who inspired me to start the research and whose never ending support is priceless.
Happy Christmas and wishing everyone all good things for 2012. It will get worse before it gets better so lets make sure we get much stronger.
Love, Mo x
More than this we need a collective voice and a representative who is more Socialist than a mealy-mouthed left-of-center excuse for a politician. Not a New Labour Party, but a party “of the people for the people: ALL of the people.” So that NEVER again can ANY MAN be held to ransom by selfish, conceited and vain politicians – all vying for the same standing: all failing us because they are just not interested in the Common Man! I might (were I a Christian) even utter the words Christian Democrat – but I sense the need for a compassion and constructive dialogue with every man: not this hollowed out form of Fascism!