Well as we’re now way past the New year it seems that
everyone has forgotten anyone has a mental health problem. What a surprise the
Government is getting back to the task at hand and Welfare reform is back on
the agenda. It certainly didn’t take long and it seems it is still hell bent on
causing problems. The increase in rights to ATOS billed as minor adjustments,
see here,
could really impact on many people’s assessments and as previously noted ATOS
workers are not medically trained to a level comparable with your own
specialist and is they haven’t suggested or given the treatments or drugs then
why should these untrained people be making the decisions our treatment program
or which aids will most benefit us. I can only hope that this is ill conceived
idea based on pushing people forward into treatments that they might not want
to do however if it goes through it could be extremely damaging.
And really when these
people do not have the training or
expertise to do the consultants jobs why should they be allowed to make
assumptions about what treatments or aids are appropriate or decide at what
speed we must continue in our treatment/ aids acquisition and punish us for not
going as fast as they deem is appropriate. They have little if any training!
Please go sign the petition and
write to your MP’s
And since when have we had party political broadcasts in
none election years here in the UK? Did I miss something or what because much
to my surprise last night I witnessed a broadcast on the BBC from the
conservative party? Me thinks the governments worried about its popularity
since the entire time it was telling Joe public how it was fulfilling on it’s promises.
Whoohoo... not impressed because sadly although I did in
fact have quite a good grasp on what they have been doing it lacked any mention
of the knock on effects of how these changes were achieved and which proportion
of the population it had effected.
Cutting the welfare bill wonderful but I don’t think the
disabled community is going to rejoice given that it was almost exclusively cut
from their person budgets and no one else’s.
And given that the press seem quite content to run with
every government story that is stigmatising certain proportions of the
population every day why are we now to get them doing it themselves on primetime
TV as well?
Apparently from the beginning of this last year
And you know what I hadn’t even noticed that there were
party political broadcasts at those times....?
During election years sure, but at other times?
Maybe that’s just me not watching too much TV or not paying
attention to the news but I was shocked and for me if they wanted to put their
views across why don’t they go on more talk shows and openly debate their achievements?
The reality is that I think I know exactly why they’ve done
it because they have complete control to
emphasise their achievements to the majority of the voting public who will
largely take what is said at face value and not think about how these things
have been achieved. Thus people will feel
much better about what is going on despite
the fact that actually things are getting worse for the minority groups
within this country.
Please not that yes the Government did announce in Dec that
they would be slowing down the timetable of PIP/ DLA (disability living
allowance) reassessments however I can’t find any press release that gives a
clear picture. I fear sadly it was of little importance to most in the run up
to Christmas however what I have pieced together from other blogs and emails is
that they have pushed back the start date of managed reassessments of those who
have been awarded DLA for an indefinite period until after the ESA (employment
and support allowance) reassessments are completed in the first instance.
Sounds good on the surface however what it doesn’t explain
is that natural reassessment, i.e. reassessment triggered from a change in circumstances
which could from ESA unfairly putting you in the WRAG (work related activity
group) or fit for work from a routine reassessment would still happen right
after you inform them of it. So having just had one reassessment you would then
get another straight after which to my mind isn’t really much different, but
hey ho at least it’s a bit of a concession.
The other side that it would put this phasing in on the
other side of the general election and things could change if another party
takes power.... or not only time will tell.
However it seems there is a growing apathetic trend towards
welfare reform with so many people now feeling better about what’s happening
despite things not actually getting any better. Before Christmas I received my
ESA forms a week after I’d done my income support ones which in terms of timing
was rather awful but when I started to talk about it almost everyone was saying
‘Oh but it’s much better now’ really and whatever gave them that impression. If
you look at the statistics it really doesn’t bare that out, if anything there are
more people being found fit for work than there were when they started.
And the amendments they say are minor could have huge consequences
yet they are being slipped in it seems without many people even noticing, it’s
tragic. I certainly want the assessment of my health and the best treatment
course to come from my consultant who has taken the time to get a full case
history and talk to me at length over several appointments about the best way
for my treatment to move forward. Not Joe Blogs with a few weeks training.
And these concessions they’re actually minor considering
what is going to happen yet they passed by largely ignored. I am astounded that
the government seems to have put enough spin on what they are doing to convince
people into not doing much which reminds me of this quote
For evil to
triumph it only requires that good men do nothing
This problem is not over yet, there is still more to be
done.
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