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Surviving #GE2017: we need to prepare for a surge in mental health crises

[CW: discussion of suicide]

Through our campaigning we’ve come across a number of people saying they will contemplate suicide in the event of Conservatives remaining in power and we feel we have a responsibility to ask that individuals, third-sector care groups, and NHS mental health services prepare themselves for this possibility.

Last November, the United Nations condemned the Conservative government for its “grave or systematic violations” of disabled people’s human rights. Earlier this year, the British Red Cross declared a humanitarian crisis in the NHS. A study out of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Oxford University and Blackburn with Darwen council found that in 2015 alone, 30,000 excess deaths occurred as a result of “relentless cuts” to the NHS and social care. We have already heard from many members of our community who have said they do not expect to survive another five years under a Conservative government, and disability activists are arranging support plans for people who are at immediate risk.

We are asking, first of all, that NHS services and third-sector support groups put in place additional supports and higher level suicide prevention strategies over the next few days.

If you are in contact with someone who is at risk of suicide, there are a few things you can do to support them:

If they tell you they are thinking of suicide, take them seriously.

Understand that this is much more than being upset about an election outcome — many people are suffering a great deal and are genuinely terrified that the next five years will mean their living conditions will be unendurable. Offer patient, non-judgmental support. Encourage them to get in touch with a support group like Samaritans, who can be called for free at any time on 116 123. Help them call their doctor or mental health nurse. Follow up with them to see how they are doing. Do not be afraid to ask if they are experiencing suicidal thoughts.

If someone tells you they are imminently planning or seriously contemplating suicide, call 999 to get them emergency treatment. Do not leave them alone.

Please also know that you are not alone in what you are experiencing — and that there is still hope. Disability organisations like Disabled People Against Cuts, Mind Our Minds!, Recovery in the Bin, Mental Health Resistance Network, Sisters of Frida, Fightback 4 Justice, Black Triangle and Psychologists for Social Change are fighting for your rights, we will regroup and continue that fight, regardless of the outcome of this election. Above all, please remember that although you don’t feel that way now, you are brave and strong, we can fight back together and that your existence is resistance.

Miss Dennis Queen, Co-founder CripTheVoteUK

Alex Haagaard, Co-founder CripTheVoteUK

Rita Binns, Recovery in the Bin Collective

Eleanor Lisney, Co-founder Sisters of Frida

Michelle Daley, Co-founder Sisters of Frida

Linda Burnip, Co-founder Disabled People Against Cuts

Rick Burgess, Co-founder Manchester Disabled People Against Cuts

Dr. Jay Watts, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Activist & Writer

Fiona Robertson, Disability Activist & Writer

John McArdle, Co-founder Black Triangle Campaign

Roy Bard, Mental Wealth Alliance

Additional resources for benefits advice & mental health support:

http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk

http://www.fightback4justice.co.uk

http://www.shop.cpag.org.uk/big-book-of-benefits-and-mental-health-2017-18

http://wcainfo.net

http://pipinfo.net

https://dpac.uk.net/2017/06/guide-surviving-election-please-read-share/

#disability #mental health #mental illness #politics #uk politics #ge2017 #uk election #cripthevoteuk

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Disabled in Theresa May’s Britain #47: Fran

From Birmingham   Having chronic pain (which also brings fatigue and depression to the party) and being consistently denied any benefits has left me very limited. I'm aware that I'm lucky that my parents can support me but the experiences I've been through with trying to get benefits was detrimental to my mental health and having no money leaves me with the constant fear that I might end up homeless at any time because I have no safety net. I rarely feel relaxed and I hate having no true independence.

#disability #chronic illness #chronic pain #spoonies #mental health #chronic fatigue #welfare #politics #uk politics #ge2017 #cripthevoteuk

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Disabled in Theresa May’s Britain #46: Victor [CW: suicide]

From Berkshire   I'm an autistic trans man with a long history of mental health problems. I've been failed repeatedly by the overstretched and underfunded NHS mental health services, including facing waiting times of several weeks to talk to someone after a suicide attempt and waiting times of two weeks or more just to see a GP about my meds. I was not diagnosed as autistic until my mid-twenties. In my worse period, my mum had to claim she was afraid I'd harm her or my brother before the GP would agree to refer me to a psychiatric ward. The hospital was filthy, with broken showers and stained carpets, and patients resorted to threatening staff to get attention. The food was terrible, and I walked out of the ward unnoticed at least once to go to a nearby cafe. The experience did teach me that I can survive adversity, though! I've given up on seeking mental health treatment from the NHS, and now rely on what I've learned online. After a lifetime of gender identity issues that were ignored or dismissed by the NHS psychiatrists I saw, I sought private treatment, and I have been transitioning since September 2015. My mental health problems have nearly disappeared. I'm lucky that I'm able to afford private HRT with my family's help, but in order to be referred for surgery, it could be a TWO YEAR wait to see an NHS gender identity clinic.

#disability #transgender #trans rights #healthcare #social care #mental health #actuallyautistic #politics #uk politics #ge2017 #cripthevoteuk

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Cripping #GE2017: our final #CripTheVoteUK tweet storm

This Wednesday evening, we want a burst of tweets to trend around the United Kingdom, to keep #CripTheVoteUK at the front of people’s minds as they head to the polls on Thursday.

How can you help?

Tweet using the hashtag #CripTheVoteUK on Wednesday evening from 7pm until 10pm.

Ask your friends and family to join the tweet storm, email them, message them on Facebook, the more the merrier. It’s all about getting a lot of people at specified time to tweet a lot for a sustained period. It’s sort of a Flash Mob on Social Media.

If you’re not sure what to post we’ve got suggestions below — or you can retweet what others are sharing on the hashtag!

What should I post?

Talk about your experiences of disability and how the government has treated you.

What have been your experiences with trying to claim benefits, access health and social care, or secure accommodations at work or at school?

What would you like non-disabled people to know about disability?

What are some of the things you would like voters to think about as they head to the polls on Thursday?

You can also include relevant links that provide more information/evidence for what you are saying. Images and memes are very effective and get shared a lot more than just text. Have fun, be passionate, look to persuade people that our issues are important and that voting is a good way to address them.

Why are we doing this?

This is about persuading people to engage with politics and vote to protect & progress disabled people’s lives, rights, and future. We want to reach as many disabled people as possible, and to engage new audiences, new demographics who are unaware of our issues. We need to encourage groups of voters who often stay at home on election day that it’s essential for them to get out and use their votes this Thursday.

Some recent polls have seen the gap between the Conservatives and Labour close to just a few points. It really is possible that we can make tremendous, life-saving change happen with this election — but to do so, we need all hands on deck.

Wednesday night is an opportunity for us to come together as a community and make our voices felt one last time before #GE2017.

#disability #politics #social media #social justice #activism #twitter #uk election #ge2017 #cripthevoteuk

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#GE2017 is a matter of life or death for many disabled people. This 8th June, your vote could save tens of thousands of lives - make sure you use it.

#disability #mental health #healthcare #welfare #homelessness #chronic illness #politics #uk politics #uk election #ge2017 #cripthevoteuk

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Thanks to @myshakylife on Twitter for sharing this video with us, and allowing us to share it here!

#disability #welfare #austerity #politics #uk politics #ge2017 #theresa may #cripthevoteuk

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Disabled in Theresa May’s Britain #45: Kelly

Stress every couple of years over whether some ill-qualified person is going to pronounce me magically cured of my progressive, chronic, degenerative disability. 

The money from disability benefits has meant I can reduce my working hours (a blessing for someone with a painful physical condition which causes extreme fatigue) and means I don't need to work "on call" hours (out of hours service).

The uncertainty from the Tories "support" means stress- which triggers flare ups and every 2 years I have to go through the ordeal again and have my security taken away for months on end meaning I have to pick up extra hours and extra shifts which makes me even more ill. 

People with diagnosed conditions which are not going to get better should be exempt from the pip reviews.

#disability #welfare #politics #uk politics #ge2017 #theresa may #cripthevoteuk

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Disabled in Theresa May’s Britain #44: Jennifer

From London   My disability occurred after an accident in 1996 where I fell down the stairs. This happened a few weeks after my 21st birthday and at the time, I didn't have a clue about how significantly this one act would impact upon my life. 

Initially my attitude was that I could be fixed through medical intervention however it soon became apparent that this was not the case. I felt that I was being pushed into having an operation that had a 33-45% success rate, where I would still be in pain and need pain killers for the rest of my life. I declined the operation and decided to manage my condition myself. 

For the most of the last twenty years, I have just adapted how I do things and I didn't really understand how my disability affected me. In fact, I wouldn't even have said that I was disabled. However, in 2015 I had a major deterioration in my health condition. I'd been in constant pain since the accident but it just seemed to amplify overnight and I had no idea why. This massively reduced my mobility and my capacity to cope with situations that I had just taken for granted.

I engaged with GP services and was referred back to orthopaedic services. I was reluctant due to the only option presented to me 12 years earlier was the surgery with the low success rate. The GP assured me that medical science had moved on in 12 years so I reluctantly allowed the referral. I went dutifully for scans and tests to discover once again the operation that I had declined was what they wanted to perform. (For context, I should state that if I had this surgery there would be no other medical intervention as it would be the last thing they could do). When I told the consultant that I wouldn't consent to this operation and explained that I had allowed the referral to see if there were any more options however I wasn't foolish enough to accept an op with such low outcomes, his response was that then there was nothing he could do for me... "I'm a surgeon... I cut!" 

I went back to my GP and this time I was being encouraged to engage in talking therapies as my GP stated that I had low mood. After my initial assessment I was referred to an NHS pain management programme. I had to wait five months for a place.

At this time a trainee GP joined my practice. She was excellent. For the first time. I saw someone who actually listened to me. She also picked up on another health problem that I had just by taking the time to investigate and being thorough. After seeing another GP for a checkup and again experiencing someone who didn't seem to care or take me seriously, I made it known that I would only see the trainee GP. 

The pain management programme was somewhat helpful but more than the session content I appreciated the opportunity to sit in a room with 13 other people who were in a similar situation who just got what was being said. It was my first realisation that it's very tiring having to constantly explain or justify how you are feeling to people who just don't get it. 

In 2015, I was in a job where I was contracted to work a 45 hour week. The stress of managing my condition and my employers (who couldn't have been less supportive if they tried) was immense. I applied for PIP, which I was granted standard rate for both care and mobility. 

My mobility continued to deteriorate to the point where my two hour commute was impossible. I applied for access to work and was awarded taxis to work. I live in West London and worked in East London. A one way taxi journey was £55. As a tax payer I was horrified. 

I used the service short term but soon found that this was not a solution. There were a number of occasions where taxis wouldn't turn up and I wait anywhere up to 3 hours to be collected. I had been given a manual wheelchair by NHS wheelchair services, I can't even count how many taxis I had to send back as the couldn't transport the wheelchair. 

I decided to inform PIP that my condition had deteriorated and to my horror despite it being less that a year since I had my last assessment, I was told that I would need to start the whole process again from scratch. (Side note: again I was sent to an assessment centre miles away despite the fact that there is an assessment centre less than two miles from where I live). In early 2016 after months of waiting I was awarded the higher mobility rate of PIP. 

I decided that I was not able to manage working a 45 hour week on the other side of London and was lucky enough to find a part time job closer to home. However luck was not to be on my side... not only had my health continued to deteriorate but I was made redundant in March 2017. 

I applied to my local authority to be put onto the housing list as I live in shared accommodation where I live upstairs and cannot manage the bathroom nor kitchen facilities. They initially turned me down but after a long and protracted appeal I have been granted non emergency medical priority. My housing issues mean that I spend majority of the time sleeping on my elderly parents sofa and using an under the stairs WC handbasin to try and keep myself clean. 

I have found the housing situation the most difficult thing to deal with thus far. Finding an affordable accessible place to rent in London is nigh on impossible. I believe that the local authority make it as difficult as possible on purpose. I also have applied to housing associations and have been knocked back for two available properties as I'm not old enough! 

I now find myself preparing for another battle as my GP had stated that I'm not well enough to work so I have applied for ESA. I've heard all the horror stories and I'm hoping that it won't be the case for me. I feel very anxious about the next few weeks especially as I discovered last week that the GP that I see will be leaving the practice at the end of the month.

#disability #accessibility #housing #employment #politics #uk politics #ge2017 #theresa may #nhs #cripthevoteuk

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Disabled in Theresa May’s Britain #43: Penny

From Hertfordshire   I have had ALL benefits withdrawn and been found fit for  work after 24 years on benefits. I am 99% housebound and 90% bedbound and deteriorating. All this was done without reference to my GP. It is clearly an extremely irresponsible and dangerous measure. Without help from family I would have been too sick and overwhelmed to appeal within the time frame and dead within weeks. (Really I am not exaggerating). I am incredulous that this is legal. That this is not challenged more robustly by the BBC and others. I am angry and yet I feel unworthy. I know I am a decent human being who had brought up three good hard working law abiding tax paying kind daughters. And yet I am made to feel worthless. Treated like a second class citizen or worse. Why should some jumped up little twerp at the DWP who knows nothing about me and is not an expert in my illness be given this kind of power over whether I live or die? Isn't it this why we fought the Second World War? Equal rights for disabled people went out the window seven years ago. Criminalised and humiliated. I will never forgive those who did this and those who did nothing. Yes I mean you Nick Clegg.

#disability #welfare #social justice #human rights #politics #uk politics #ge2017 #theresa may #nick clegg #cripthevoteuk

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Disabled in Theresa May’s Britain #42: Ciaran

From Northern Ireland

Atos Healthcare recently declined my application for PIP. I suffer from dyslexia, dyspraxia, IBS, general anxiety disorder, depression, and asthma which all hinder me in my daily life. I forget my medication constantly. I am unable to feed myself for days at a time. I have convulsions and am unable to breathe during my panic attacks. I struggle to read most texts, finding it impossible to read anything some days. I can barely look after myself because of my depression. I have been living with depression since I was 10 and anxiety since I was 14. And yet, they still couldn't find reason to give me support for my disabilities.

#disability #chronic illness #mental health #anxiety #politics #uk politics #ge2017 #theresa may #cripthevoteuk

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Disabled in Theresa May’s Britain #41: Oliver [CW: suicide]

From Manchester

  I have multiple disabilities and am constantly fighting to try and get what little support there is, but am met with multiply barriers due to services not having enough funding or adequate staff. I have severe and enduring mental illnesses and when assessed by psychology for therapy am told I need long term, non goal based therapy, but I was also told they do not have the funding to provide that sort of therapy and only provide shorter term goal based therapy, so I am sent away.  This not my first time with therapy not working out due to limited resources and funding. 

I am in the process of trying to get direct payments to have long term care hours, but all that has happened is countless barriers have been put in place, to slow my process down or to mean my social worker doesn't apply for direct payments. Lack of funding for services has been mentioned to me several times. It also seems that because I have physical, mental and neurodevelopmental disabilities that different teams are trying to push me on to other teams as they have inadequate funding and/or resources or staff. 

My mental health trust cut 7 of its services the other year and I am in a big city.

I have had a psychiatrist tell me that they have to rotate patients with the CMHT due to having no money. 

I am desperate for more help and support in various aspects of my life but the services that should be there for me have either been cut or they have such little funding, staff, and resources. So I cannot get this much needed help and am having to constantly fight to get anything at all, which in turn affects my already unstable mental health.

Services are constantly being cut and under funded and under staffed. I've been told in A&E  'we would section you but we have no beds to send you anywhere' so I was sent home and ended up taking a serious attempt on my life which brought me back to the same A&E. 

I've been sent to a psychiatric hospital hundreds of miles away from where I live. Mental health care, treatment, services, beds are just being cut and it is seriously affecting me. 

Although in the end my PIP result was positive the process to get there was extremely distresssing. The assessor spent a lot of the assessment laughing at my tics (I have Tourette's) I was also quizzed on why I wasn't taking medication for my Tourette's and the assessor started telling me I should (I explained as best I could why I wasn't) the assessor became quite insistent that I should be on medication even after I had told her they did nothing and had horrendous side effects. I didn't understand why it was her place to tell me what medication to be on and her insistent on continually telling me I should be distressed me more on top of already being distressed before the assessment. I was asked why I hadn't killed myself, I informed her that I had attempted suicide multiple times and I was asked for specific details of how and I was also asked for specific details about my self harming. 

The whole process and the way it was conducted was extremely distressing. Getting a brown envelope in my post gives me a panic attack and I become an anxious wreck. 

My experience of being disabled in May's Britain is as a forgotten nobody who people don't care about, who the government certainly don't care about and as a vulnerable person they are quite happy to take money off, put through distressing experiences where I have to prove how disabled I am to get money (a degrading experience) and take away funding and resources and therefore services from me so that I cannot get the support and help I so desperately need. 

#disability #mental health #mental illness #healthcare #nhs #politics #uk politics #ge2017 #tories #theresa may #cripthevoteuk

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Use your vote this June 8th - 1000s of disabled lives depend on it! #CripTheVoteUK #GE2017 http://thndr.me/uXP1pf

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Disabled in Theresa May’s Britain #40: KCD

From Wales

I don't usually like to get too political but with the election coming up I felt it was important to share my experience in the hope some people will re think their support of a gov who seems determined to undermine the NHS and disabled people. 

I was born with severe bilateral congenital talipes equinovarus - basically both feet turned in and down (aka severe clubfeet). 

Unfortunately as a child I didn't receive some of the more successful treatments e.g. Ponsetti method, but over the years I have had frequent surgical and non-surgical intervention. However, despite best efforts, I am still left with restricted mobility in my ankle joint and also osteoarthritis. Unfortunately, this had led to secondary issues of back, hip and knee pain and it also severely affects my walking. And, being totally honest, my disability is a large factor that has contributed to me experiencing depression and anxiety too. 

Most of the time I do try to get on with it , and will try to do things like go for days out etc and I try to work (on reduced hours) because I want to lead a 'normal' life like anyone else and be as independent as I possibly can. I was brought up to try my best, get an education and a job to support myself - relying solely on benefits was not an option I wanted. 

But, unfortunately,  it's not always that simple. Every time I leave the house I have to consider how far I will be walking, the terrain, gradient, opportunities for rest and also if there is parking close by. For 'big days' like a wedding or a trip out, I make sure I have nothing else planned for a while after so that my feet can recover, as quite often I experience pain, stiffness and discomfort after the event, as well as during. 

I rely on my family to help me with daily things like cooking, cleaning etc and more e.g bathing/dressing if having a bad day. I also rely on my automatic car (can't drive manual without adaptations) and the blue badge. 

While it is by no means as 'bad' as what others may have to deal with, my disability does affect me on a daily basis and I have relied on the support granted to me INDEFINITELY by Disability Living Allowance- which allowed me to have a Motability car. It also paid for the amount of wide fitting supportive shoes I have to buy as I wear through the heel of even the most supportive shoes every 5-6weeks. 

However, since the introduction of PIP, I have been reassessed to see if my disability 'fits the criteria' for support. I had to fill out endless forms and provided masses of evidence to support my claim, some of which was from a professor in this area who treats my feet. All of which I had already done when claiming for DLA in the past. 

I then had to endure a face-to-face "assessment" - a term I use lightly for this experience. What followed was a series of questions designed to 'catch people out.' I was also asked to do a series of hand grip tests (what relevance to foot disability?) stand on one leg (which I could not do) reach my hands over my shoulder (again, relevance?) walk approx 4 metres (with a limp!) and then sit down.  

At no point did the assessor LOOK at my FEET (which are clearly scarred and disfigured) despite me offering to show her. She also asked me to explain my condition as she hadn't heard of it before (what!?) 

What followed this frankly belittling experience was her summary of findings and a decision. They were not going to give me anything! I also had to give back or buy my car, which was a huge blow. I opted to buy it as I need it to get around.

After reading her summary, my emotions got the better of me, as there were several inaccuracies in there (e.g. She said I could crouch- she never asked me to crouch. If she had, she would have seen that it is a physical impossibility for me as my ankle doesn't move that way) She also said there was no disability in my upper or lower limbs! (Last time I checked, feet are definitely classed as lower limbs, or have I missed an important anatomy lesson?) 

There were also some downright lies - She interpreted me saying that I occasionally attend the pool on doctors advice as a non weight bearing way to strengthen my core muscles as 'she regularly does sporting activities!' -Anyone who knows me knows that I do not do sporting activities, and have been advised against weight bearing activities e.g running and sports. I was even excused from every single P.E lesson at school so I could attend physio instead.  It made feel me feel angry, but also small and like I had done something wrong. It made me feel like I was making a big fuss over nothing and that I should just suffer the disability I have had since birth in silence as 'they' had deemed it not bad enough. 

So I appealed, with the support of the Citizens Advice Bureau, who were great. I clearly highlighted the inaccuracies and lies and even went through each point on the marking criteria to put in how many points I should have had (and provided evidence for it). 

Unbelievably, the appeal was unsuccessful! So I went for a tribunal. Reluctantly, if I'm honest, as by this point I was utterly defeated by the process to prove my disability was bad enough - to the point where I had anxiety attacks and many sleepless nights! The decision to go for it in the end was made after my family said I needed to go and stand up for myself and say that the decision is WRONG! I needed to put the record straight on what had been said about me. 

The tribunal was held in the local court, which is quite intimidating, especially as I had never had reason to go there before. Personally, I associate 'going to court' primarily with wrong-doing, though I do know that is not the only use.   

I was sat with my mother on the lower levels facing the higher bench, where the presiding judge, the DWP representative and the medical professional sat. At the risk of sounding dramatic, it felt like a trial. 

What followed was a barrage of questions about me and my disability- how it affected me on a daily basis. Some of them were ridiculous e.g Q: in a week how many days would you say are bad days? - A: um I'm not sure! (surely that is subjective would depend on a variety of factors such as activity levels!) Q:Could I walk the length of a football pitch without stopping? - A: no, not without breaks. Q: How many breaks would you need? - A: I don't know! It would depend on how much I walked before hand, the terrain, the gradient, the walking surface, time of day, whether I'd woken up in pain! Q: yes but how many? ... I found the DWP rep very intimidating in her questioning technique, where she continued to ask the same question over again, wanting more detail than I could give her. She wanted her questions answered with very specific scenarios in mind that weren't realistic to my life. Q: Can you cook a meal just for yourself? A: Yes if I sit down to prep and don't have to walk far with heavy items. Q:Could you do it if it was cooked in a microwave? A:Yes, but I live with my family and therefore it's not just for myself and I don't want to eat just microwaveable meals (so what is your point in asking in relation to an unrealistic scenario?) Q: yes, but could you do it?... 

Though I'm not the most confident person, I would say I'm not easily ruffled. But, when I walked out of that court room and got outside the building, to my embarrassment, I burst in to tears. Overcome with emotion (and partly due to being pregnant) I was physically sick twice into the bushes. To say I felt a fool is no exaggeration! 

In all honesty, that was the most intimidating and awful experience of my life. I am so glad that I had my mother there to support me and also to speak up on my behalf, because without that I would have been more of a mess. I'm also glad I took the day off to go as there was no way I would have gone back to work in that state. I have to say that,  in fairness,  the Judge  was kind and I thought he was very fair, even helping me interpret some of the questions asked. He also gave me an opportunity to raise any other points at the end, so I highlighted inaccuracies and lies and also directed him to my most useful evidence. 

So, after going through all of that, I did get some good news. The tribunal overturned the decision and awarded me some PIP- not enough to get my Motability car back, but I went from having 4 points to 16! Finally some recognition and justification! And I can reapply for my blue badge now! 

What infuriates me though is that before PIP came in I had indefinite DLA for my condition (which unfortunately isn't going to get better but will slowly degenerate with age.) But I was still put through this ordeal. Not only that, it's not over. The DWP can still appeal this decision and go back to tribunal again, wasting more taxpayer money! And, even after that I will have to go through the claim process again when my current claim period ends in 2019 because they no longer do indefinite or longer period claims! 

This gov. shows a complete lack of respect for the disabled people in this country. This is shown by the cuts and the assessment processes put in place that show a complete lack of understanding about disability and how each individual's case can vary greatly. Even the title Personal Independence Payment is a joke as they are not helping people like me stay independent! I understand that nothing is perfect, and you do get those who abuse the system, but what Mrs May and the DWP fail to understand is that we do not fit neatly into a box, we are human beings. Is it too much to ask to be treated like one?

#disability #welfare reform #accessibility #politics #uk politics #ge2017 #theresa may #human rights #cripthevoteuk

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Disabled in Theresa May’s Britain #39: Sam

From Bath

All social service help being taken away and if I need it I have to pay heavily for it. Increase of costs to my medical needs. People believing that May will make things better when it will only get worse.

#disability #welfare reform #politics #uk politics #conservatives #tories #theresa may #ge2017 #cripthevoteuk

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Disabled in Theresa May’s Britain #38: Rebecca

Suffering. Endless checks and assessments. Being made to feel a burden or a scrounge for something entirely outside of my control.

#disability #welfare reform #politics #uk politics #ge2017 #theresa may #cripthevoteuk

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Conservatives have attempted cover-up of harms done by welfare reform

Thanks to an anonymous tipster for sharing this information & analysis. The Conservative government and the Coalition government have many charges laid at their door; the pointless PIP reassessments, the cuts to ESA/DSA/social care/etc. But for a while, I partially — only partially mind — forgave them for a portion of their crimes because I’d hoped that they were making bad decisions because they didn’t understand what they were doing. After all, many were educated at Oxford or Cambridge; they live and always have lived apart rather than as a part of the lives of the majority of voters. They live in a different world, and though they’re paid to understand the people they serve, is it any wonder they don’t?

This is where data comes in handy. The right statistics can act as a thermometer, tell you when a country is ill, when it’s people are struggling or when everything’s OK. The Conservatives like data: they talk about a strong and stable economy, a reduced deficit, commodities and indexes.

They are also very good at bad stats — stats that make it look like things are better than ever when they aren’t. Ever heard “We spend more than any other country on…”? Or “We’ve invested £X million more than the previous government in…”? Great, but that doesn’t tell you if it’s actually enough to do what they’re supposed to be doing. Comparatives are bad stats and should be warning bells that the person in front of you is trying to trick you.

One of the thermometers accessible to the public is the English indices of deprivation, a big box of numbers telling anyone who wants to know about poverty in their area.

But in 2011, something happened. The way they published the figures changed: instead of publishing the usual figures, they published the comparatives: Town A is more deprived than Town B.

What this doesn’t tell you is exactly what’s happening in Towns A and B. More importantly, it means that you can’t tell whether a town now has more or less people in poverty than a few years before.

You can’t tell whether things are getting better or worse. They frosted a window on the world.

The only reason to frost a window is if you don’t want someone to see you exposed. If poverty levels sharply decreased, they would have celebrated it. But the increase, measured elsewhere, is invisible through this frosted window. And this, my friends, is the worst crime of the Tories: not the cuts or the pain or the suffering that they have caused, but that they knew the consequences of their actions, did it anyway, and then tried to cover it up. They knew.

#politics #uk politics #conservatives #tories #election #ge2017 #theresa may #welfare reform #corruption #government #statistics #economics

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Disabled in Theresa May’s Britain #37: Makenzie

From Somerset   I recently had my disability benefits switch from DLA to PIP. I've been receiving benefits since I was 13 as a result of having multiple disabilities. I had to file for a mandatory consideration after the assessment as I was originally only offered £82 a month to cover my living costs. However, I have gone from receiving higher rate mobility under DLA to basic mobility under PIP. This means that now, while I'm at university and my mobility needs are becoming increasingly more complex, I am no longer eligible for programmes that would otherwise have benefited me hugely, such as the motability scheme. Honestly, I fear for my future and the future of all the disabled people in this country if we allow Theresa May and people like her to continue to unfairly discriminate against us. Society is sadly not designed to benefit those who are not able bodied, and Conservative party policy is doing nothing but making the divide between the able bodied and the disabled worse. I fear that a time will come during which I will be forced into a job I cannot perform working hours that are unsustainable and physically damaging to my health due to the reluctance of politicians to allow me to claim money to help.

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