Help Fight the Return to Institutions of Disabled People
Merry Cross
Merry Cross of DPAC – In an earlier piece for Left Unity I told how the attacks on disabled people’s welfare rights should have served as an early warning to the Left of what was to follow.
Whilst our fighting spirit rises, it is also true to say that many disabled people are now stressed and some are extremely scared. Despite the exposure in some parts of the media (like The Guardian or The Independent) of the truths about the savagery of this government, little has yet changed. Today (May 21st) the Independent again reported on how, despite the financial incentives, disabled people are amongst those long-term unemployed folk ‘parked’ by Workfare companies in favour of easier wins. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/work-programme-is-giving-least-help-to-worst-off-and-failing-single-parents-8624648.html Are we surprised? No.
Then there is the open wound that is the scourge of DWP/ATOS assessments, once again exposed, but this time by a doctor who has ‘broken ranks’. To see a man who served as a doctor in the Navy break down describing the cruelty of dragging in someone with Motor Neurone Disease for an assessment should have touched at least a few people who’ve previously remained unconcerned. But the response from the DWP and ATOS is, predictably, no change.
We have had a minor success now that the DWP has been told it was discriminatory to make families with disabled children who need an extra bedroom pay the hated ‘bedroom tax’. The DWP has been told to repay the funds, meaning more public money has been wasted. The same decision has yet to be taken in regard to disabled adults.
But perhaps the most terrifying of all is the fact that the Independent Living Fund is closing in 2015 and is already closed to new applicants. This is a fund that ‘does what it says on the tin’ and allows disabled people with high support needs to live in the community. Consultation responses revealed the high level of concern amongst local authorities that, given that the money handed over will not be ring-fenced, together with LA dwindling resources, recipients are likely to get less than at present and many may have to live in institutions.
With Winterbourne fresh in everyone’s minds, you can imagine the terror this strikes in our hearts. But to me, it should sound the loudest warning bell to non-disabled people. We now have a return to casual labour and millions pushed to the brink financially, with hundreds of thousands already dependent on food banks and teachers concerned about hungry pupils. How long before impoverished families are housed in modern equivalents of the Workhouse? I can already foresee the government line about this freeing up social housing for others on the waiting lists!
But the ILF is 25 years old this year and in the spirit of defiance, disabled people and their friends will be having a birthday party to which you are invited! It will be starting between 1.30 and 2 on June 10th at Deans Yard,SW1P 3PA which is at the back of Westminster Abbey (ie the side that isn’t opposite House of Commons).
Nearest accessible tube is Westminster and for other travel information contact Transport for All http://www.transportforall.org.uk/
Hope to see you all there. Feel free to drop us a line atmail@dpac.uk.net if you can come to this. Bring friends, banners, and noise.
9 comments
9 responses to “Help Fight the Return to Institutions of Disabled People”
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“The Independent again reported on how, despite the financial incentives, disabled people are amongst those long-term unemployed folk ‘parked’ by Workfare companies in favour of easier wins. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/work-programme-is-giving-least-help-to-worst-off-and-failing-single-parents-8624648.html Are we surprised? No”
Good article, but surely you are not endorsing the work programme? (I don’t think you are) many disabled people I know would much rather be ‘parked’ and left alone than be exposed to the petty brutalities of the exploitative and ineffective W/P which makes millions for the corporate providers but does nothing for the client. Of course, good quality training by empathetic and skilled staff, etc in accessible surroundings, people would jump at that, but that’s not on offer, just ask those sacked at Remploy…
http://www.boycottworkfare.org/
No of course I’m not supporting the Workfare programme for one second! I’m just quoting the article to highlight yet another hypocrisy, whilst they get on methodically with impoverishing us and forcing some of us back into institutions. and all my life the DWP has claimed to be able to provide the sort of staff you describe to help us into jobs and it has never been even slightly based in reality. No, I’m with you all the way.
Yes I knew that Merry, L/U should fully support/work with disabled and ‘sick’ people(‘sick’ people have usually been ignored in the past by disabled activists)as you say, how they treat disabled people will be a indicator of how they will eventually treat all
you would of thought Cameron would have had more empathy with the disabled seeing as he had a disabled son
A telling point, Melodie. The super-privileged millionaire Cameron family received huge assistance from the state, completely free, to look after their severely disabled child. And at the time Cameron seemed to understand what this level of support would mean to more “ordinary people” in his orations – and of course lying promises at the last election to protect the NHS. Yet this disgusting human being is now central to the dismantling of the entire support structure that assisted him.
It’s hard to “get inside the head” of people like Cameron – but “pop psychology” as it is, it must yet again surely highlight the fundamental sociopathic nature of this class of lifelong privileged toffs. Simply completely unable to “zoom outwards” from their own wants and needs , to feel the pain and suffering of others. Chilling, and a little snapshot of the self obsessed , endlessly greedy, class we are up against.
The thing is it costs much more to put people into residential care including those with really big packages of home care. And anyway, the places in institutions don’t exist anymore so I fear it will all fall on family members or people will literally die of neglect. It needs some big stunt to bring it out into the open. Even those who hate the ‘scroungers’ think severely disabled people should get the support they need, and this is what Osbourne promised to justify the ATOS terrorism.
It’s not really about cost, is it? It’s about the way we value people. Though if we took the money spent by our armed forces intervening where they shouldn’t – creating new disabled people in other countries – and spent it on our own, there’d be more money than enough.
I agree with Jonno; I think it would help to consider physically and mentally sick and disabled people together.
I’d also mention all the employment of others to support them (albeit mostly terrible pay and conditions) that the sick and disabled generate. Quite a contribution to society.
I’ve thought a lot about what Micheline has said about the need for a big stunt, to bring the horrors of all of this to public attention and I agree with the goal, but not the means. We have seen over and over again how the government and, possibly more importantly, the media, have ignored protests and disruptive or even massive demonstrations. It’s as if they don’t exist. Only local papers and media tend to report local events.
What I believe is that all of us who care about this need to be thinking about how we, personally, can spread the word. How many people can we each speak to (whether in person, over the phone, by email, via social networking sites – whatever)? It’s that old mathematical thing. If I tell 2 people and they each tell 2 people – etc etc, the numbers grow phenomenally quickly.
That’s why I’m passionate about members of Left Unity getting to know what is happening to sick and disabled people. Information is power, as the saying goes!
yes, they will warehouse us if they can because it’s cheaper http://johnnyvoid.wordpress.com/2012/09/24/disabled-people-to-be-forced-back-into-institutions/