Join the Campaign to save disability benefits from proposed UK Government cuts.

[Jill]

Reposting due to blog vanishing! Time is running out to save disability living allowance and attendance allowance from being axed.
A UK government green paper has revealed plans to stop paying disability benefits and hand the cash over to social services instead. The consultation period for the green paper ends on 13 November. If there has been no significant outcry against the plans by then, it seems very likely that whichever party is in power after the next election will seize this opportunity to cut public spending by over a billion pounds a year. Although the actual changes may take years to be brought in, it is what happens between now and November 13th that is likely to seal the fate of disability benefits.

Join the Benefits and Work campaign to stop these cuts at this link:

http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/disability-living-allowance-(dla)/...

ALSO SIGN THIS PETITION

http://www.politicalcripple.com/d/

There is now also a Facebook
group

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=144582257576&ref=nf
protesting the planned DLA/AA axe.

And from Nabil Shaban (yes,
he was
in Doctor Who):

"First they took away your "Home Helps"
Then they took your Incapacity Benefits
They they took the DLA Care, and Attendance Allowance.
Then they took away your Mobility Allowance, and Motability
Then they forced you back into institutions
And then offered you Assisted Suicide"


Thanks to Andrew and Lou on UK Survivors History for the Facebook and Nabil Shaban info.

If you want to find out more about this issue, gather up to date information or view and/or join discussions please see some of the links below.

Department of Health

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_102338 (info)
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_102339 (live consultation link)

DirectGov/Care and Support

http://careandsupport.direct.gov.uk/greenpaper/ (feedback & comments)
Respond to the green paper by taking part in the consultation process.
Contact form: http://careandsupport.direct.gov.uk/contact/
Email: [e-mail]
Write: Care and Support Team, Room 149, Richmond House, 79 Whitehall , London SW1A 2NS
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Care-and-Support/41838753841 (Facebook)
Benefits and Work

http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/disability-living-allowance-(dla)/dla-aa-cuts/dla-threat-faq (info & No More Benefits Cuts campaign)
http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/latest-news/1097-stop-press-charities-left-reeling-by-your-response
Disability Law Service

http://www.dls.org.uk/Advice/WelfareBenefits.html (info)

Equality and Diversity Forum
http://www.edf.org.uk/blog/?p=3827


RNIB

http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/publicwebsite/public_dlafeb2009.hcsp (info & campaign)
• Download a draft campaign letter to send to your MP (Word) http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/publicwebsite/public_dlamp2009.doc
• Download a draft campaign letter for sighted campaign supporters and sent to your MP
• Download a draft letter to sent to your local newspaper
• Find out if your MP has sign the EDM
• Find out who your MP is – visit the Parliament website
• Send your MP a fax – via FaxYourMP.com

Rethink
http://www.rethink.org/how_we_can_help/news_and_media/press_releases/adult_green_paper_on.html (info & feedback)

Action For Blind People
http://www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk/news/dla-campaign-we-need-your-help,83,SNS.html (info & campaign)
Equality 2025

http://www.officefordisability.gov.uk/equality2025/default.asp (info)

Survivor History Group

A debate on disability living allowance is currently active on the Survivor History Group site http://studymore.org.uk/. (discussion) Anyone who wants to take part in the debate (or just listen to it) can.

To join the forum go to: http://groups.google.com/group/survivor-history/


Department for work and pensions

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/FinancialSupport/DisabilityLivingAllowance/index.htm (info)
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/about-dwp/public-bodies/dwp-sponsored-public-bodies/disability-living-allowance-advisory/
Email contact: [e-mail] / [e-mail] (feedback)

BBC message boards
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/messageboards/F2322273?thread=6842651 (discussion)

MIND

http://www.mind.org.uk/campaigns (info)
MIND DLA RESPONSE

We share your view that the DLA is an important benefit for people with mental health problems. Mind responded to the social care pre-green paper consultation in November 2008, and recommended very strongly to Government that the Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance must be retained.

Our recommendation was based on consultation with our networks. Over three-quarters (78 per cent) of respondents disagreed with the proposal to scrap DLA, and only 13 per cent agreed. 66 per cent of respondents had received DLA or AA in the last two years, and felt that DLA provided financial support for the extra costs of living with a disability, which are distinct from care costs. In focus groups and individual correspondence with service users, the proposal to pool DLA was unanimously rejected, often vehemently.

In the social care green paper, Shaping the Future of Care Together, the Government has not proposed to scrap DLA, although it is asking people for their views on whether they should pool Attendance Allowance with social care money.
Mind will respond to the green paper in the Autumn, along with other disability charities, and we will be consulting with our networks of people with experience of mental distress who will inform our response.

[Jill]

Campaign latest:

Sign this Petition: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/AttendanceA/

[Jill]

Hi Mandy
Well done on writing to your MP about the campaign to save DLA and AA. I know you have a lot of worries over your Dad and getting him the right care at the moment. I don't know anyone who seems to be getting the right care from services at all. They just seem to be full of managers trying to cut costs all the time and not provide any services.
I am a bit distracted at the moment because it is nearly 2.00am and Dickens hasn't even come in yet. He is always in by now. I have called and called him but still no sign. Can't help but worry. Think I will go and call him again now. Will catch up tomorrow. Bye for Now Jill

[Mandy Lawrence]

Hi again Jill

I wrote to my MP today. It was a difficult decision for me to make..to do that. Reason being I have needed, over the past 2 years, to get him involved in trying to get the right care support for my father. Actually, I initially wrote to him when my father started getting ill and I had no support from mental health services. The pair of us were drowning at the time.

Anyway, that aside, I thought it important to share my views on DLA and the care reform green paper with him (as well as updating him on what is going on in regards to Dad's care at the moment).

A copy of the letter can be seen at http://itsallabouttheprophets.blogspot.com.

For now, I think that is enough from me. I am but one person, with my experiences and views. :>)

[Jill]

Hi Mandy

You are right that they have kept this quiet so there isn't much time but people are making a lot of fuss now. Here is the latest mail I have recieved today from the Benefits and Work campaign calling for further action on the Government websites:

Dear Jill,
This week we're asking you to take the argument to the government by posting your opinions on their official green paper website. By doing this you will be contributing to the consultation process and your views according to the government will be taken into account when they begin work on drawing up the white paper due out next year.
We think it's vital that you do contribute because, otherwise, you'll be leaving it to others to speak on your behalf and they may not say quite what you want to say or with quite the passion that you might want to say it.
We also think it's important that the green paper website reflects what sick and disabled claimants actually do think, rather than what anyone else would like to claim you think.
There are lots of places on the Big Care Debate website where you can have your say. All comments are moderated, so if you say anything especially rude or potentially defamatory it's unlikely to be published
We suggest you either use the Executive Summary page here:

http://careandsupport.direct.gov.uk/greenpaper/execsum/

or the Having Your say page here:

http://careandsupport.direct.gov.uk/greenpaper/execsum/having-your-say/

You are asked to give your name and email address. Your name will be published on the site but your email address won't. If you want more details about the confidentiality policy for this consultation you can find them on the Having your say page, under the sub-heading 'Confidentiality of information'.
As usual, we're not going to tell people what to write. There are lots of contributions from claimants on the green paper website already, so you can see what others have written. You may also be able to copy and paste things you've written to your MP or disability organisations into the feedback box, if appropriate.
The issue we've been campaigning about is the proposal to hand disability benefits over to local authorities. But there are lots of other issues in the green paper you may also wish to comment on. For example, there is the fact that the government have ruled out using taxes to pay for care (Option 5 of the funding options) before the 'Big debate' has even begun. Lots of people think general taxation is the right way to pay for care and that it's wrong to take this option off the table before people have even been consulted.
THE CAMPAIGN SO FAR
A huge amount has been achieved in an astonishingly short space of time.
Information about the threat to disability benefits has been published on many hundreds of websites, forums and blogs.
Over 21,000 people have signed up to the campaign.
All the major disability charities, and the vast majority of the smaller ones are now very aware of this issue. This, for example, comes from the Arthritis Care website:
'A large number of people with arthritis have expressed concern to us about Government proposals to remove Attendance Allowance (AA) benefits, as part of a wider review of social care services.
Both AA and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) offer nationally-set, non-means tested benefits which are often vitally important to help keep people with arthritis active, independent and in work wherever possible.
Arthritis Care is opposed to any attempts to remove or subsume such benefits into mainstream social care services.
The full statement is available here:
http://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/campaigns/currentissues/socialcarereform

There's also unlikely to be an MP in the UK who hasn't heard from constituents about this issue. Replies have begun trickling in from them already. For example, labour MP David Drew has emailed a constituent to say:
'Like you I have serious misgivings about interfering with DLA and Attendance
Allowance and particularly the introduction of means testing.'

Remember, if you're not a member of Benefits and Work and so can't post on our forum, you can post replies from MP or anyone else at the newly established welfare watch website at:

http://welfarewatch.myfineforum.org/index.php

So . . . disability organisations informed . . . MPs quizzed . . . if we can now get a thousand or more responses on the green paper website, then all the major avenues for consultation will have been covered.
There are other things happening too.
In Cornwall today, for example, there's a public petition signing going on at Lemon Quay in Truro from 12.00 to 3.30pm. The event is being covered by Radio Cornwall. More details of this and other possible petition signing days from:

http://www.politicalcripple.com/d/

We've also no doubt that someone will get a petition put on the No 10 website as soon as it opens for business on 7 September.
And we've heard from people who came across the campaign from letters and articles in their local paper, so there's no doubt that it's worth the effort of contacting your local media. Well done to everyone who's managed to get coverage so far, do keep it up.

We'll do our best to keep you informed by email of any developments between now and November 13th, when the consultation ends. We'll then delete this mailing list. we won't hold on to your details. But you'll still be very welcome to sign up to our free monthly newsletter if you haven't already, so that you can keep yourself informed about what's happening.
Meanwhile, please do visit the green paper website and let them hear, loud and clear, what you think.
Good luck,
Steve Donnison
Please feel free to forward or publish this email.

[Mandy Lawrence]

Hi Jill

I was quite gobsmacked that information regarding the green paper on care reform was not being widely publicised...nor was anyone I knew with MH problems aware that the green paper existed. I think that says alot about how people with mental illness are excluded (deliberately or otherwise) from decision making processes.

I fear, although hope it is just personal neurosis, that the government's intention to shift the care component of Disablity Living Allowance to Social Services..thus dis-enabling people fromm making personal choices in regards to their care...is not a forgone conclusion and that the views of thousands of people living on DLA are taken into consideration.

I, initially, wrote to the Disability Alliance charity. That being the only charity on the green paper steering group with remotest link (under disablity umbrella) to people with mental illness. Was relieved when I got a response and the response was that they are opposing the abolition of any of the DLA components, on the grounds that people with disabilities are on very low incomes and in some small way DLA helps keep them from living in total poverty. It also, as I explained to them, allows me to make (financial) decisions about my own quality of life and how I achieve positive outcomes.

I know, now, that many others feel strongly about the quality of care provision and also the quality of life they get by being on DLA.. I hope that they share their views within forums they are on..and in any other arena that can respond to the Green Paper.

My next step will be to write to Mind and Rethink (or respond to any communications they have put up in regards to the Green Paper). I do think mental health charities and other voluntary organisations who support mentally ill people have left it till very late in the day to start to respond. The Green Paper has been available for people and organisations to respond to since July.

For anyone who wants to complete the survey The Disability Alliance is doing in response to the proposals, this is the link :http://www.disabilityalliance.org/care6