Sometimes the British public astound me. Sometimes they disgust me, and sometimes, only sometimes they manage to do both. This post isn’t likely to be written too well, It’s too late at night, I’m not sleeping well and I’m fucking incandescent about the whole issue and feel that it’s pretty much the end of society in what has become a country that cares only for the wealthy.
Before reading further it might be appropriate to refer to some factual information and therefore I’m directing readers here the beeb . The BBC describes changes where those out of work for any reason will be required to ultimately work full time for their benefits. As described there will be no difference between the work required claimants and convicts. Those with disability or chronic illness will not be exempt and changes are planned to qualification rules.
Essentially, not to get caught up in this will require you to prove that you are within 6 months of death, in an advanced state of pregnancy or mentally incompetent (ie in a lock hospital or unable to perform the most basic tasks).
The proposed changes are the handiwork of the Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell wiki entry for Purnell and a hired merchant banker David Freud. Purnell has had some colourful career highlights , not least of which is that he is one of the most expensive MP’s in the country with expenses that he saw fit to defend in a consituency local paper (approximately £120,000 The Tameside Advertiser ). Freuds contribution ? To accuse two thirds of claimants of being unentitled is implying fraud, as legally of course, the claimant is responsible for their claim and any overpayment. In this story – The Telegraph - he describes how checks are performed by claimants own GP’s and states they have a conflict of interest. Unfortunately this hasn’t been the case for some time now. He also believes claimants should be paid much less.
Claimants can expect to be hauled in for interviews with benefits agency doctors who have been criticised by claimants for lack of language skills, failure to record or listen to what has been said during interviews, which have been rushed and performed in a cursory manner. After trotting out the two thirds figure Freud then goes on to say fraud may be running at 5-7%, (bit of a difference and coincidentally probably no higher than historical estimates) of course you couldn’t actually say that this is misleading because the headline figure – remember that two thirds – he merely says these people are unentitled, the reader then jumps to the conclusion they appear to be intended to.
Freuds view, endorsed by Purnell is that the key to getting people on benefit back into work is to use the private sector. I have a problem with this. Everything associated with PFI has been a disaster, costing more, giving less, than intended tithout exception. Shoddy unfit for purpose schools, hospitals, IT projects and government services not one of which has opened on time and delivered all of what was paid for. The trend for outsourcing ownership of premises of institutions is going to cause crisis sooner or later when contracts lapse and ownership reverts to the private sector. We’ve paid our taxes, our elected officials have spent them, and the public is going to own none of what we paid for. Meanwhile the contractors have enriched themselves.
Freud is a rich merchant banker who has little conception that those of us less fortunate than he depend on those institutions.
Now I offer up Gordon Brown. His role – desperate to recover a decidedly weak “middle england” vote, desperate to make his mark, desperate get positive press. Voters lucky enough to have jobs, and unlucky in some ways to be in their own houses paying mortgages are angry. They see the poor around them, they maybe don’t have mortgages, they may receive benefits.
Our wonderful gutter press – Broadsheets included have loyally taken up the cause with a will. After preposterous scare pieces on immigration, violent crime, seeing being childhood practically criminalised, they’ve leapt at the chance to support these new proposals and victimise the poor.
Let me let you into a secret. Disability and incapacity is not easy. The chances are that you will have higher expenses than able bodied neighbours. You will require, not wantonly wish for, but require more energy for heating, spend more on medecines, transport. You may well be barred from much of what society takes for granted, if you are wheelchair user, try using the average mini cab or bus.
Try gaining access to many government buildings. You are going to find that unless your needs coincide with what the various agencies require from you, then you are going to be shit out of luck. You are going to find even if you get interviews, you don’t get jobs. You are going to find even if you get jobs, you will be paid less. Try to get an employer or agency to return calls. I’ve had employers and agencies extremely enthusiastic about my CV then cry off and never return repeated subsequent calls because at 44 and whilst in good health I am clearly damaged goods. Apparently I am good enough for a charity to take me as a volunteer sysadmin/IT support worker, but no paying employer will give me an interview for even the most basic of jobs, including those with stated anti descrimination policies.
I’m lucky, I’ve come close, but I’ve never required an artificial limb. See what kind of appliance you’ll get out of the NHS, then check the price tag for a privately supplied item…… Check out wheelchair prices and their capabilities. Oh and take a look at what the state is able to provide.
If you have the misfortune to look approximately “normal” (I term I use here in a derogotary sense) and have an invisible disability or incapacity, see how people start to change their opinion. If you believe in a deity, I recommend prayer if you are unlucky enough to become mentally ill, the NHS mental health provision is frighteningly inadequate.
The proposals are in an advanced stage of development, with both of the UK’s main parties commited to forcing the changes through, and the benefits agencies in question in an advanced state of readiness to roll out the new legislation the second it is passed. It’s being presented as a fait acomplit. You’ll have to excuse my French.
The moment I heard about these I had a sinking feeling. The language chosen to relay this news in the media has been one of emotive, irrational language. Comments on those sources that reproduce public opinion has been nothing less than the haves lashing out at the have nots. Some of the comments made me feel physically ill. One comment I read actually used the term “Arbeit Macht Am Frei”, you don’t have to be German or Jewish to understand the loaded nature of those words.
Unemployment is a poverty trap. Disability, age or incapacity are worse. This proposed legislation is an egregious punishment of the poorest members of society. The people responsible should be forced to try such a lifestyle for themselves before sending people out, full time, to work for what will be sub minimum wage, for many physically excruciating, and certainly demeaning.
If those jobs such as street cleaners are filled by those claiming benefits, what happens to those poorly paid members of society our councils already pay to do the job ? We sack them and push them out the door again in two years time at sub-minimum wage. Do we make vulnerable people in wheelchairs work alongside convicted criminals ?
What happened to the labour parties ideals social justice and humanity, their target of an end ot child poverty ? I’m ashamed ever to have been associated with the labour party in particular, and this country in general. The press who have been rightly trumpetting the efforts of thinly spread, overworked, badly paid, poorly equipped British forces will shortly be able to report on those unfortunate wounded who are unable to return to work being wheeled into the street alongside the rest. Frankly, I feel this is the lowest, most cynical legislation the Labour Party has ever purveyed and targetted at the softest targets whilst politicians have spent more time discussing enriching themselves via expenses and second homes.
I can’t wait until the smug bastards that believe this is a good thing end up (of course with their legendary pensions none of our dear leaders and their cronies will be) having to claim these benefits and end up receiving bugger all, working for it, and most likely wondering what the hell happened to their tax and NI payments.
Note – Mr Purnell has a labour party official monitor his wiki page making edits in his favour. I suggest readers read about it here…. wiki/Talk:James_Purnell I do believe it has been commented on in Private Eye.
