About the PM's (Sunak's) speech: Stop demonising us
Comments
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I don't think there's any thought of malice!
Anyhow, last few days now and the election will soon be done and dusted.
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Was that a Facebook group by any chance?
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DWP do not have a benefits group. Anyway, Jimm has already asked for us to remain on topic with this thread so I won't be commenting further on benefits in this thread.
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I wasn't being harsh at all and I'm sorry you thought that. I've done nothing but advise you on here across several threads so I don't understand why you're now accusing me of being harsh.
The reason I said I wouldn't comment further about benefits is because @Jimm_Scope did ask for us to keep the thread on topic and talking about benefits isn't remaining on topic.
It's unbelievable how some members think I'm harsh when I've gone out of my way to TRY to help them. I give up!
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poppy123456 you are a great help for members on here, me included and for that I can’t thank you enough
I think everyone’s emotions are out of control at the mo as we have no idea what is going to happen in the following weeks / months
I am struggling to cope with all this as it’s all up in the air and tbh my coping strategy is to ignore it best I can
I don’t think catherine21 meant anything towards you she is just as stressed as the rest of us (correct me if I am wrong catherine21)
Still only a few days to go then well hopefully have a new government all I hope is that help us disabled people not give us a hard time
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I’ve voted green on their manifesto against disability shame they won’t get in but I can’t vote labour as I have a labour mp in my constituency and when I email her for help previously in the past she didn’t want to see me instead said she was raising the matter in parliament!
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Hope Mel Stride loses his seat, and has to toddle off to the jobcentre holding his p45
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Mel Stride
Seat Central Devon
Majority in 2019 17,721
Challenger LabourThe work and pensions secretary was a key figure in the removal of Liz Truss and has provided regular backing for Sunak on the airwaves, but he now finds himself at the outer edges of the possible Labour surge. If it’s a really bad night, he could go.
Risk factor: 3/5Just a chance….
Is any of the constituencies mentioned yours?
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I would like to comment on all this talk of a so called supermajority. The Tories are again assuming we are stupid. The whole point of democratic elections is to appoint a majority government so that the majority of the people get to have things done the way they voted for. If there is no majority we get a hung parliament which cannot function as a working government.
If Labour end up with a large majority then it means that a larger proportion of the voters will have chosen them as the party they want to make policy decisions. This is a healthy democracy, we of course then get to change our minds if we want in the next election.
So there is no 'danger' in a so called supermajority, such a thing simply does not exist!!
Finally, please everyone who wants to oust the Tories, please get out there and vote for the person who can beat them in your area. It might not be the person you'd most like, but unfortunately it is the only way we get rid of them. Don't be fooled by all this talk that they have already won, if we all don't bother or vote Green etc, then the Tories will stay and we know what they have planned for us. Personally I can't survive their plans, I know I'm not alone.
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The most important thing is that everyone who can vote, gets out and votes on Thursday.
Disabled votes matter. We need to show politicians that we are here too.
I put my postal vote in a week ago. In my area I actually think there will be a split vote, because we have a very actively campaigning Labour candidate and a popular local Lib candidate. We also have an incumbent Tory with an impressive past majority to overcome. Tactical voting here is very hard to call. This is an area which is likely to be swung on local issues, but most tactical voting sites only look at the past election results as a guide. That's not relevant here since we didn't have viable candidates for the other parties in the last election and now do.
So we'll see what happens. I'm actually more interested to see what happens in two neighbouring constituencies, since they are more likely to change than ours.0 -
The only candidate I have seen out canvassing and posting on social media is our Tory mp.
I have received two letters from
him regarding the general election.
I do not even know any of the other party candidates because they have not made themselves known.
I will not be voting for our Tory mp but he has been a hard worker and a good support to our local community.
Not all Tories are bad people.
I am not defending them because they as a government have absolutely destroyed the country and they deserve to lose and I hope they do but as far as I am concerned any alternative will not be any better.
Having said that I will be voting on Thursday for the party I think most represents my views, even though I will not know who the candidate is until I see their name on the ballot paper.
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I would not say they can pass them more quickly. As every bill has to go through the same processes. What is less likely is they lose votes on passing laws, which can slow down the process. Though they still need to ensure all their own MPs agree with the new Act.
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The Conservatives has been doing just that with their majority, they can get things done although, The Lords can put 'brakes' on things, although in the end it's 'futile'.
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I know this post will be unpopular, but the common message on here appears to be along the lines of dont worry, they only plans etc, and people are advised to typically ignore it.
Its that mentality which causes multiple governments to continually pick on disabled people, precisely because we just sit here and take it.
If they are doing a consultation it means the wheels are in motion, it might be 1,2,3,4,5 years or whatever but its still in motion.
If we all wait until the policies are enacted before caring, then at that point it is too late to lobby, the time to do it is at time of consultation.
I responded to the consultation, and the questions have a very different vibe about them to the WCA consultation. The pip consultation, asks for proof on every single question why someone would have higher costs, I posted answers such as needing to pay for assistants, housekeepers, taxis and so forth. Not to mention that for many of us PIP covers a shortfall in ESA and housing benefits, but the fact they asking for proof on every answer suggests they have set it up in a way designed to get a certain result, not sure how that proof would be provided either given its just a basic text box.
The amount of changes being consulted on is absolutely huge, it will make the change from DLA to PIP seem like childs play as a comparison. From getting rid of half of the descriptors, removing cash from the majority of who still qualify, my MP actually is in the role of DWP, and she doesnt want to know, not a single response to any query I made, they were all made very polite and non aggressive and she simply chose to not respond.
Some of my answers were a tad aggressive on the form, as I felt the form was an insult, why do people who work for the DWP not understand the circumstances disabled people will fall in to. I feel like having to explain the costs associated with being disabled, was like I am a teacher explaining things to a child, the form in itself suggests there is a very bad cultural problem within the DWP. Ironically some years back the DWP actually did get consulted on, and every single one criticised it with cultural problems and one of them suggested getting rid of the DWP totally as a department as it rotten to the core.
I also pointed out on the form there will be many people with mobility issues that get daily living, but not mobility because the mobility criteria is excessively stringent, e.g. someone who can only mobilise 100 meters very likely still needs taxis, scooter or someone to drive them around as thats still a very short distance. But isnt recognised by PIP as needing support, so their daily living payments would be spent on those sort of things.
Absolutely baffling these things need explaining to the DWP.If they need to make cuts options such as means testing or just a flat cut to the rate would all be more preferable, but as always its about moving the goal posts disqualifying people and the voucher ideas like people arent trusted with spending.
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I plan to write to my new MP as soon as I can after the election, I will make sure they understand the urgency and severity of the situation, especially the UC migration and how the erosion of TP.is going to make us all thousands of pounds a year worse off. My rent goes up by at least £15 a week each year so add that to the freeze in inflation rises and I'm going to be struggling from year one, this is not going to be a gradual process. I simply can't afford to absorb that kind of cut without it severely affecting me.
Don't even get me started on how losing PIP will affect me, my rent rise won't be an issue for starters, because I won't be able afford the bedroom tax or indeed any kind of rent contribution at all...
I can't be the only one who uses my PIP to pay things like tbe bedroom tax, council tax and rent? They just have no idea...
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Catherine, I've already advised you this so many times. At first when we migrate across we won't be any worse off. Gradually though the Transitional Protection will erode as other elements increase until eventually there will be no TP, which means our benefits will be frozen until the TP erodes completely.
That's not correct, you can have a lodger because there's no rules against this. However, for legacy benefits such as Income Related income of more than £20/week from a lodger will reduce your ESA. So for example, if you charge a lodger £70/week then your ESA will reduce by £50/week.
If there's at least 1 meal included for the lodger then the deduction for ESA would be 50% on income above £20/week. So if you charged them £100/week which includes at least 1 meal a day then the reduction in your ESA would be £25/week.
You could also lose your Council tax single person discount.
When claiming Universal Credit, rent from a lodger is completely ignored.
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@worried33 'and people are advised to typically ignore it.'
That's actually not I how heard the message. I heard it hasn't happened and may not happen and please don't be distressed by it. You could see it - suppose you lived somewhere where the wildlife is dangerous, wolves and bears in Canada, for instance! You're mindful of a risk, you take precautions, but you don't spend your entire life in a flat spin.
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Of course you should still inform them because it's a change but it will not reduce your UC.
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You're very welcome! Thank you for such kind words too!
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I certainly hope that pip never becomes means tested because I would lose the benefit and how is that even fair because I worked hard for years and saved some money for my old age.
The savings I have don't qualify me for means tested benefits and as such I didn't qualify for the cost of living payments, neither do I qualify for rent rebate and I only get single persons council tax.
I never qualified for free prescriptions or warm home discount.
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